Narathiwat, Thailand
The government declared martial law in Muslim regions of southern Thailand this week in an effort to quell an insurgency. Under the Emergency Powers Law, decreed by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the government can now tap phones, detain people without charge, and ban public gatherings. Opposition leaders said the new law was dictatorial. “Giving the authorities broader power could lead to increased violence and eventually a real crisis,” said former prime minister Anand Panyarachun. He said Muslim violence was often sparked by inept or unfair practices by local officials. Some 900 people have been killed in sporadic uprisings over the past 18 months.
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