Ray of charter hope for end to unrestPro-democracy protesters hold up at the three-finger salute at Democracy Monument during an anti-government rally in Bangkok earlier this month. (Photo by Nutthawat Wichieanbut)Progress in the charter rewrite process, with parliamentary endorsement of two draft bills proposed by the government and the opposition, gives a ray of hope that there could be a peaceful solution to the ongoing political conflict. The two bills passed on Nov 8 stipulate the formation of a panel tasked with rewriting the charter. The charter passed in a referendum that was organised under tight military control, with 61%:38%, or 16.8 million votes against 10.5 million. The 2017 charter contains a number of non-democratic clauses that enable the regime to gain political advantages over its opponents.

Source: Bangkok Post November 20, 2020 23:37 UTC