Thai court to rule on injunction request over emergency

A civil court in Thailand will give its final decision Thursday over the injunction request by the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) against the government's emergency decree.

The court Monday held an urgent hearing to review PDRC's petition over the legality of the state of emergency, which was invoked Jan 21 in Bangkok and some nearby areas for 60 days in order to control the ongoing protests.

The emergency decree gives security agencies the power to impose curfew, detain suspects without charge, censor media, ban political gatherings of more than five people and declare parts of the capital off-limits.

Since November 2013, protestors have been taking to the streets and occupying government offices, calling for reforms before the elections scheduled for Feb 2. They also want Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down.

Thaworn Senneam, a leader of PDRC and former Democrat member of parliament who filed a suit with the civil court, said the government had no reason to invoke the emergency as their protests were peaceful according to an earlier ruling by the constitutional court, Xinhua reported.

Suthep Thaugsuban, chairman of the PDRC Monday claimed that protest leaders would not either negotiate with the government-run Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order or evacuate from protest sites within 72 hours following the warning of the centre on arresting protestors, who block government offices.

According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Erawan Emergency Medical Service Centre, clashes between pro-government supporters and protestors since Nov 30, 2013, have left at least 10 people killed and 571 others injured.