I tried to fix #11561. "raw_id_fields_readonly" is similar to "raw_id_fields", but do not require "change permission". If a user does not have "change permission", "raw_id_fields" works as "raw_id_fields_readonly".

django.contrib.admin.options.py

class ModelAdmin(BaseModelAdmin):
  raw_id_fields_readonly = ()
  def get_urls(self):
    from django.conf.urls import patterns, url

    def wrap(view):
        def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
            return self.admin_site.admin_view(view)(*args, **kwargs)
        return update_wrapper(wrapper, view)

    info = self.model._meta.app_label, self.model._meta.module_name

    urlpatterns = patterns('',
        url(r'^$',
            wrap(self.changelist_view),
            name='%s_%s_changelist' % info),
        url(r'^readonly/$',
            wrap(self.readonly_list_view),
            name='%s_%s_readonlylist' % info),
        url(r'^add/$',
            wrap(self.add_view),
            name='%s_%s_add' % info),
        url(r'^(.+)/history/$',
            wrap(self.history_view),
            name='%s_%s_history' % info),
        url(r'^(.+)/delete/$',
            wrap(self.delete_view),
            name='%s_%s_delete' % info),
        url(r'^(.+)/$',
            wrap(self.change_view),
            name='%s_%s_change' % info),
    )
    return urlpatterns
  def readonly_list_view(self, request, extra_context=None):
    """
    The 'readonly list' admin view for this model.
    """
    from django.contrib.admin.views.main import ERROR_FLAG
    opts = self.model._meta
    app_label = opts.app_label
    #if not self.has_change_permission(request, None):
    #    raise PermissionDenied
  
    list_display = self.get_list_display(request)
    list_display_links = self.get_list_display_links(request, list_display)
    list_filter = self.get_list_filter(request)
  
    # Check actions to see if any are available on this changelist
    actions = self.get_actions(request)
    if actions:
        # Add the action checkboxes if there are any actions available.
        list_display = ['action_checkbox'] +  list(list_display)
  
    ChangeList = self.get_changelist(request)
    try:
        cl = ChangeList(request, self.model, list_display,
            list_display_links, list_filter, self.date_hierarchy,
            self.search_fields, self.list_select_related,
            self.list_per_page, self.list_max_show_all, self.list_editable,
            self)
    except IncorrectLookupParameters:
        # Wacky lookup parameters were given, so redirect to the main
        # changelist page, without parameters, and pass an 'invalid=1'
        # parameter via the query string. If wacky parameters were given
        # and the 'invalid=1' parameter was already in the query string,
        # something is screwed up with the database, so display an error
        # page.
        if ERROR_FLAG in request.GET.keys():
            return SimpleTemplateResponse('admin/invalid_setup.html', {
                'title': _('Database error'),
            })
        return HttpResponseRedirect(request.path + '?' + ERROR_FLAG + '=1')
  
    # If we're allowing changelist editing, we need to construct a formset
    # for the changelist given all the fields to be edited. Then we'll
    # use the formset to validate/process POSTed data.
    formset = cl.formset = None
  
    # Handle GET -- construct a formset for display.
    if cl.list_editable:
        FormSet = self.get_changelist_formset(request)
        formset = cl.formset = FormSet(queryset=cl.result_list)
  
    # Build the list of media to be used by the formset.
    if formset:
        media = self.media + formset.media
    else:
        media = self.media
  
    # Build the action form and populate it with available actions.
    if actions:
        action_form = self.action_form(auto_id=None)
        action_form.fields['action'].choices = self.get_action_choices(request)
    else:
        action_form = None
  
    selection_note_all = ungettext('%(total_count)s selected',
        'All %(total_count)s selected', cl.result_count)
  
    context = {
        'module_name': force_text(opts.verbose_name_plural),
        'selection_note': _('0 of %(cnt)s selected') % {'cnt': len(cl.result_list)},
        'selection_note_all': selection_note_all % {'total_count': cl.result_count},
        'title': cl.title,
        'is_popup': cl.is_popup,
        'cl': cl,
        'media': media,
        'has_add_permission': False,#self.has_add_permission(request),
        'app_label': app_label,
        'action_form': action_form,
        'actions_on_top': self.actions_on_top,
        'actions_on_bottom': self.actions_on_bottom,
        'actions_selection_counter': self.actions_selection_counter,
    }
    context.update(extra_context or {})
  
    return TemplateResponse(request, self.change_list_template or [
        'admin/%s/%s/change_list.html' % (app_label, opts.object_name.lower()),
        'admin/%s/change_list.html' % app_label,
        'admin/change_list.html'
    ], context, current_app=self.admin_site.name)
    
