Internal Security Act To Be Introduced In Troubled Southern Thai Provinces: PM Abhisit

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PM: Internal Security Act to be introduced in troubled southern provinces

BANGKOK, Nov 7 -- As the government and security agencies are pondering revoking the state of emergency in Thailand’s troubled southern border provinces, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday the government may replace it with Internal Security Act.

Speaking during his weekly TV and radio address, Mr Abhisit said he had last week met with ranking security officials and discussed the situation in the deep South.

Government security agencies will have the final say whether the state of emergency should be lifted in the southern provinces, he said.

“It’s expected that at least the state of emergency would be lifted in one district or may be one district in each province as a model,” said Mr Abhisit.

He said it was agreed that the Internal Security Law would be implemented in areas where the state of emergency was revoked. The law bestows special power to officials but less than the state of emergency and “allows misguided people who aren’t charged with criminal cases to surrender to authorities” which would eventually lead to reconciliation and peace in the country, Mr Abhisit said.

On Oct 19, the Cabinet extended the State of Emergency in Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and four districts of Songkhla for another three months.

The extension was the 21st since the law was introduced in mid-2005 to maintain order in the restive provinces.

More than 4,100 people have died since insurgency-related incidents resumed in Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat in 2004, with more complicated and more violent attacks.

The security law facilitates the operation of the security officials and allows them to detain presumed insurgents for an initial period of 30 days. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-11-07