Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar yesterday said that he hoped Thailand's new emergency measures in the Muslim-majority south were temporary and would not worsen the conflict.

"I hope it will not become another grounds for more conflict between the government and the people in the south," he told reporters.

"I hope it is a temporary measure to overcome the current problems," he said, adding "I hope it will bring peace and stability and create understanding."

Thailand's cabinet on Tuesday imposed the highest state of emergency across three Muslim-majority provinces along the southern border with Malaysia.

Under stiff emergency measures approved by decree last week, authorities can detain suspects for up to 30 days without charge, search and arrest without warrant and tap phones among other actions.

A senior Thai security official told AFP on Wednesday that the authorities planned to use the new powers to detain some 200 suspected rebels without charge in the coming days.

Thailand's independent Human Rights Commission on Wednesday urged the government to abolish the emergency decree, saying the new powers violate the constitution.

"The violent situation in the south will escalate as it is widely known that the problems stem from government officials' abuse of power, and now the decree gives officials more power," the commission said.