CNS urged to lift martial law

Suriyasai Katasila, secretary-general of the Campaign for Popular Democracy, and Democrat Party leader Abhsit Vejjajiva said the martial law in northern and northeastern provinces should be lifted after a royal decree is enacted to set the election day.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has agreed with the Election Commission to hold the election on December 23. The timing require the royal decree to be issued within next month.

Thirty-five northeastern and northern provinces, known to be strong political bases of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawawatra and his Thai Rak Thai-in-disguise People Power Party, remain under the martial law after the martial law was lifted from the rest of the country on January 26.

Last month, the Thai Rak Thai Group, academics and foreign countries including the US government, called on the Thai government to lift the martial law in the rest of the country before the upcoming election.

However, Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the chairman of the Council for National Security, indicated Saturday that the martial law in the northern and northeastern provinces would remain intact.

He said he would be willing to explain to any political party leader why the martial law would not be lifted in the provinces, adding that he had visited Chiang Mai people and asked how they felt about the martial law and they said their life was not affected.

"I asked most local people and government officials if the martial law affected politics. They replied that good people are not affected. They said the martial law helps protect good people," Sonthi said.

Suriyasai and Abhisit saw that the CNS should retain the martial law only in the southern border provinces which are being hit by violence by the southern insurgents.

"The CNS should lift the martial law except in the three southern border provinces after the election royal decree takes effect so that the atmosphere will be fully democratic," Suriyasai said.

He added that the lift of the martial law would not provide a channel for failed candidates to later lodge complaints that the competitions were not fair.

He said if the martial law remained before the election day, opponents of the CNS could hold protests and the election would not have credibility in the eyes of the International Community.

"I agree with the call for the lifting of the martial law after the election royal decree takes effect," Abhisit said .

On the request by the European Union to send a delegation to monitor the election, Suriyasai said the government and the EC should ask the EC whether the Thai Rak Thai Group was behind its plan to monitor the election.

Suriyasai said the EC might be provided with distorted information and thus having concern that the election would not be clean and fair.

He said the Election Commission and the government should invite both domestic and international organisations to monitor the election.

Suriyasai said the Campaign for Popular Democracy also called on all political parties to sign a social contract that they would continue corruption investigations against the previous government if they become the next government after the election.

Also , Democrat chief advisor Chuan Leekpai the interim government should speed up its works to carry out missions of the coup makers because there are only four months left and many tasks were still left undone.

For example, the southern insurgency has not been solved yet, the violence and killings of Muslim protesters in Narathiwat's Tak Bai district have not been investigated yet and rifts still remain in the society, Chuan said.

The Nation