Martial laws expected to lift before Apec in Hanoi
The government is expected to lift martial law in selected areas deemed to have restored normalcy and will announce the details in a few days, Defence Minister Boonrawd Somtas said Thursday.
"The cancellation of martial law will definitely take place before Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont attends the Apec Summit," Boonrawd said, referring to Surayud's upcoming visit to Vietnam next Friday to meet with the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation leaders. He said the Council for National Security chairman General Sonthi Boonyaratglin had asked for two to three days to complete security checks before ending the enforcement of draconian security measures. "All sectors of society should cooperate with authorities in order to enable a speedy lift of martial law," he said. With regards to the ban on political meetings, its cancellation yesterday by the National Legislative Assembly was a mere formality to ease the curbing of basic rights because its provisions had never been strictly enforced, he said. The Nation
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