Thailand to lift state of emergency in some areas: PM

Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said that the government is going to lift the state of emergency in some provinces by Thursday, Thailand's Channel 9 Television reported.

The state of emergency will be certainly lifted in some provinces as the matter will be finalized at a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Thursday afternoon.

According to reports, the government planned to cancel the state of emergency in six provinces, Channel 9 TV said.

Prior to the meeting with the premier, Suthep is going to chair a meeting with the Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situation (CRES) to discuss about weakness and strength if the emergency decree is lifted.

However, the state of emergency's enforcement is still essential in Thailand's capital Bangkok, Suthep, who is the CRES director, has reiterated.

"The final decision will be made by the prime minister," said Suthep, who is the deputy premier for security affairs.

The enforcement of the state of emergency has remained in capital Bangkok and 15 other provinces, or totaling 16 provinces though the over-two-month long rally by the "red-shirts" ended on May 19.

The emergency decree was originally imposed in 24 provinces of Thailand's 76 provinces, including Bangkok, on April 7, 2010, 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 July 20 the cabinet resolved to lift it in three more provinces.

The death toll from a series of violent clashes between the " red-shirt" protesters and troops during March 12 to May 19 in central Bangkok stood at 88 and 1,885 others were wounded.

Source: Xinhua