Thailand’s government Thursday canceled a state of emergency it had declared last week for Bangkok in a gesture from the embattled prime minister to try to coolThe emergency decree had banned public gatherings of more than four people and allowed censorship of the media, among other provisions. It was challenged in court by an opposition party and a group of university students.
The revocation announcement, which went into effect noon Thursday, declared that the situation had been mitigated and could now be dealt with by existing laws. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha went on national television Wednesday night to appeal to pro-democracy protesters to reduce political tensions and promised to“I will make the first move to deescalate this situation,” he said. “I am currently preparing to lift the state of severe emergency in Bangkok and will do so promptly if there are no violent incidents.”
As he was speaking, demonstrators marched near Government House, his office, to demand that he step down. They also asked for the release of those arrested in connection with earlier protests.