Thailand lifts emergency measures in bid to calm protests - CBC.ca

Thailand's government cancelled a state of emergency it had declared for Bangkok last week after the embattled prime minister suggested the gesture to cool massive student-led protests seeking democracy reforms.

The decree had banned public gatherings of more than four people and allowed censorship of the media, among other provisions.

The revocation of the emergency decree, which took effect at noon local time Thursday, declared that the situation had been mitigated and could now be dealt with by existing laws.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha went on national television on Wednesday night to appeal to pro-democracy protesters to reduce political tensions and promised to lift the emergency measure.

"I am currently preparing to lift the state of severe emergency in Bangkok and will do so promptly if there are no violent incidents.".

The demonstrations have continued even though many top protest leaders have been detained and the state of emergency banned public gatherings of more than four people.

The cancellation of the state of emergency came as Bangkok Civil Court was preparing to rule on motions to revoke the decree on the basis that it illegally abridged freedom of assembly.

The leader of the opposition Pheu Thai party's team at the court said Wednesday that he was not impressed that Prayuth had lifted the decree.

Because if he didn't lift the emergency decree today, and the court ordered the temporary protection of the protesters, it would mean all his orders and announcements relating to this were illegal," said lawmaker Cholanan Srikaew.

Separately, the official committee supervising the fight against the coronavirus said the government is renewing for the seventh time a national state of emergency that had been imposed in March to contain the disease.