"Do not worry that people will be alarmed by our informed facts," the ministry order said. "Because they will show which side wants to stay in order to continue solving the country's problems and which side wants to create tensions and does not want to solve the problems. Meanwhile, defiant activists as well as civil society figures and politicians continued to voice their concerns over tough measures to mute criticism.The Interior Ministry yesterday gave the green light to local administrators nationwide to intensify measures against the dissemination of "false" information regarding the referendum and the draft.The ministry also ordered its provincial "order maintaining" centres to hold weekly monitoring sessions regarding the "peace situation", immediately apply tough legal measures against provocateurs and report to the ministry.The order also commanded local governors to use all available means of communication to explain to people about bans on attempted provocation. Police are still investigating the incident and have not concluded whether there may have been a political motive.Meanwhile, the New Democracy Movement (NDM) said it would continue to distribute charter draft booklets, which were banned by the Election Commission and charter drafters on the grounds that they illegally "distorted" the charter content.NDM leader Rangsiman Rome said the EC had failed to provide reasons for their ban of the booklet, and had not allowed NDM members to explain their point of view.NDM member Worawut Butmart said the group had also published a new charter booklet spelling out seven reasons why the charter draft should be rejected.First, the booklet said, Article 52 of the draft gives the military overwhelming power by giving it a role in developing the country. "The order came after the circulation of a report accusing the ministry's provincial administration department of potentially compromising people's personal data in a system in which people can type in their identification numbers in its database at www.khonthai.com to check their voting eligibility for the referendum.While confirming that people can check their eligibility on the website, Ministry permanent secretary Kritsada Boonrat insisted in the order that they were not trying to lure people into surrendering their personal data.The order also followed Saturday's report regarding the destruction of registration papers belonging to eligible voters in Kamphaeng Phet's district of Khanu Woralaksaburi.According to local superintendent Pol Colonel Itthi Chamnanmor, an unknown person tore up the registration papers that were left unattended at a prospective polling station.

Source: The Nation Bangkok July 17, 2016 16:18 UTC