Thailand said yesterday it was lifting a state of emergency in three northern provinces but not in Bangkok, two months after the end of anti-government protests in the capital that turned deadly.
The emergency law, which bans public gatherings of more than five people and gives security forces the right to detain suspects for 30 days without charge, will remain in place in 16 other provinces.
Earlier this month the government extended the emergency powers across about one quarter of the country by three months, prompting concern among rights groups and key allies including the US.
The Cabinet decided yesterday to revoke the state of emergency in Lampang, Roi Et and Sakon Nakhon provinces, in addition to five areas where the decree was recently lifted, deputy government spokesman Supachai Jaismut said.
“There are no political movements in those three provinces and local officials are confident that they can handle the situation,” he said.
In the 16 other provinces, security officials report continued political activities such as using community radio to incite unrest, as well as fears of sabotage and assassination attempts on important people, the spokesman added.
Two months of mass rallies by the Red Shirts, who were seeking immediate elections, sparked outbreaks of violence that left 90 people dead, mostly civilians, and nearly 1,900 injured, ending in a bloody army crackdown in May.
Critics say the government may be fanning the crisis as it clamps down and censors the protest movement — which broadly supports fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra — rather than addressing its grievances.
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