City workers set up barricades around Sanam Luang yesterday after the authorities declared the public ground off-limits for political rallies until next Thursday.

The NHRC issued a statement, read by chairman Saneh Chamarik, saying that a state of emergency violated the spirit of democracy.

Saneh suggested that the government resort to more constructive way to deal with anti-government protests.

"People are entitled to hold peaceful protests. Even though hundreds of thousands of people may gather to demonstrate, the government must allow them to do so if they are peaceful,'' he said.

Saneh said the government's major responsibility was to expose corruption and reform politics. "If the government achieves these two main tasks, it will win the support of the public,'' he said.

National Human Rights Commissioner Sunee Chairos said the government must be patient and take action only against mobsters, not all protestors.

Four other organisations - Amnesty International Thailand, Campaign for Human Rights, Young People for Democracy Movement and Human Rights Fighters Protection Task Force - issued a statement condemning the government's order yesterday to place Sanam Luang off limits to protesters from today till April 5. They said the move violated basic human rights and would erode public trust in the government. The move is also against the United Nations convention on human rights, they said.

Meanwhile 12 anti-government groups submitted a letter to Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont opposing the imposition of a state of emergency. They said that if the government orders a state of emergency, it would be a step back to the events of "Black May" in 1992.

"Such a decision would make people more angry and hate the coup-makers even more,'' the groups said.