Residents amazed at “state of emergency” in Chiang Mai
Thai and expat residents of Chiang Mai were surprised last evening (Thursday) to find that their peaceful province had been included on a list of 15 to suddenly have “emergency law” imposed upon them.
Within a few hours of the shooting of a prominent “red shirt” leader in Bangkok, Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd of the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) announced that Chiang Mai and the neighbouring provinces of Chiang Rai to the north and Lampang to the south were now under the “state of emergency.”
The aim of the decision, which enables army and police to restrict people’s movements and gatherings of over a few in any one place, was to “prevent possible red shirt protests”, he said.
Over the past few weeks, small red shirt crowds have briefly – and politely – interrupted traffic flow on minor city streets close to their headquarters hotel near Wat Phrasingh. No other disruption has been seen and the only daily visible signs of local solidarity with the anti-government, pro-Thaksin “reds” are red flags and streamers flying from some local taxis and private cars.
