Govt ‘must use decree responsibly’

Clear plan needed to lessen public impact

The government is being urged to enforce the Emergency Decree responsibly and allow sufficient time for affected parties to comply with the orders.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Thailand will be placed under a state of emergency until April 30, as the country continues its effort to curb the local transmission of Covid-19.

Under the decree, which came into effect at midnight yesterday, the armed forces will set up checkpoints across the country, and 16 first-level instructions have been issued following the prime minister’s national address.

Weerasak Krueathep, an academic at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Political Science, said the government should not rush into any decisions.

In addition, he said, the government must also keep the public wellinformed ahead of time so “they know what is coming up next”.

More importantly, he said the government must exercise its powers under the decree responsibly.

“Emergency Decree powers should never be employed without a limit, as that could lead to the infringement of people’s basic rights, he said.

Given the government’s topdown crisis management style, Mr Weerasak called on the government to lay out a clear plan of action, so it can minimise the unwanted consequences of its drastic actions.

Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the opposition Move Forward Party, said his party did not oppose the use of the decree, but it should not be used to violate human rights nor silence government critics and the media.

“The government has to lock down the country, but the decree will not solve everything and should not be used in ways which would undermine freedom of speech,” he said.

“Problems have yet to arise. However, as you know, a lot of power comes with the decree. We urge the government to handle it carefully,” he said.

Meanwhile, Anudith Nakornthap, secretary-general of the opposition Pheu Thai Party, urged the government to rely on its current budget as much as possible, instead of seeking new loans to fund its Covid-19 suppression operations.

Some of the state budget meant for other projects can still be diverted to fund this more urgent work, as the government has to try and keep the amount of new loans as low as possible, he said.