Emergency rule imposed in Thailand to quell anti-govt protests

Updated on : 21-01-2014 09:08 PM

The Thailand government on Tuesday imposed a 60-day state of emergency in the capital and surrounding areas to quell violent protests aimed at forcing embattled premier Yingluck Shinawatra from office.

"The cabinet decided to invoke the emergency decree to take care of the situation and to enforce the law," Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said. Yingluck said there was no plan to give the army a leading role under the decree, which will come into force tomorrow.  "That's why we're focusing on the police force, to avoid violence like in 2010," she told reporters.  The emergency decree gives security agencies the power to impose curfew, search, detain and arrest suspects without charge, censor media, ban political gatherings of more than five people and declare parts of Bangkok off-limits.  Yingluck, who signalled her determination to go ahead with the February 2 snap polls, said her government has no intention of confronting the protesters.  "We will use peaceful negotiations with the protesters in line with international standards...We have told the police to stick with international standards, to be patient with the protesters," the caretaker premier said.  The areas covered by the emergency decree have already been placed under tougher-than-normal security under the Internal Security Act.  Caretaker Labour MinisterChalerm Yoobamrung said the government had to invoke the decree because protesters have closed government buildings and banks and escalated the situation, which has resulted in injuries and deaths.  He said demonstrations were not peaceful as claimed by the leaders of the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), the anti-government movement.  "We will not use force...and we haven't announced a curfew yet," Chalerm, who will oversee the implementation of the decree, told a news conference.  A defiant protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, who faces an insurrection charge in connection with the unrest, questioned whether the decree was justified and vowed to keep up the demonstrations.