Complex sentence: The 2007 Constitution was written by a junta-appointed group of drafters, but was approved by a public referendum after the junta passed a law making it illegal to publicly criticize the draft.
Split into simpler sentences: The 2007 Constitution was written by a junta-appointed group of drafters, but was approved by a public referendum. Prior to the referendum, the junta passed a law making it illegal to publicly criticize the draft.