Thai Govt Blames Red Shirts For Deadly Bomb Attack

[webfact]

Thai govt blames 'Red Shirts' for deadly bomb attack

by Boonradom Chitradon

BANGKOK, October 6, 2010 (AFP) - Thailand on Wednesday blamed a deadly blast at an apartment complex near Bangkok on the anti-government "Red Shirt" movement as investigators probed whether a bomb-maker caused the explosion accidentally.

Authorities said the powerful blast, which killed at least three people and injured nine late Tuesday, was believed to be linked to political unrest.

"It's clear that the bombers are Red Shirt people," Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon told AFP.

"As far as I know there were several bombs stored in that room, as you can see that it was very powerful. There are a lot of bombs kept in other places," he said.

Police found three bodies and one severed limb, suggesting the final death toll could be four, said Chatree Charoencheewakul, head of the Emergency Medical Institute of Thailand.

The blast -- believed to have occurred in a room on the second floor of the apartment building in Nonthaburi Province north of Bangkok -- shattered windows and damaged nearby buildings.

"It was about 10 kilos (22 pounds) of explosive material," Lieutenant Colonel Kamthorn Ucharoen of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Identification Special Operation Division said.

"We are checking what type of bomb it was but we found nitrate. The bombers were probably making a crude bomb inside room 202 and there was an accident and it exploded prematurely," he said.

The explosion came hours after Thailand extended a state of emergency in Nonthaburi and three other provinces, including Bangkok, for three more months.

The emergency laws were introduced in the capital in early April in response to mass anti-government rallies by the "Red Shirt" movement that ultimately left 91 people dead in clashes between demonstrators and the army.

The rules ban public gatherings of more than five people and give security forces the right to detain suspects for up to 30 days without charge.

The government has stepped up security following a string of grenade attacks in Bangkok, including a blast at a bus stop in July that killed a man.

The Red Shirts deny any involvement in the explosions and have accused the government of a conspiracy to justify tougher security powers.

A senior intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP the latest blast was "related to the current political situation".

He added: "This is a signal that more violence is expected."

The Thai government has come under pressure from the United States and rights groups to roll back the state of emergency to help the country recover from civil violence that has left it deeply divided.

Authorities have used their emergency powers to arrest hundreds of suspects and silence anti-government media.

The two-month rally by the Reds, many of whom back fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, attracted up to 100,000 people demanding immediate elections, but was broken up by the army on May 19.

After the crackdown, enraged protesters set dozens of major buildings ablaze in the heart of Bangkok, including a shopping mall and the stock exchange.

About 6,000 Red Shirts held a peaceful gathering in central Bangkok last month to mark four years since the coup that ousted Thaksin, and to commemorate those slain in the May crackdown on their protests.

The mainly poor and working-class Reds largely support Thaksin for his populist policies when in power, and their April and May rallies demanded snap elections, accusing the current government of being elitist and undemocratic.

Thailand is also struggling to contain a raging insurgency in its Muslim-majority southern provinces, where there are near-daily gun or bomb attacks.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-10-06

Related topic:

At Least Three Dead In Bomb Blast At Bangkok Apartment Building

Follow this link:

[spiderleghead]

it's clear that someone is responsible. said someone somewhere, blah blah blah.

[onlooker]

"It's clear that the bombers are Red Shirt people," Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon told AFP.

The first of many such explosions that will ensure no elections take place in 2011 as the establishment won't want 'terrorist supporters' winning them.

[DiamondKing]

"It's clear that the bombers are Red Shirt people," Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon told AFP.

And how on earth does he come to that conclusion? very irresponsible statement, when its far to early to to know exactly what happened, it could of easily been a gas explosion but until an investigation is conducted he really should be proffessional in his position and refrain from making inaccurate statements until the proper information is made available to him.

DK

[Thailand]

"It's clear that the bombers are Red Shirt people," Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon told AFP.

[Insight]

Now we watch as the red shirts, in true "red" spirit, unite and show real solidarity as one ....

... by placing as much distance as possible between themselves and the bomber.

[way2muchcoffee]

"It's clear that the bombers are Red Shirt people," Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon told AFP.

