Thai State of Emergency to be lifted -- china.org.cn

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced early Friday morning that he would lift a state of emergency in Bangkok on Friday, saying his government wanted reconciliation in the country and made it move forward.

The Thai PM made the announcement at the House of Representatives after a special parliamentary debate session ended after midnight, which was held in a bid to find solution for the current confrontation between the government and the rival movement led by so-called "red-shirt people" who support ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Abhisit declared a state of emergency over Bangkok and surrounding areas in five nearby provinces on April 12 after rallies of red-shirted protesters blocked the ASEAN and related Summits in central beach resort city Pattaya and then stormed state institutions in Bangkok, demanding the Abhisit government to resign.

The Street clashes between red-shirted protesters and security forces have seen two persons killed and over 120 injured after military moved to disperse the protesters around Bangkok. The protesters ended their rallies on April 14 with leaders surrendering to police and demonstrators retreating from last sit-in hold at the Government House.

Abhisit said that lifting the state of emergency is a way to show his government's sincerity that "the government wants reconciliation and to make the country move forward."

After the lifting of the state of emergency, all suspects that have been detained under emergency law will be released, but those held under criminal cases would still have to go through the justice procedures, according to Abhisit.

Thai authorities have earlier issued arrest warrants for Thaksin, who remained in exile overseas after he was toppled in the Sept. 19, 2006 coup, and dozens of other red-shirt movement leaders and participants for allegedly inciting or committing violence in Pattaya and Bangkok.

Thaksin has already faced arrest warrant for a corruption case and was sentenced two years in jail last year.

(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2009)