Asia-Pacific

Thai gov't likely to extend state of emergency

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-05 13:47

BANGKOK - Thai government may extend enforcement of the state of emergency in a bid to ensure public security, the Matichon online reported on Monday.

Thailand's security authorities will assess the situation before the state of emergency will complete its 3-month term of the enforcement on July 7.

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It is viewed that normal laws may not be able to maintain law and order under the country's current circumstance, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security affairs Suthep Thaugsuban said on Monday.

Hence, if the government decides to extend the enforcement of the state of emergency, it is for the national peace and security, Suthep explained.

"The government is responsible for ensuring peace and security for the country," Suthep said.

The Center of the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) is going to take a number of factors into account when it asseses the overall situation, he said.

Suthep said the outcome of the CRES assessment will be heard at the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday.  

Though the anti-government protests ended on May 19, the Thai government has still maintained its enforcement of the state of emergency in order to ensure security for the public.

The state of emergency has been imposed on April 7 in capital Bangkok and 23 of Thailand's 76 provinces, empowering police and army to control the then anti-government protests.  

The death toll from a series of violent clashes between the "red-shirt" protestors and troops during over two months of protest stood at 88 as some 1,885 others were wounded.