The government's emergency situation management panel on Friday proposed the removal of three districts in the insurgency-plagued far South from the list of severe emergency areas under the emergency decree.
The districts are: Sungai Kolok in Narathiwat province, Betong in Yala and Mae Lan in Pattani.
The committee made the decision at a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.
The committee decided to extend the use of the emergency decree in the other districts of the three southern border provinces for three more months, from June 20 to Sept 19. It will be the 52nd extension.
In the three districts where conditions are deemed more promising, the Internal Security Operations Command will apply the Internal Security Act instead. Gen Prawit will propose the committee's decision to the cabinet for approval.
The slight relaxation of security in the three districts is intended to facilitate local economic development initiatives under the government's Golden Triangle development project.
