The Emergency Situation Administration Committee has agreed to extend the state of emergency in the three southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, with the exception of some districts, from December 20th to March 19th.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who chaired the committee’s meeting yesterday (Friday), instructed the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) to exercise extreme caution in the enforcement of the Emergency Decree,to ensure there are no human right violations.
ISOC was also instructed to assess the situation in the restive Deep South thoroughly, to determine whether any more areas can be exempted from the decree, in addition to Si Sakhon and Su-Ngai Kolok districts of Narathiwat, Yaring, Mai Kaen and Mae Lan districts of Pattani and Betong and Kabang districts of Yala.
The deputy prime minister also urged authorities to speed up the investigation into Tuesday’s car bombing of the police apartments in Mueang District of Narathiwat, in which one police officer was killed and 36 other people were injured, mostly relatives of police officers.
The pickup truck used in the bombing was last seen being driven by a woman at a police checkpoint in Lamphu sub-district of Narathiwat on October 6th. Police have been trying to locate this woman.