  def formfield_for_foreignkey(self, db_field, request=None, **kwargs):
      """
      Get a form Field for a ForeignKey.
      """
      user = request.user
      model = db_field.rel.to
      permission_ok = user.has_perms(model._meta.app_label + '.' + model.__name__.lower())
      db = kwargs.get('using')
      if db_field.name in self.raw_id_fields and permission_ok:
          kwargs['widget'] = widgets.ForeignKeyRawIdWidget(db_field.rel,
                                  self.admin_site, using=db, readonly=False)
      elif db_field.name in self.raw_id_fields_readonly or db_field.name in self.raw_id_fields:
          kwargs['widget'] = widgets.ForeignKeyRawIdWidget(db_field.rel,
                                  self.admin_site, using=db, readonly=True)        
      elif db_field.name in self.radio_fields:
          kwargs['widget'] = widgets.AdminRadioSelect(attrs={
              'class': get_ul_class(self.radio_fields[db_field.name]),
          })
          kwargs['empty_label'] = db_field.blank and _('None') or None

      return db_field.formfield(**kwargs)

  def formfield_for_manytomany(self, db_field, request=None, **kwargs):
      """
      Get a form Field for a ManyToManyField.
      """
      # If it uses an intermediary model that isn't auto created, don't show
      # a field in admin.
      if not db_field.rel.through._meta.auto_created:
          return None
      db = kwargs.get('using')
      user = request.user
      model = db_field.rel.to
      permission_ok = user.has_perms(model._meta.app_label + '.' + model.__name__.lower())
      if db_field.name in self.raw_id_fields and permission_ok:
          kwargs['widget'] = widgets.ManyToManyRawIdWidget(db_field.rel,
                                  self.admin_site, using=db, readonly=False)
          kwargs['help_text'] = ''
      elif db_field.name in self.raw_id_fields_readonly or db_field.name in self.raw_id_fields:
          kwargs['widget'] = widgets.ManyToManyRawIdWidget(db_field.rel,
                                  self.admin_site, using=db, readonly=True)
          kwargs['help_text'] = ''        
      elif db_field.name in (list(self.filter_vertical) + list(self.filter_horizontal)):
          kwargs['widget'] = widgets.FilteredSelectMultiple(db_field.verbose_name, (db_field.name in self.filter_vertical))

      return db_field.formfield(**kwargs)

django.contrib.admin.widgets.py

class ForeignKeyRawIdWidget(forms.TextInput):
  def render(self, name, value, attrs=None):
    rel_to = self.rel.to
    if attrs is None:
        attrs = {}
    extra = []
    readonly = 'true' if self.readonly else 'false'
    if rel_to in self.admin_site._registry:
        # The related object is registered with the same AdminSite
        related_url = reverse('admin:%s_%s_changelist' %
                                (rel_to._meta.app_label,
                                rel_to._meta.module_name),
                                current_app=self.admin_site.name)
  
        params = self.url_parameters()
        if params:
            url = '?' + '&'.join(['%s=%s' % (k, v) for k, v in params.items()])
        else:
            url = ''
        if "class" not in attrs:
            attrs['class'] = 'vForeignKeyRawIdAdminField' # The JavaScript code looks for this hook.
        # TODO: "lookup_id_" is hard-coded here. This should instead use
        # the correct API to determine the ID dynamically.
        extra.append('<a href="%s%s" class="related-lookup" id="lookup_id_%s" onclick="return showRelatedObjectLookupPopup(this, %s);"> '
                        % (related_url, url, name ,readonly))
        extra.append('<img src="%s" width="16" height="16" alt="%s" /></a>'
                        % (static('admin/img/selector-search.gif'), _('Lookup')))
    output = [super(ForeignKeyRawIdWidget, self).render(name, value, attrs)] + extra
    if value:
        output.append(self.label_for_value(value))
    return mark_safe(''.join(output))

RelatedObjectLookups.js

function showRelatedObjectLookupPopup(triggeringLink, readonly) {
    var name = triggeringLink.id.replace(/^lookup_/, '');
    name = id_to_windowname(name);
    var href;
    href = triggeringLink.href
    if (triggeringLink.href.search(/\?/) >= 0) {
  if(readonly){
	    href = href.replace(/\?/, 'readonly/?');
	}
        href = href + '&pop=1';
    } else {
	if(readonly){
	    href = href + 'readonly/'
	}
        href = href + '?pop=1';
    }
    var win = window.open(href, name, 'height=500,width=800,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes');
    win.focus();
    return false;
}