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Thailand's martial law extended
11/10/2006 12:17 - (SA)
Bangkok - Thai defence minister General Boonrawd Somtas said on Wednesday that martial law, imposed after last month's coup, would not be lifted for at least one month because of continued political instability.
"We are not 100% confident of the current situation, there is still an underwater current and some movement," he said, adding that the lifting of martial law was the responsibility of junta head General Sonthi Boonyaratglin.
"If there is a signal that the situation is stabilised we are ready to lift the martial law. I think it would not be too long to wait approximately one month from now," he said.
The defence ministry's permanent secretary General Winai Phattiyakul said the authorities needed to be very careful.
"We will basically make our decision on security intelligence gathering and the foreign ministry," he said.
Bloodless coup
Martial law was imposed a day after the military overthrew former premier Thaksin Shinawatra in a bloodless coup on September 19. It imposed a ban on political gatherings and restrictions on the media.
The moves prompted international pressure, particularly from the United States, for the new government to lift martial law and restore full civil liberties as soon as possible.
Thailand's military-installed premier Surayud Chulanont said on Tuesday that his cabinet wanted to lift martial law as soon as possible, but said the new ruling junta had to be consulted first.
Sonthi responded by saying that the military would not oppose the lifting of martial law if the security situation was stable, but warned there could be consequences if that happened before the country was ready.
- AFP
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