Thailand extends emergency rule in three southern provinces

Dec 13, 2011, 10:03 GMT

Bangkok - The Thai government Tuesday extended emergency rule in the country's three southernmost provinces for three months in an effort to quell a long-running separatist insurgency.

Government spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard said the cabinet agreed to extend the decree imposing emergency rule in Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala provinces until March 19.

The current emergency decree, which permits authorities to arrest and detain suspects without court approval and grants security forces some immunity from prosecution for actions carried out in the line of duty, was due to expire on December 19.

Anusorn said the cabinet's decision was based on a survey of southern residents which indicated they favoured the emergency decree's extension.

A man riding a motorcycle was shot dead Tuesday morning in Pattani's Nong Chik district in an attack blamed by police on southern Islamic separatists.

Local news reports quoted district police as saying the victim was on a road heading to Pattani when a gunman riding pillion on another motorcycle fired at him with a pistol.

Police quoted witnesses as saying the gunman returned and shot the fallen victim twice more in the head before fleeing.

Such attacks, including beheadings and shootings of monks and school teachers, have become almost daily occurrences in the three southern provinces.

According to government figures, more than 4,800 people have been killed since the insurgency heated up in January 2004.

The three Muslim-majority provinces have been under emergency rule most of the time since 2004.