EC announces “6 Dos and 8 Don’ts” guideline

BANGKOK: The Election Commission has announced a guideline of “6 Dos and 8 Don’ts” in the leadup to the August 7 national referendum.

The “8 Don’ts” are as follows:

1. Persuade voters to not exercise their voting right; to mislead voters to vote for or against; to mislead voters about the date of the referendum voting or the means of voting through media interviews using false or violent, provocative or intimidating statements.
2. Post or share false and violent information in websites or electronic media.
3. Act or make gestures which are violent and aggressive.
4. Stage seminars of panel discussions by any organization without the participation of governmental agency, educational institute and the media with an intention for political incitement.
5. Persuade people to wear shirts, badges, pins, ribbons, flags or signs which symbolize opinions or distribute the aforementioned items in a way which is deemed to be a campaign to lead to incitement.
6. Distribute pamphlets with false content or violent content.
7. Press reports which lead to chaos or which are deemed instigative.
8. Campaign to persuade people to vote in either way in a way which is deemed instigative or obstructing the voting.

The “6 Dos” include: 1.Expressing opinions which are factual, non-violent, not aggressive, not against the law and in a polite manner; 2. Expressing views with polite language; 3. Expressing opinions based on clear information and not on vague information which are deemed distortion of fact; 4. Using research works as reference to back up opinion expressions; 5. Giving interviews to the media; 6.

Share information from online media or electronic media without additional opinions.

EC deputy secretary-general Mr Thanit Sriprathet said media can perform their duties as usual provided that they adhere to their code of conduct, be neutral and factual.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/161654

-- Thai PBS 2016-04-30

Dear Mr. Thanit Sriprathet,

your guidelines are much too complex and too sophisticated. You better make it short:

1. Everything that is against us: forbidden!

2. Everything that is for us (= "pro"): requested and welcome!

Regards

Jackinthebox

I am not aware of any other country that aspires to free and fair elections, in which it is illegal to campaign for or against a referendum.

Sadly, Thailand is the exception.

I belive these guidelines, especially the "don'ts", are unworkable. They are a minefield for citizens exercising their right to express heartfelt opinions. Too much interpretation and bias will lead to unfair prosecutions and abuse of power.

Of course, this is the stepchild of Section 44, an abuse of power on a grand scale.

" Stage seminars of panel discussions by any organization without the participation of governmental agency"... Oh brother.

Remember to vote correctly.

We know who you are, where you live, where your children go to school etc.

But we still respect your human right to free speach.

Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Thailand is a state party, provides that everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right includes “freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds.”

My ar*e.

The words of a failed, junta led state. RIP Thailand

 

I am not aware of any other country that aspires to free and fair elections, in which it is illegal to campaign for or against a referendum.

Sadly, Thailand is the exception.

I belive these guidelines, especially the "don'ts", are unworkable. They are a minefield for citizens exercising their right to express heartfelt opinions. Too much interpretation and bias will lead to unfair prosecutions and abuse of power.

Of course, this is the stepchild of Section 44, an abuse of power on a grand scale.

I am sure that you realize that the whole purpose of this charade is to instill fear into the masses to just accept what is going on. The suppression of free speech IS the goal.

Thailand is headed for a catastrophe of epic proportions.

 

Seems Suthep has been doing several of the DON'Ts.. why hasn't he been taken in for a "chat" ?

One thing that is noticeable with the Junta is that they like to talk down to the population and treat them as dumb , let the people decide what they wish to say and hear, who cares, the vote will be either a vote for the Junta or against , whichever way it goes it wont be necessarily be about the charter , that will be secondary to the peoples intentions............................................

Every Thai I have met thinks the existing Junta is nothing more than a big joke. Most are offended when the nightly charade from the so called govt. interrupts their TV viewing and either switch their TV off for 30 minutes or find a station that has another program. Even the legal govt., (elected), didn't make this mistake. The junta is trying to run the place like a military base. Follow orders or else. This just doesn't work with a civilian population, anywhere in the world. If it does what always follows? Revolution and the spilling of blood.

Every Thai I have met thinks the existing Junta is nothing more than a big joke. Most are offended when the nightly charade from the so called govt. interrupts their TV viewing and either switch their TV off for 30 minutes or find a station that has another program. Even the legal govt., (elected), didn't make this mistake. The junta is trying to run the place like a military base. Follow orders or else. This just doesn't work with a civilian population, anywhere in the world. If it does what always follows? Revolution and the spilling of blood.

Those government broadcasts should fall under the category of 'Religious', because God knows what time they will finish...

No comment.

Isn't an opinion just that. Does an opinion have to be a fact.

Rest in Peace my beloved Thailand.....Are we really in 2016? Why the west is doing nothing to stop these so called elites.

Hopefully these toy soldiers will be getting their own list of dos and don'ts from the international community.

Hopefully these toy soldiers will be getting their own list of dos and don'ts from the international community.

No, it would be better if they were tought some manners and respect by their own population.

I just hope for Thailand's future it happens soon.

Edited April 30, 201610 yr by MorristheRunt

8 Don'ts

6 Do's

Don'ts win by a majority.

Thank you democracy!

do # 1 and Do # 2 Are the same. so there is only 5 do's.

De do do do, de da da da

Is all I want to say to you

De do do do, de da da da

Their innocence will pull me through

De do do do, de da da da

Is all I want to say to you

De do do do, de da da da

They're meaningless and all that's true

The POLICE

De do do do, de da da da

Is all I want to say to you

De do do do, de da da da

Their innocence will pull me through

De do do do, de da da da

Is all I want to say to you

De do do do, de da da da

They're meaningless and all that's true

The POLICE

Or Do Da Day

If the path to democracy is not democratic, then you are not really on a path to democracy.