And how on earth does he come to that conclusion? very irresponsible statement, when its far to early to to know exactly what happened, it could of easily been a gas explosion but until an investigation is conducted he really should be proffessional in his position and refrain from making inaccurate statements until the proper information is made available to him.

DK

How do you know that proper information hasn't been made available to him?

[webfact]

Bang Bua Thong exlosion a warning; PM's condolences to victims

By The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Bang Bua Thong explosion at an apartment building last evening was a warning sign for the escalating violence, Department of Special Investigation director general Tharit Pengdit said on Wednesday.

"October is expected to be a month of violence signifying political gestures to coincide with politically-important dates such as October 6, 10 and 14," he said.

Tharit urged for calm, saying the situation is under control.

Commenting on an earlier remarks by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, he said he could confirm that about 39 red shirts had received training on terrorism and that 11 of them completed the course.

He also revealed that the DSI took part in interrogating 11 men in Chiang Mai on the suspicion that they were involved in an assassination plot and a plan to stir up violence. The case might be transferred from the police's jurisdiction in order to designate as a special investigation case, he said.

In a related development, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva expressed his condolences to the victims of the explosions, which at least three people killed and infliced a score of injuries, including four being hospitalised.

Abhisit, speaking on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Summit in Brussels, said he instructed for a speedy investigation into the explosion.

He said at the summit, he took the opportunity to explain the necessity of the state of emergency in Bangkok and surrounding provinces. The European leaders understood the precarious situation and did not voice objection to emergency rule, he said.

-- The Nation 2010-10-06

[Sirdar]

"It's clear that the bombers are Red Shirt people," Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon told AFP.

From the repots that I have seen it only mentions an explosion. Is there absolute proof that this is a bomb?

[OzMick]

"It's clear that the bombers are Red Shirt people," Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon told AFP.

And how on earth does he come to that conclusion? very irresponsible statement, when its far to early to to know exactly what happened, it could of easily been a gas explosion but until an investigation is conducted he really should be proffessional in his position and refrain from making inaccurate statements until the proper information is made available to him.

DK

The room where the blast occurred was rented by Samai Wongsuwan.

He is a known Red shirt with a warrant for his arrest re SoE offences.

He was killed in the blast, so probably accidental.

Why won't the bloody bold turn off?

[Thaddeus]

Commenting on an earlier remarks by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, he said he could confirm that about 39 red shirts had received training on terrorism and that 11 of them completed the course.

Received training from who?

[basjke]

Commenting on an earlier remarks by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, he said he could confirm that about 39 red shirts had received training on terrorism and that 11 of them completed the course.

Received training from who?

Do have now terrorist added as profession on their ID card?

[random]

Commenting on an earlier remarks by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, he said he could confirm that about 39 red shirts had received training on terrorism and that 11 of them completed the course.

Received training from who?

I wonder if they got a certificate

[dumpling]

it's clear that someone is responsible. said someone somewhere, blah blah blah.

wasn't this a movie ....The hunt for reds in October????

[arkom]

Commenting on an earlier remarks by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, he said he could confirm that about 39 red shirts had received training on terrorism and that 11 of them completed the course.

Received training from who?

I wonder if they got a certificate

was going to post the samething

[webfact]

Police chief: Tuesday bombing at Bang Bua Thong apartment linked to 4 earlier bombings in Nonthaburi, BKK; room renter suspected in Chiang Mai bombing /via @MCOTEnglishnews

[webfact]

SUBURB TERROR

Police search house of a man linked to explosion

Follow this link:

[stub]

39 trained, and one already blew themselves up. Typical Thai education system.

[Colonel_Mustard]

Abhisit, speaking on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Summit in Brussels, said he instructed for a speedy investigation into the explosion.

He said at the summit, he took the opportunity to explain the necessity of the state of emergency in Bangkok and surrounding provinces. The European leaders understood the precarious situation and did not voice objection to emergency rule, he said.

Convenient that as he's explaining to European leaders about the need to extend the state of emergency a bomb goes off in BKK.

[IngKJ]

39 trained, and one already blew themselves up. Typical Thai education system.

He failed the exam!

