Defence Minister General Boonrawd Somtas has confirmed that martial law will be lifted in December except in seven provinces, four of which contain active elements of the Thai Rak Thai Party.

The other three other provinces where martial law will be retained are the three southernmost areas of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani, which are still suffering daily violence from a separatist insurgency.

Boonrawd said that certain groups of people in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Buri Ram and Surin were still active in politics and had maintained close connections with ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is presently in Hong Kong.

"We have to maintain martial law in those four provinces in order to prevent those groups of people from trying to make political moves," Boonrawd said.

He said that politically active groups in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai had allied themselves with former resources minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat while others in Buri Ram and Surin were allied with former agriculture minister Newin Chidchob. Both men were close aides of the deposed premier.

These groups remain active in the belief that Thaksin will soon return to Thailand and re-enter politics, the defence minister said.

All parties concerned are keeping a close watch on whether the Constitution Tribunal, formerly the Constitution Court, will order the dissolution of Thai Rak Thai for allegedly hiring smaller parties to contest the April 2 general election.

Regarding the South, Boonrawd said two more provinces, which he declined to name, might be placed under martial law.

Meanwhile, Thai Rak Thai deputy spokesman Jatuporn Phrompan said his party was sceptical that martial law would be lifted before the end of this year.

"The enforcement of martial law has proven ineffective and should have ended a long time ago, but it has remained in place without justification until my party has become indifferent to it," he said.

Jatuporn said he did not believe that the Council for National Security (CNS) would end the strict security measures by next month as promised.

Referring to the announcement that martial law would be lifted in areas deemed to have attained normalcy and stability, he said the CNS was wrong to assume that martial law would deter subversive activities. "I see martial law as a pretext for the CNS to discriminate against my party," he said.

Jatuporn went on to attack CNS assistant secretary-general Saprang Kallayanamitr for making intimidating comments about TRT former MPs who plan to meet deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in Hong Kong.

"Saprang seems to have got carried away by power," said Jatuporn, adding that Saprang's lecturing of local politicians after the military seized power was evidence of an inflated ego.

"Armed men in uniform may be able to intimidate some people, but not every unarmed politician will fear them" he said.

CNS deputy chairman Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pukphasuk said anti-coup activities had persisted in certain areas but did not pose a serious threat. He confirmed that the CNS planned to gradually lift martial law except in border areas and areas where "subversive activities" continued.

Chalit said military authorities were closely monitoring preparations for the anti-coup rally planned for December 10 but had not found any cause for concern.

He also said he was not worried about Thaksin keeping in touch with former MPs.

First Army region commander Lt-General Prayuth Chan-ocha said he was confident that social harmony would be maintained in all 26 central provinces under his jurisdiction. "Martial law is a legal tool sanctioning the military to ensure peace. Without it, new legislation might be needed to allow the military to maintain social order," he said.

Panya Tewsangwan

The Nation