State of Emergency

[Old Hippie]

Thailand Set to Impose State of Emergency

July 18, 2005 11:48 AM EDT

NARATHIWAT, Thailand - Thai authorities prepared Monday to impose a state of emergency for insurgency-hit areas of the country's Muslim south, as violence continued unabated with two slayings and a bombing that wounded seven security personnel.

 

A raid on the southern city of Yala by militants last week that left two policemen dead and 22 people injured prompted the Cabinet to adopt a decree Friday giving Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra sweeping new emergency powers.

 

The decree expands the government's authority to impose curfews, ban public gatherings, censor news, close publications, limit travel, detain suspects without charge, confiscate property and tap telephones. Critics complain that the decree is unconstitutional and dictatorial.

 

The measure would be imposed in the provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat and parts of nearby Songkhla province, Cabinet Secretary Bowornsak Uwanno said.

 

The Cabinet was expected to approve the recommendation and put the state of emergency into effect Tuesday, he said.

 

Former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun, head of the National Reconciliation Commission assigned with seeking solutions to the problems in the south, met with Thaksin Monday night to discuss the measure. Anand earlier expressed concern about how the government was exercising power and whether human rights would be considered.

 

The Foreign Ministry on Monday briefed 58 foreign diplomats, including 12 ambassadors, on the new law.

 

Thaksin says the measure is necessary to curb violence in the south, where about 900 people have died in hundreds of drive-by shootings and scores of bombings since Islamic separatists launched their insurgency in January 2004.

 

The southern provinces - Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat - are the only predominantly Islamic areas in Buddhist-majority Thailand, and southern Muslims complain of discrimination in jobs and education.

 

Den Tohmeena, a southern Senator, said the new law is meaningless to people in the south who consider the government corrupt.

 

"The local people are used to abuse of power by government officials and security personnel, so whatever decree or law is imposed will make no difference to them," Den said.

 

On Monday, suspected separatists in Narathiwat set off a bomb hidden on a bridge while a truck carrying soldiers and police passed by. Five soldiers and two policemen were hurt.

 

In other attacks, a motorcycle gunman fatally shot a teacher in Pattani and a rubber plantation worker was slashed to death. A soldier was shot to death while on patrol Sunday night in Narathiwat.

[Steve]

As I stated in another thread, I hope it doesn't escalate and spread to other parts of the kingdom.

[Old Hippie]

The tough call is how to handle this? can't give in, they won't compromise, and full suppression won't work, unless you kill every single one on the planet, and that won't work not to mention it is morrally wrong...so what is the solution...?

 

Not sure why these malcontents seem so hell bent on kicking up now all over the globe...just wondering how local Thais there are reacting...vigilante groups? Village warfare? Ican't see them sitting still while Monks etc are being executed with no apparent provocation...

[Mentors]

chocolat steve said:

As I stated in another thread, I hope it doesn't escalate and spread to other parts of the kingdom.

 

I'm quite shure, that Führer Thaksin's month are numbered!

[Hardy641]

I just wonder that I haven't heard of any travel warning concerning Thailand. After all there are 3 provinces under martial law and the whole country is under state of emergency....

Seems nobody takes Thaksin serious anymore.

May he has the same fate as the original Fuehrer!

[SiamIAm]

"just wondering how local Thais there are reacting...vigilante groups? Village warfare? Ican't see them sitting still while Monks etc are being executed with no apparent provocation..."

 

I can't see that either. In fact I think that may be an effective way to stop these organizations...Funny you mention this as the Nation (I think) had a story yesterday stating that the local military was giving free weapons training due to the recent beheadings of monks and village chiefs...

[gummigut]

Unfortunately, I don't see how it cannot spread if a hardline is taken.

 

It also could be forward thinking of a possible exit strategy. But that's something I really don't want to think about nor even write about.

 

<<burp>>

[Guest]

Is this really about the problems in the South? Or is it really about the waning power of TRT? Are the problems in the South - which are genuine - being manipulated by a government that is losing popularity?

 

The Emergency Decree gives card blanche to public officials. Section 17 states that officials acting under the decred "shall not be subject to liability, civil, criminal or disciplinary" even if they otherwise violate the law. This is significant for the current government. With its waning power officials have become more reluctant to do its bidding, fearing censure or prosecution as the ruling power's power declines (there is enough law in Thailand for this to be a sercious issue).

 

Emergency Degree provides a measure of protection to authorities engaged in acts that would be otherwise illegal. It thereby helps TRT advance its interests by providing a measure of legal protection to public officials when they engage in illegal acts to advance TRT's interests.

 

The Emergecny Degree allows authorities to ban newsreports based on the government own undefined discretion. That is truely scary.