Secular Thai Constitution approved

A referendum in Thailand has seen a majority opting for the new constitution which is secular in nature. The military drafters of the constitution had resisted pressure to make Buddhism the official religion of the country. The country’s Queen had also spoken out strongly in favour of a separation of religion and state.

It is hoped that the acceptance of the constitution will now lead to the election of a civilian government and a return to a stronger democracy. However, some regions of Thailand are still deeply divided over the constitution and argue that it gives too much power to the military. Some human rights groups have criticised the referendum as a sham, given that nearly half of Thailand's 76 provinces remain under martial law and that a "No" vote would have allowed the army to impose any one of the previous 17 constitutions.

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