[Buchholz]

It is clear that Suthep and his army friends are to blame.

I wasn't aware he rented the Room 202 and had the bomb materials stored there. Is that his blown-off arm that they found in the room?

Is this what the Red News or Voice of Thaksin are printing up?

Or did you get this from an episode of CSI: Daeng?

[ppmacready]

"It's clear that the bombers are Red Shirt people," Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon told AFP.

And how on earth does he come to that conclusion? very irresponsible statement, when its far to early to to know exactly what happened, it could of easily been a gas explosion but until an investigation is conducted he really should be proffessional in his position and refrain from making inaccurate statements until the proper information is made available to him.

DK

At the risk of repeating myself.The red shirts said on the BBC a few weeks ago..That they were training terrorists to begin there bombing campaign in November.Thais are never on time, let alone early !

[featography]

it's clear that someone is responsible. said someone somewhere, blah blah blah.

wasn't this a movie ....The hunt for reds in October????

good one

[Buchholz]

39 trained, and one already blew themselves up. Typical Thai education system.

He failed the exam!

Unfortunately, the same as a bus driver failing a breathalyzer test, that failure leads to dead innocent victims.

Rescue workers carry the body of a person killed in a bomb blast in a suburb of Bangkok October 5, 2010.

Reuters

(presuming it's not the bomber himself because it appears too intact to be so)

[Buchholz]

Abhisit, speaking on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Summit in Brussels, said he instructed for a speedy investigation into the explosion.

He said at the summit, he took the opportunity to explain the necessity of the state of emergency in Bangkok and surrounding provinces. The European leaders understood the precarious situation and did not voice objection to emergency rule, he said.

Convenient that as he's explaining to European leaders about the need to extend the state of emergency a bomb goes off in BKK.

Even better is that European leaders were giving their support for his methods and plans BEFORE the bombing, but sorry, I don't want to trample on yet another conspiracy, so please continue.

[londonthai]

The room where the blast occurred was rented by Samai Wongsuwan.

He is a known Red shirt with a warrant for his arrest re SoE offences.

so he rents the room legally, under his true name, as there was no warrant on him? It doesn't sound right.

also it's not known, whether he was killed in the blast, there is still no post-mortem

[Buchholz]

The room where the blast occurred was rented by Samai Wongsuwan.

He is a known Red shirt with a warrant for his arrest re SoE offences.

so he rents the room legally, under his true name, as there was no warrant on him? It doesn't sound right.

also it's not known, whether he was killed in the blast, there is still no post-mortem

Are landlords of 5,000 baht a month (guesstimate, but the amount is really irrelevant) apartment buildings usually provided with lists of wanted criminals?

and while we haven't had an autopsy identification, "somebody" was blown to pieces in that room, while "somebody" else narrowly missed leaving an arm there, as well, and who exited the room shortly before the explosion.

[DiamondKing]

"It's clear that the bombers are Red Shirt people," Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon told AFP.

And how on earth does he come to that conclusion? very irresponsible statement, when its far to early to to know exactly what happened, it could of easily been a gas explosion but until an investigation is conducted he really should be proffessional in his position and refrain from making inaccurate statements until the proper information is made available to him.

DK

How do you know that proper information hasn't been made available to him?

Sir

Its does not take a rocket scientist to realize that a few days is not long enough to conduct a proper investigation and determine the exact cause of a building being blown up not even the FBI could conduct an investigation that fast .

His comment was pure speculation and irresponsible

DK

[RKASA]

39 trained, and one already blew themselves up. Typical Thai education system.

He failed the exam!

That is because the final exam was issued by the Darwin Institute.

[Chris Lawrence]

"We are checking what type of bomb it was but we found nitrate"

What does this mean? As you probably notice I am not a maker of large explosions. The report also said that it could take a month to establish what happened. Why is there speculation without first establishing what it was?

I saw others speculate on another thread a meth lab. Nitrate is not a product of meth? But then meth labs have been reported as exploding?

I just think it sounds like very bad reporting or sounds like an unbalanced view of events without substaniated fact. Isnt that what reporting should be trying to do. I can see that this type of reporting shown in these articles do feed many on various tangents. Just my thoughts.