Thailand's State of Emergency to Last No Longer Than 30 Days - Prime Minister

BANGKOK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th October, 2020) The state of emergency in Thailand due to the mass protests will last for 30 days at most, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told reporters Friday.

Speaking at a briefing following an extraordinary cabinet session, Chan-o-cha said that the state of emergency may be lifted before the 30-day mark if the security risks associated with the demonstrations subside.

"We instituted a state of emergency, but I promise that the period will be as short as possible. For now, only one month, 30 days or less. Until the moment when the situation is resolved," Chan-o-cha said.

The former military general told reporters that the state of emergency was necessary since the demonstrations were impeding government actions to avert an all-out economic crisis due to the pandemic.

"I have instructed the relevant leaders, including the head of the main department of the national police, that law enforcement and security agencies use the state of emergency in the most gentle way, without the unnecessary use of force where possible," he said.

Answering reporters' questions, Chan-o-cha indicated that the cabinet had not explored imposing a curfew on citizens. He also said he will not respond to protesters' demands to step down.

Protests in the otherwise peaceful Southeast Asian country are now in their third month, with thousands of pro-democracy citizens calling for large-scale constitutional reform. The protesters demand the dissolution of what they call Chan-o-cha's military dictatorship which took over in a bloodless coup in 2014 but has since remodeled itself into a civilian type. They also call for a limitation of the monarchy's power and to scrap the strict laws prohibiting criticism of the king.