Thai cabinet has extended the emergency decree on public administration in emergency situations in place in the three restive southernmost provinces for another three months, Bangkok Post online reported on Tuesday.

The current emergency decree, which allows authorities to arrest and detain suspects without court approval, expires on December 19.

The cabinet in its weekly meeting on Wednesday decided to extend the decree to March 19, 2012, deputy government spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard said on Tuesday.

Anusorn said the decision was based on a survey that concluded local people in the far South have confidence in the special law.

People in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat will be allowed to express their point of view about the imposition of the emergency decree, if there is a plan to be extended for another three months, he added.

Since the resurgence of insurgency in 2004, around 11,000 violent incidents have been instigated by secessionists in the Muslim-dominant southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, with almost 5,000 people killed and nearly 8,000 injured.

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