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State of emergency declared in Bangkok
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-02 10:15 BANGKOK -- Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on Tuesday morning announced to impose a state of emergency in Bangkok following violent clashes between the pro and anti-government protesters in early morning. The premier made the announcement at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday (2400 GMT,Monday) through TV pool and radio broadcasters nationwide, after confrontations between pro-government protesters led by the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) and anti- government protesters led by the People's Alliance for Democracy ( PAD), which led to at least one death and dozens of injuries during the first two hours of Tuesday near the Government House compound. The PAD supporters have occupied the compound since August 26. Samak cited disturbances to law and order in the capital brought by some groups as the reason to enforce the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations in Bangkok. The order also put the Army Chief in charge of enforcing the emergency decree in Bangkok. The imposition of emergency decree means security in the capital will be immediately taken over by the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), headed by premier Samak and practically run by the army. This is the first imposition of the Emergency Law since the new Constitution was passed last year by the junta which governed the country after the September 19, 2006 bloodless military coup that ousted then premier Thaksin Shinawatra. The state of emergency prohibits gathering of more than five people. A DAAD spokesman immediately said that they would follow the law and end its rally at Sanam Luang (Royal Field) in central Bangkok, while the PAD vowd to carry on their protest. After the early morning clashes occurred, which has seen nearly 40 people injured and at least one confirmed dead, the First Army Region despatched four companies of soldiers, at about 400, to help riot police quell the unrest on an order by Army Chief Gen Anupong Paojinda. Thousands of police from Bangkok were also deployed to the clash site. |
