Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday declared a state of emergency in Bangkok and some districts in five nearby provinces, citing increasing danger of violence by anti-government protesters in the capital.
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Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday declared a state of emergency in Bangkok and some districts in five nearby provinces. [Xinhua]
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Abhisit explained on TV that the emergency decree was not imposed earlier in Bangkok because the government wanted to keep the normal order in the capital, but the situation became tense and the government has to impose the stated of emergency in order to restore normality.
He also asked Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security matters Suthep Thaugsuban to be responsible for enforcing of the state of emergency measures.
Besides Bangkok, the emergency decree also includes some districts in five provinces around Bangkok -- Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Ayutthaya.
He took the acts of the anti-government demonstrators, known as red-shirted people, to obstruct the ASEAN and Related Summits as example of the tension incited by the protesters.
The summits, which involved 10 ASEAN countries and its six dialogue partners -- China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, was scheduled for April 10-12 in the central beach resort city Patttya.
The Thai government was forced to call off the meeting and asked the foreign leaders to leave Pattaya without holding formal talks on Saturday afternoon after over 1,000 red-shirted protesters besieged and broke into the meeting venue, demanding the Abhisit government to resign.
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Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security matters Suthep Thaugsuban to be responsible for enforcing of the state of emergency measures. [Xinhua]
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