Thailand‘State of Emergency’ must end now, says leading opposition party - Pattaya Mail

Thailand'State of Emergency' must end now, says leading opposition party

Pattaya MailJune 26, 2022

Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew and other executives of the party said the imposition of the state-of-emergency law was no longer necessary for COVID-19 control because the government was about to declare COVID-19 an endemic disease.

The opposition-core Pheu Thai Party urged the prime minister to stop imposing the Executive Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations as the local COVID-19 situation improved.

Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew and other executives of the party said the imposition of the state-of-emergency law was no longer necessary for COVID-19 control because the government was about to declare COVID-19 an endemic disease.

Pheu Thai spokeswoman Theerarat Samrejvanich said the government could instead exercise the Disease Control Act to control COVID-19 and an end to the imposition of the emergency law could revive investors' confidence and the tourism sector.

The continuous imposition of the emergency law only indicated that the prime minister did not want political rallies and the law was used to limit people's rights and freedom, she said.

After ending the emergency law imposition, prosecution against demonstrators including young ones should stop accordingly. They had no ill intentions against the country but only wanted to express opinions and criticize the government's work, Ms Theerarat said. (TNA)