bangkok , thailand ( cnn ) -- thailand 's prime minister abhisit vejjajiva declared a state of emergency wednesday , hours after anti - government demonstrators stormed the country 's parliament .
the situation in bangkok is worrying , and it 's a somber backdrop to our discussions , " singaporean foreign minister george yeo said at the summit 's opening . "
authorities are also permitted to stop the spreading of false information to the thai citizens from leaving the country .
the state of emergency , prime minister abhisit vejjajiva announced he would skip the 16th annual summit of southeast asian leaders as the thai capital .
it bans the publishing , broadcasting or spreading information considered a threat to national security and it prohibits people from staying in certain areas .
vejjajiva said the measure is effective in bangkok and nearby provinces and " will limit certain rights of people . "
it allows authorities access to any communications , such as fax or telephone and gives them the power to end communications .
while the prime minister stressed that the measure is not mean to disperse people , the decree bans the gathering of more than five persons who are deemed to instigate an emergency situation .
according to the order , deputy prime minister suthep thuagsuban has been appointed to administer the emergency law .