Photo courtesy AP
Martial law in Thailand will not be lifted for the foreseeable future, Thailand’s Justice Minister said on Friday, according to Reuters.
Thailand’s Justice Minister had previously pledged to lift the law in some provinces across the nation to boost the ailing tourism industry which has struggled since the military coup in May.
The announcement from the minister comes as Thailand prepares for its peak tourism season, which is between the Christmas and New Year timeframe.
The Thai tourism sector accounts for almost 10% of nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), according to Reuters.
The Thai government earlier this month said that it estimates around 25 million tourists this year, which is down 1 million tourists in 2013, as protests in Bangkok have deterred visitors away.
In Thailand, martial law gives the military almost absolute powers, including a ban on gatherings of more than five people and the right to detain people, thus making it difficult for tourists to obtain travel insurance, in addition to driving national unrest that caused heated protests, two of main reasons for the fall in tourism.
“Martial law is necessary and we cannot lift it because the government and junta need it as the army’s tool,” Thai Justice Minister General Paiboon Koomchaya said to Reuters. “We are not saying that martial law will stay in place for 50 years, no this is not it, we just ask that it remain in place for now, indefinitely.”
The Justice Minister denied that the law was being abused.
“The law does not violate anyone’s rights,” he said.
Source: Reuters
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