Thai PM revokes emergency decree

Published October 23, 2020
BANGKOK: Wearing yellow shirts and holding aloft pictures of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, thousands of demonstrators attend a rally held in support of the monarchy on Thursday.—Reuters
BANGKOK: Wearing yellow shirts and holding aloft pictures of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, thousands of demonstrators attend a rally held in support of the monarchy on Thursday.—Reuters

BANGKOK: Thailand’s premier on Thursday revoked an emergency decree that had been intended to quell pro-democracy rallies despite it failing to stamp out daily protests demanding he resign and for reforms of the unassailable monarchy.

The student-led pro-democracy movement has been gaining momentum since mid-July, with mostly young demonstrators calling for Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha’s removal and a rewrite of a 2017 military-scripted constitution.

Some protest leaders have also issued controversial demands to reform the ultra-powerful and wealthy monarchy, whose influence permeates every aspect of Thai society.

The “severe” emergency measures were imposed last week after anti-government protesters flashed a three-finger salute to a royal motorcade — an unprecedented challenge to the monarchy.

But the ban on gatherings of more than four people failed to discourage tens of thousands of demonstrators who amassed daily around major Bangkok intersections to call for Prayut to step down.

The former military chief — who masterminded the 2014 coup and has held onto power since — had indicated late on Wednesday he was preparing to lift the state of severe emergency as part of a move to defuse tensions.

Prayut said in a televised address on Wednesday that the country must “step back from the edge of the slippery slope that can easily slide to chaos”.

He had earlier also called for an extraordinary session of parliament to discuss the crisis. That session will be held on Monday.

However, a government statement announcing the withdrawal of the emergency measures on Thursday said the decision was taken because the political situation had improved.

“The severe state of emergency has decreased and ended into a situation in which government officials and state agencies can enfo­rce the regular laws,” it said.

“All conditions set under the severe state of emergency have been stopped.”

The measures had also given the police carte-blanche to arrest protesters and seize electronic materials believed to threaten national security.

Prayut’s apparent concession came after authorities deployed water cannon on Friday, firing chemical-laced water at unarmed protesters in Bangkok’s central shopping district.

Police justified it as following “international standards”, but the tactics drew criticism across Thai society and have not been repeated.

Scores of activists have also been arrested over the past week, many of them prominent faces of the movement.

Revoking the emergency decree was “just a game” for the authorities to buy time and reduce tensions, according to political analyst Titipol Phakdeewanich.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2020

Opinion

Editorial

Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.
Concerning measures
Updated 03 Nov, 2024

Concerning measures

The govt must seek political input and consensus on the changes it is seeking to make and be open about its intentions.
Short-lived relief?
03 Nov, 2024

Short-lived relief?

POLICYMAKERS must be jumping with joy. At the close of the first quarter of FY25, the budget posted a consolidated...
Brisk spread
03 Nov, 2024

Brisk spread

THE surge in polio cases has reached distressing levels with a tally of 45 last reported, after two cases emerged in...