Thai Enquirer
Opinion: Election Commission Risks SLAPP Backlash by Suing Citizen Election Observers - Thai Enquirer Main
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By filing a police complaint against citizens who observed vote counting during a Bangkok revote, the country’s election management body risks transforming itself from a constitutional referee into a litigant against public scrutiny — a move that bears the hallmarks of a strategic lawsuit against public participation, or SLAPP.
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Summary
The Election Commission (EC) has crossed a dangerous line.
The complaint, submitted Feb. 25 by EC officials including deputy secretary‑general Kanchit Charoen‑in, targets several civilians who attended the Feb. 22 revote in Bangkok’s Khan Na Yao district. Authorities allege the observers obstructed officials and photographed ballots, QR codes and tally procedures in an attempt to demonstrate that the election was not secret.