In a move that raised immediate concerns about human rights, the Thai government yesterday issued a decree granting authorities emergency powers to detain suspects without charges and tap telephones in the wake of escalating violence in the majority Muslim south.
The decree was issued after an emergency Cabinet meeting led by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in response to a well-organized attack Thursday night on Yala, southern Thailand, that caused a city-wide blackout and left two policemen dead and 17 civilians injured.
The decree, which allows authorities to detain suspects for up to seven days without pressing charges and to tap telephones, will require the signature of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej before it goes into effect.
Thailand does not have an internal security act, similar to Malaysia and Singapore, allowing the government to arrest suspects without charges and trials, but the Cabinet has the right to temporarily enforce emergency measures if the country is in crisis and parliament is out of session.
Human rights activists, however, were quick to criticize the move.
"This measure should only be used in a crisis and the situation in the south is not really that bad," said Chalida Tacharoensak, a senior advisor for Forum Asia, a human rights group.
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