Bangkok, Thailand-
The Thai Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan O’Cha, approved the extension of the Emergency Decree to control the Covid-19 coronavirus this afternoon, February 23rd, 2021, after being officially suggested by the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration yesterday morning.
The Emergency Decree will now run until the end of March 2021, which will mark at that point a full year that the country has been under “Emergency Decree.”
The announcement was made mid-afternoon today by Ratchada Thanadirek, a deputy Thai government spokesperson.
Ratchada also stressed that the decree was not political and was only designed to stop the potential spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus and assist with the rollout of vaccines across the country.
Critics of the emergency decree have continually claimed that it stifles pro-democracy protesters and has been weaponized at times by law enforcement.
The Emergency Decree gives the government extraordinary powers and for those accused of violating it can bring sky-high fines and jail time.