Thailand lifts state of emergency in Bangkok as protesters pull back
A daily roundup of terrorism and security issues
Thailand is lifting a state of emergency in Bangkok and surrounding provinces following months of antigovernment protests marred by deadly violence. But the move does not necessarily signal an end to demonstrations 鈥� or further violence.
The state of emergency was invoked two months ago amid opposition marches against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra鈥檚 government and her influential brother and self-exiled former leader Thaksin Shinawatra. An estimated 23 people have died and hundreds have been injured in the protests, which in recent days.
The state of emergency will be lifted Wednesday, and reports Agence France Presse. Under this law, authorities can still impose state-mandated curfews, set up security checkpoints, and restrict the movement of protesters.
Lifting the state of emergency should 鈥渋mprove the state鈥檚 image because rights groups tend to view the emergency law as draconian,鈥� political analyst Kan Yuenyong of Siam Intelligence Unit told Reuters. Ms. Yingluck said the move was meant to 鈥渂uild confidence in the economy and the tourism sector鈥� after more than 4 months of political unrest.
But Mr. Kan warns that, 鈥渦ltimately, no law can help the government contain the protests if they flare up again.鈥�
According to Reuters, 鈥渢he threat of further violence remains real.鈥� One factor is that a new, more militant politician now leads the pro-Thaksin "red shirts" and has promised to fight "tooth and nail" to defend Yingluck.聽
Opposition leader Suthep Thaugsuban had started drawing down protesters' presence聽about three weeks ago, according to 海角大神.
He said the move was tactical and designed to allow demonstrators to concentrate on disrupting government ministries. Insiders say it was also motivated by spiraling costs and safety fears after a spate of grenade attacks and shootings in which four children were killed and scores injured鈥�.
But if the streets are returning to normal in the capital of Southeast Asia鈥檚 second largest economy, the chances of a resolution to Thailand鈥檚 political crisis have not significantly increased. Rather than retreating, the core of Mr. Suthep鈥檚 followers have merely regrouped inside Bangkok鈥檚 largest park, where they insist they still have the numbers to topple the government. Observers say the chances of Prime Minister Yingluck Shiniwatra being forced out of office by the courts 鈥� widely seen as sympathetic to the protest movement 鈥� is looking increasingly likely. Meanwhile, signs of a truce across Thailand鈥檚 bitterly divided political lines are yet to materialize.
Despite the positive implications of lifting the emergency law and a reduced protester presence in the capital, the BBC reports that Yingluck鈥檚 government still has to take on, including charges of negligence and corruption in a government rice subsidy program. Furthermore, the Election Commission has yet to announce results from a Feb. 2 snap election and parliament hasn鈥檛 been able to assemble, 鈥� according to a group of Thai scholars,鈥� reports the Monitor.
In an opinion piece for Al Jazeera, Charles Keyes, professor emeritus of anthropology and international studies at the University of Washington, this period of ongoing political unrest.
For nearly a decade there have been large-scale protests, primarily in the capital, Bangkok, with supporters of royalist elites confronting those who favor representative democracy.
The current protests calling for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra鈥檚 resignation began in November. Amid fears of impending civil war, tensions have eased in March through a combination of pressure from the army and negotiations between representatives of the protesters and the government. Nonetheless, the deep divisions in Thai society will continue. At stake is whether Thailand can remain a democracy and, if so, what kind of democracy鈥�.
The current stalemate threatens to degenerate into tit-for-tat violence ... The civil society is deeply polarized. There is a lack of moderating voices with moral authority that can transcend the political schism. Several Buddhist monks led by the respected Phra Paisal Visalo have called for the end of hatred and revenge.
At the moment, the standoff has mostly moved from the streets to the courts. Regardless of the legal outcomes, which could mean the removal of Yingluck from office or the arrest of Suthep and other protest leaders, the street confrontations could well resume.
