Thailand extends state emergency in southernmost provinces

Thai policemen patrolling (Source: AFP/VNA)

 The Emergency Situation Administration Committee (ESAC) of Thailand has decided to extend the state of emergency in the restive southern border provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat for another three months from December 20 for security reasons.

Maj Gen Patchasak Patirupanont, a spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, said on December 14 that a meeting of the ESAC, chaired by Prawit, agreed with a proposal of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) Region 4 to extend the decree in the three provinces.

This was necessary on the grounds that the insurgents still had the potential to carry out violent operations in the region and amid signs they may resort to violence in various ways, Patchasak said.

The only districts free of restrictions are Mae Lan in Pattani, Betong in Yala, and Sungai Kolok, Sukhirin and Si Sakhon in Narathiwat. The state of emergency will continue everywhere else in the three provinces until March 30./.
VNA