Explosions On Laos/thai Border

Two small explosions on Laos-Thai border -officials

09 Nov 2004 11:25:14 GMT

Source: Reuters

(Adds claim of responsibility)

BANGKOK, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Two small explosions hit a duty-free shop at a checkpoint on the Lao side of the border between Thailand and Laos, but nobody was injured, diplomats and Thai customs officials said on Tuesday.

The explosions come shortly after a U.S. warning that anti-government forces in the communist southeast Asian nation might be planning bomb attacks during a regional ASEAN summit in the capital, Vientiane, at the end of the month.

In a leaflet faxed to Bangkok reporters from the Thai border province of Nong Khai, a group calling itself the Free Democratic People's Government of Laos claimed responsibility for the blasts, which occurred on Monday evening.

"We would like to warn foreigners attending ASEAN meetings in November in Vientiane that they won't be safe because there will be bombs in other major provinces in Laos to protest against the Lao People's Democratic Republic government," it said.

Lao Foreign Ministry spokesman Yong Chanthalansy denied reports of bombs, saying explosions heard by Thai customs officials across the Mekong river were fireworks set off ahead of a Buddhist festival later this month.

"If you said they were bombs, you would have them every day at this time of the year when Lao people light fireworks as part of merit-making rites ahead of our That Luang fair," he said by telephone from Vientiane, adding that one person had received minor injuries.

However, one Laos-based diplomat said he understood the blasts were caused by bombs.

"As far as we know, there were two small explosions at the bridge near the duty free shops ... last night. There was minimal damage and nobody was killed or injured," he said.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) holds its annual summit in Vientiane on Nov. 29.