Thai gov't to consider revoking emergency decree in Bangkok next week
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Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said in his weekly program aired Sunday morning that the cabinet meeting will consider on Oct. 5 whether to lift the state of emergency in Bangkok and its neighboring provinces of Nontaburi, Samut Prakan and Pathum Thani.
The government had imposed an emergency decree in Bangkok and its vicinity since April 7 in the face of escalating anti- government rally in Bangkok by the "red-shirts" movement before extending to include 23 provinces over all as the situation deteriorated. The government then gradually revoked the state of emergency in some provinces; and on Friday it lifted the decree in northeastern provinces of Nakhon Ratchasrima, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani.
The PM said the state of emergency has been maintained in Bangkok and its vicinity because of the ongoing bomb attacks in several places as well as the possibility of the upsurge of political rally which have made the control of violence complicated, a local website Kom Chad Luek reported.
"I have instructed the Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situation (CRES) and other concerned agencies to look into the possibility to use other existing mechanisms instead of special laws so that the emergency decree could be revoked eventually," Abhisit said.
Despite imposition of the emergency decree and preventive measures already in place, there have been bombings on almost a daily basis over the past several days and frequent bomb attacks in the past month. Recently, around 8,846 CCTV cameras have been prepared around Bangkok in a hope to prevent bombing and grenade attacks.
