The Cabinet will consider lifting the state of emergency in some provinces tomorrow, as demands for the situa-tion to return to normal had been growing from human rights groups, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday.
The premier is authorised to both declare and lift a state of emergency, imposed to enable officials control difficult situations.
Abhisit decided to continue enforc-ing the emergency law in 19 provinces when the state of emergency expired on July 7.
Civic and rights groups have called on the government to lift the law, say-ing it allows security officials to vio-late basic rights of the people.
The Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) has rec-ommended the government continue enforcing the emergency law to con-trol anti-government red shirts.
The law has allowed the govern-ment to detain hundreds of red-shirt protesters and their leaders. Their media outlets have also been shut down and assets of their supporters frozen.
Human rights lawyer Sarawut Pratoomraj said if Abhisit's govern-ment aimed to be democratic, it should not enforce the law to violate people's rights.
"The government wants to have national reconciliation, but you can-not reconcile with anybody under such a draconian law," Sarawut said.
The opposition Pheu Thai Party also called on the government to lift the state of emergency in the remain-ing 19 provinces, notably the capital, where a by-election in the sixth con-stituency will be held late this month.
Government spokesman Panitan Wattanyagorn said all security-con-cerned agencies were instructed to evaluate the situation in all provinces under the state of emergency and report to the prime minister before tomorrow's Cabinet meeting.
CRES spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the centre had not yet discussed the prime minister's plan to lift the state of emergency, but he noted that the PM may rely on information from other agencies when making his decision.
Meanwhile, CRES chief and Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has yet to return from an overseas trip.
Abhisit said he did not need to wait for Suthep to make the decision since other senior officials, including Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, were in charge.