Government plans to maintain the current state of emergency

Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced on 27 July 2010 that the government plans to maintain the current state of emergency for Bangkok to ensure public safety. Abhisit indicated, however, that the government will gradually lift the state of emergency over time as the security situation stabilizes. The emergency decree was imposed in Bangkok and several other provinces in April 2010 due to the protests by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD). The state of emergency has given a special government security agency the authority to ban public gatherings and arrest those suspected of planning opposition protests. UDD members claim that the emergency order allows the government to violate the basic rights of Thai political activists but there have been no reports of mass arrests or widespread abuse of power in the city.