Thai Cabinet to decide on extension of executive decree next week

BANGKOK, March 4 (TNA) - The Thai Cabinet is expected to decide next week whether there is a need to extend the executive decree, imposed in all areas in Bangkok and some areas in peripheral provinces. National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Lieutenant General Paradorn Pattanatabutr told Thai News Agency (TNA) on Tuesday that the Thai Cabinet would consider during its weekly meeting next week whether the executive decree, set to expire on March 23, 2014, should be extended or the Internal Security Act (ISA) should be imposed instead, after protesters of the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) have moved to continue their demonstration against the caretaker government at Lumpini public park, now their single rally site in Bangkok. Lieutenant General Paradorn acknowledged although the anti-government protesters are holding their rally inside Lumpini public park, they continue marching to shut government offices and to pressure officials to stop working. The NSC chief elaborated that concerned security authorities of the caretaker government-run Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) need to assess the situation and to consider carefully whether there is a need for extending the executive decree. Meanwhile, Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra chaired a meeting of the Defence Council, at which several major issues were raised, including assistance to people in drought-hit areas, a campaign to be launched to urge eligible voters to exercise their right in the upcoming Senate election on March 30, 2014, as well as violence in the Thai deep South and the persistent anti-government demonstrations. The Royal Thai Air Force is, in the meantime, urgently provide assistance to drought victims, while also helping relieve smog in the Thai North. (TNA)