Thailand lifts state of emergency in Bangkok as protesters pull back
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the move should help Thailand's image after months of often-violent street protests against her government, which faces legal challenges to its tenure.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the move should help Thailand's image after months of often-violent street protests against her government, which faces legal challenges to its tenure.
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 have quieted down in recent days.
The state of emergency will be lifted Wednesday, and replaced by a less harsh law called the Internal Security Act, 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.
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 several legal challenges 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, 鈥渂reaking the rules of the constitution 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, questioned how Thailand will ultimately weather this period of ongoing political unrest.