Cabinet extends emergency decree in Thailand's far South

BANGKOK, March 14 (TNA) - The Cabinet has resolved to extend the imposition of the executive decree on public administration in emergency situations in Thailand's deep South for another three months, from March 20-June 10, 2012. Deputy Government Spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard told journalists of the official decision, the 27th of its kind, after the Thai Cabinet's weekly meeting on Tuesday. Anusorn quoted the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) as reporting that a recent opinion survey on people in the three insurgency-plagued southern Thai border region found that 70 per cent of the respondents wanted the imposition to continue. According to the deputy spokesman, organizations on security, human rights and intelligence have also supported the extension and the ISOC and educational institutions will study results from the imposition of the executive decree. The deputy government spokesman also said that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has expressed her concerns over security developments in the far South and has ordered Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit and Deputy Prime Minister General Yuthasak Sasiprapa to solve the problem in accordance with the rule of laws and royal guidelines given by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, focusing on public understanding, access and development. (TNA)