“The Act has to be respected,” the premier announced at his weekly press briefing. “The National Council for Peace and Order [NCPO]’s orders are to only maintain peace. They function separately.

“Or do you not want them both? What do you want then?” the premier asked.

Meanwhile, Election Commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn will today file a charge against people who allegedly violated the law.

This will be the first case filed under the law, although it came into effect last week, and clear guidelines from the Election Commission (EC) on what can or cannot be done have yet to be issued.

Among the issues in question is the holding of public seminars, which security officials and the EC interpret differently. Security authorities say that Article 61 of the Act prohibits all acts deemed provocative or violent, while the EC says the Act does not ban public opinions or academic discussions about the draft charter.

Somchai said on Monday that any honest action that does not violate the law could definitely be carried out, provided it does not involve vulgar, violent, aggressive, distorted or seditious comments.

Prayut backed Somchai, saying “a |further discussion” could be held to help define what exactly could be considered a violation of the law.

“It depends on whether the EC will take the matter to the government,” he said.

Prayut also said that the Act, in practice, does not strictly ban the public from expressing opinions on the draft charter.

“Though the Act is in effect now, is it really stopping them from speaking out?” he said in reference to the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship and Great Mass of People’s Foundation for Thailand’s Reform. The two groups staked out opposing positions on the draft charter two days after the Act was enforced.

“If the act did not exist, wouldn’t there even be more [political] conflicts?” he said.

When asked if his remarks could mean that people had more freedom of expression in relation to the draft, he said: “I don’t know, I don’t allow anything for now.”

The PM said he would not invite or welcome any observers from foreign countries or NGOs to monitor the referendum process. “It will not be suitable for them to come now. Is our [political] situation normal yet?” He also said it “depends on laws” whether the NCPO would be authorised to listen in on conversations conducted via mobile apps such as LINE during the period leading up to the referendum.

Meanwhile, NCPO spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree said it was legal for sol?diers to distribute leaflets calling on people to vote on the referendum.