Pa Narae removed from emergency list, southern emergency decree to extend

A recent meeting of the Emergency Situation Management Committee at the National Security Council unveiled that one southern district has been struck off the severe emergency area list, while the emergency decree is predicted to prolong for an additional three months.

The district in question, Pa Narae, located in Pattani province, was removed due to improvements in the local situation and alignment with government strategies to quell the southern insurgency issue.

The committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, also stated that the emergency decree in the southern border provinces would likely stretch from January 20 to April 19. This extension is set to ensure uniformity in the authorities’ role in suppressing insurgency and providing protection, reported Bangkok Post.

The meeting was attended by several key figures, including Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong, the Justice Minister; Songsak Thongsri, Deputy Interior Minister; Chatchai Bangchuad, acting secretary-general of the National Security Council and Police Lieutenant Colonel Wannaphong Kocharak, secretary-general of Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre, among others.

The resolution will be forwarded to the Cabinet for further endorsement.

Somsak revealed the government’s intention to lift the emergency decree across the entire southern border area by 2027.

“To do so, other efforts such as meeting with authorities from the neighbouring country are also crucial.”

The emergency decree, previously imposed on 33 areas, has been lifted in 15 areas, leaving 18 still covered by the decree.

In related news, back in late August last year, the Deep South region in Thailand saw the extension of the emergency decree for an additional three months, from September 20 to December 19.

Aimed at addressing the persistent insurgency, the decision, marking the 73rd extension, was made during a video conference led by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.

The ongoing measures focus on maintaining peace and security in the troubled border provinces, with certain districts remaining exempt from the decree.