No replies to this topic

[Garcia]

"The continued imposition of the emergency decree is having negative repercussions on society such as the shutting down of the public sphere, raising doubts about the rule of law, possible conflict of interest and more, a symposium on the effects of the decree at Thammasat University yesterday concluded.

Virtually all red-shirt media, including prachatai.com online newspaper, which is regarded as sympathetic to red shirts, continued either to be blocked or shut down under the decree, thus affecting the public sphere of political discussion. "Is it just that Bangkokians now have their physical space back but as a result the space for freedom has been curtailed?" asked Tham-masat University lecturer of philosophy Kasem Penpinand. "For me the latter space is most fundamental for people to express their rights but now it has been curtailed."

Kasem said the blocking of "moderate discussion space" like Prachatai is forcing many to choose to be either red or yellow shirts. Some put their angst on street graffiti, questioning as to who are the killers of the red-shirt protesters. This will only stop when the emergency decree is lifted and censorship ceases.

Human-rights activist Sarawaut Prathumraj, another speaker at the symposium organised by student activists from Thammasat and Chulalongkorn universities, said people must ask if the arrest, censorship and curtailing of other rights under the emergency decree is just or not. He pointed out the inconsistency in the application of the special law, such as the accommodation provided to the detained political activist and editor of Voice of Thaksin magazine Somyos Pruksakasem-suk, which was rudimentary when he visited but was suddenly "upgraded" just before representatives from the National Human Rights Commission visited Somyos.

Thammasat law lecturer Piyabutr Saeng-kanokkul said the emergency decree was not as constrained as it was in countries like France, where the parliament must approve the continuation of the decree. In Thailand the government can renew it on its own, and this is leading to a permanent state of exception of normal laws.

Abdulraman Morlor, a student activist from Pattani, said the emergency decree was about the insecurity of the current government and nothing else. He fears that some Thais in the central and northeastern regions may resort to violence as a result of continued abuse under the law, just like in the South. At the end of the forum, a red-shirt supporter spoke up and said he had lost faith in non-violent struggle. "The winners are always right while the losers are wrong," he said as many in the audience clapped their hands."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/...-lifting-emerge