Thailand lifted a state of emergency Friday that was imposed in the capital following anti-government riots by supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, while authorities tried to locate the fugitive tycoon abroad. Thaksin travelled to Liberia earlier this week to inquire about investing in diamonds, officials said, continuing his global wanderings in pursuit of business ventures.
Liberia, known as a tax haven, is eager to lure foreign investors as it tries to move beyond its dark history of civil war that was funded and fuelled by so-called ``blood diamonds.' Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva lifted the emergency Friday following a two-day special parliamentary session that was called to find a solution to the country's political crisis. Many opposition lawmakers had argued that maintaining the emergency decree was inflaming the still-tense situation in Thailand.
``This is a signal to the world that the country has returned to normal,' Abhisit told reporters, adding that soldiers would remain in ``sensitive areas' of the capital to assist police. The state of emergency was imposed in Bangkok on April 12 as anti-government protests swelled in the capital. The decree banned gatherings of more than five people and news reports that threatened public order and allowed the government to call up military troops to quell unrest.
The protests were part of Thailand's long-running political turmoil, which revolves around Thaksin's ouster in a 2006 military coup for alleged corruption and abuse of power. Thaksin, a telecommunications tycoon, fled the country last year ahead of a corruption conviction.
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