NCPO to meet Friday to discuss partial lifting of martial law



BANGKOK: -- The National Council for Peace and Order will hold a special meeting on Friday to consider lifting martial law in certain areas in 22 provinces.

Lt-Gen Thirachai Narkwanich, commander of the First Army Region in his capacity as the commander of the peace-keeping force, said Wednesday that all regional commanders had been instructed to assess the situations in their respective region to determine if there are still resistance activities against the NCPO and to file their reports with recommendations about whether martial law should be lifted in any areas.

Martial law is expected to be lifted in provinces where curfew was already lifted and which are regarded as tourist destinations or of economic importance. They are Chon Buri, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Kanchanaburi, Rayong, Ratchaburi and some areas in the Deep South.

Lt-Gen Thirachai insisted that martial law has not been enforced strictly since the NCPO assumed the power after the coup and it was intended as a preventive measure and to strengthen law enforcement where normal law has proven to be ineffective to deal with some problems such as drug trafficking and forest encroachment.

He claimed that public in general was not worried with the martial law as they are able to carry on their lives as usual.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/ncpo-meet-friday-discuss-partial-lifting-martial-law/


-- Thai PBS 2014-09-04

May as well lift it completely , if it is so important why are exclude special areas like tourism and commerce not under martial law seems like the holy dollar takes precedence over common sense, smacks a elitism

Smacks, to me, of realising that some areas may warrant martial law whereas others, the least politicised, don't.

I can also see it as a step in the right direction for foreign watchers. A coup to restore the government / diplomacy is one thing; a coup lasting a long time benefiting the coup leaders is very different.