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Emergency rule mooted in Thailand |
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Thailand News Headlines
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Thailand's military-backed government could still declare a state of emergency in Bangkok if anti-coup protests escalate, the Defence Minister said Saturday.
Thai junta leader, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin urged the government to declare an emergency last month, in the face of small but growing protests against the coup.
But army-installed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont refused, saying the situation was still under control, but left the option on the table.
Anti-coup protesters led by allies of deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra plan a new rally tomorrow, and the Defence Minister said a state of emergency would be declared if the situation got out of control.
"We will first apply the law to manage the protests in Bangkok," Defence Minister Boonrawd Somtas said during a government Tv programme.
"If the situation gets out of control, we must use the emergency rules," he said.
Protests in recent weeks have attracted a few thousand people, many of them supporters of the deposed premier.
But the protest movement is beginning to create an odd coalition of allies, with some pro-democracy groups who last year protested against Thaksin now joining forces with his allies in rallying against the junta.
Chief among the concerns of the protesters is a new constitution being drafted by a panel hand-picked by the junta, which critics fear will merely cement the military's role in government.
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