Man Threatens To Blow Up University

[george]

Man threatens to blow up university

BANGKOK: -- An armed man yesterday threatened to blow up Huachiew Chalermprakiet University in Bang Na with a grenade if his demand for Bt3 million was not met.

Prasit Kovilaisakul, the university's president, said that a man in his late thirties had walked into his unlocked office with a pistol and a hand grenade and asked for Bt3 million to support the insurgents in the three southernmost provinces.

Despite being petrified, Prasit remained calm and told the man that he would have to get the money from the administrative office and that he would have to attend an urgent meeting first.

Prasit led the man to the meeting room, but before the man could follow him in, Prasit locked himself inside. At that point the man ran out of the building and got into a blue pickup truck which was waiting for him in front of it.

Police are looking for the man but told the university to tighten up its security checkpoints to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Prasit said the man had been wearing a light-yellow, short-sleeved shirt, dark grey trousers and a light-yellow knitted hat.

--The Nation 2005-08-27