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Thailand to consider lifting martial law-Indonesia
21 Oct 2006 08:35:27 GMT
Source: Reuters

JAKARTA, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Thailand is ready to consider lifting martial law, although it still sees lingering security threats after last month's coup, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont was quoted as saying on Saturday during a trip to Indonesia.

The Thai leader has been visiting neighbouring Southeast Asian countries in a bid to drum up support after coming to power in the wake of the bloodless coup against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono pressed the Thai prime minister to revoke martial law, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told reporters after the meeting.

"The prime minister said he was ready to consider this, although (he) still sees potential threats or disturbances to security after the coup," Wirajuda said.

"The Thai prime minister stressed again his government's commitment to stay for only one year and in that period to bring back democracy, hold elections and restore human rights," he added.

On Thursday, a Thai cabinet minister alarmed pro-democracy groups by suggesting the post-coup government might stay for 17 months. The Thai leader said he remained committed to a peaceful solution to end simmering unrest in the Muslim-majority south of Thailand. "He said specifically that he will not use strong arm tactics," Wirajuda said.

President Yudhoyono said that from Indonesia's experience of handling a bloody three-decade long conflict in the province of Aceh, a military solution would not work, Wirajuda added. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country.

The previous Thaksin administration took a hard-line approach to stamping out the Muslim insurgency, in which more than 1,700 people have been killed.
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Orangutans play at Nyaru Menteng rehabilitation centre in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan province, November 23, 2006. Another group of forty eight orangutans rescued from a Thai amusement park were given a VIP reception on Wednesday hosted by Indonesia's first lady, Kristiani Yudhoyono, to mark the endangered apes return to home soil.