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A state of emergency in Thailand is to be lifted tomorrow (Wednesday) as tensions ease following weeks of anti-government protests.
The 60-day emergency decree, imposed on January 22 in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, gave the government wide-ranging powers to deal with disorder.
The emergency decree will be replaced by the Internal Security Act.
Protesters shut down key road junctions in Bangkok and blockaded government ministries at the height of the demonstrations,
Numbers have fallen in recent weeks, however, and the protesters are now mainly occupying a city-centre park.
Prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra approved the decision to lift the emergency decree.
“We have agreed to lift the state of emergency and use the Internal Security Act starting from tomorrow until April 30 as the number of protesters has dwindled … and after pleas from the business community,” national security chief Paradorn Pattanathabutr told Reuters.