DECISION ON STATE OF EMERGENCY SOON - ABHISIT

By D. Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK, April 20 (Bernama) -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Monday
said that the week-long state of emergency in the capital and five other
surrounding provinces could be lifted soon but did not give a definite date.

He said the government was currently assessing the situation, including
finalising criminal and other law suits being filed by authorities against those
involved in the recent rioting in Bangkok.

"I will lift the state of emergency soon, once I have settled few more
things," he told the local media.

The state of emergency was declared on April 12 after the red shirted
supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra stormed the venue of the
Asean+6 Summit in Pattaya and forced its cancellation. It's expected to be
held in Phuket in June.

A day later, thousands of protestors clashed with soldiers and local
residents on the street here, killing two people and injuring more than 120. The
supporters dispersed from their rally site at the Government House on April 14,
but the government has yet to lift the state of emergency.

Asked about Thaksin and other red shirt leaders' allegation made to foreign
media that several of their supporters were killed during the clash with the
military, Abhisit said it was untrue, adding that the government would continue
to explain the situation to the rest of the world.

Despite the calm situation and lesser number of soldiers on the streets,
the authorities are not taking any chances, following last Friday's murder
attempt on media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul.

The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leader was the key figure in
pushing for Thaksin's ouster in Sept, 2006, and two other premiers linked to
him.

Abhisit, who was attacked twice by protestors at the height of the crisis,
has taken several initiatives since the end of the protest to ease the tension,
including pushing for a political reform and plan for amnesty to politicians.

One of the key demands of Thaksin supporters is amnesty for executives of
his Thai Rak Thai and People Power parties which had been dissolved and their
leaders banned for five years by the Constitution Court in 2007 and 2008,
respectively, for election fraud.

The Thai Government is also extending Bt15 billion in loans to help the
tourism sector which was badly hit by months of political crisis.

According to the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), the tourism revenue
could fall by 30 per cent, and foreign direct investment by 20 per cent in the
second quarter due to the crisis, while the number of tourists is expected to
drop to 11 million from the targeted 14 million.

-- BERNAMA