Thailand's National Reform Committee not anti-gov't: official

Thailand's National Reform Committee's (NRC) call for a lifting of the state of emergency is not anti-government, panel member Khunying Kasama Worawan said on Friday, according to a Bangkok Post's website report.

"Members of the panel met on Thursday and agreed that if the emergency law is revoked, the political situation would improve," she clarified.

Khunying Kasama has admitted that the anti-government movement has existed in some areas, but has also believed the political conflict could be resolved by political means.

She pointed out that if the political situation escalates to fresh unrest, the emergency decree could always be invoked again.

"The meeting of the national reform panel did not come out against the government or oppose the use of the emergency law. It also did not propose the government to immediately lift the state of emergency, or try to force the government to comply with the call," Khunying Kasama said.

On Thursday, after a four-hour meeting, the NRC panel called for a revocation of the emergency law saying that its continued enforcement is jeopardizing reconciliation efforts.

The 20-member NRC panel, chaired by former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun, was recently set up by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to map out a plan for national reforms after the country ' s political crisis.

The enforcement of the state of emergency has remained in Thailand's capital Bangkok and 15 other provinces, or totaling 16 provinces.

The emergency decree was originally imposed in 24 provinces of Thailand's 76 provinces, including Bangkok, on April 7, empowering police and army to control the then anti-government protests.

After the weekly cabinet meeting on July 6 decided to lift the emergency decree in five provinces on Tuesday, the cabinet resolved to lift it in three more provinces, including the northern province of Lampang, the north-eastern province of Sakon Nakhon and Roi Et.

Source: Xinhua