Thai military court opens trial in Bangkok shrine blast

[webfact]

Thai military court opens trial in Bangkok shrine blast 

 

BANGKOK (AP) — A Thai military court on Tuesday began the trial of two foreigners charged with the bombing of a popular shrine in Bangkok's center a year ago that killed 20 people and injured more than 120.

 

The defendants — two ethnic Uighurs of Chinese nationality - were driven straight into the military court building, preventing reporters from approaching them.

 

The bombing on Aug. 17, 2015, was one of the deadliest acts of violence in Thailand in decades. It went off at the Erawan shrine, popular among Chinese and other tourists, in the center of Bangkok. Of the dead, 14 were tourists.

 

The two men — Mieraili Yusufu and Bilal Mohammad, also known as Adem Karadag — have pleaded not guilty, and at a recent pre-trial appearance they broke down in tears alleging mistreatment by Thai authorities. They are the only two men in custody out of the 17 people that authorities say were responsible.

 

"Today is the first day for witness testimony ... I think it (the trial) will last until next year. It will take quite some time," said Chuchart Kanpai, the lawyer for one of the defendants.

 

Thai authorities have said the bombing was revenge by a people-smuggling gang whose activities were disrupted by a crackdown. However, some analysts suspected it might have been the work of Uighur separatists angry that Thailand in July had forcibly repatriated scores of Uighurs to China, where they may be persecuted.

 

The Erawan Shrine is especially popular among Chinese tourists, and many were among the victims of the bombing.

 

Chuchart has told reporters in the past that Bilal had been tortured to admit that he was the person seen in surveillance video planting the bomb. Bilal says his captors poured cold water into his nose, threatened to send him back to China and had a barking dog frighten him.

 

Police say the case against the two men is supported by closed-circuit television footage, witnesses, DNA matching and physical evidence, in addition to their confessions. Police believe Yusufu detonated the bomb minutes after a backpack containing the device was left at the shrine by Bilal.

 

Since a May 2014 coup installed the military in power, its courts in Thailand have handed criminal cases deemed to involve national security.

 

The two men have been held at an army base since their arrest in late August and early September 2015. No other details of their interrogation have been revealed. Some of the 15 other suspects are Turks, with whom Uighurs share ethnic bonds, and Turkey is home to a large Uighur community. Beijing charges that some Uighurs are Islamist terrorists and that some have been smuggled out of China to join Islamic State fighters in Syria via Turkey.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-08-23

 

[webfact]

Erawan Shrine bombing suspects hear first plaintiff’s testimony at Military Court today

 

 

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Military Court today began the first plaintiff's testimony in the trial of the two Erawan Shrine bombing  suspects after their arrest in late August and early September last year.

 

The two members of  China’s Muslim Uighur minority, Bilal Mohammad, also known as Adem Karadag, and Yusufu Mieraili, were escorted under tight security by military officers as they arrived at the military court this morning.

 

The duo faced eight charges related to the bombing, including conspiracy to explode bombs and commit premeditated murder.

 

Twenty people, including 14 foreign tourists, were killed and more than 120 injured in the August attack, one of the deadliest acts of violence in Bangkok in decades.

 

The plaintiff’s testimony today is the first part of the actual trial proceeding consisting of the plaintiffs presenting their witnesses and evidence to justify the complaint.

 

Only one plaintiff presented testimony at the trial today.

 

The two suspects were represented by a Thai lawyer Chuchat Gunpai.

 

He said there is only one state witness to give testimony.

 

He said he has a new translator for the two suspects after the former Uighur translated disappeared after being arrested on a drug charge.

 

He said he has not met his two clients and it would the first day when he could meet them.

 

According to AP, Bilal, or Adem Karadag — the name on a fake Turkish passport he was carrying when he was arrested — faces two additional charges of violating immigration law by entering Thailand illegally.

 

At their November court appearance, the defendants had refused to take a plea because there was no Uighur translator available.

 

Both men told the court that they were Chinese citizens but members of the Uighur minority, from the city of Urumqi in western China’s Xinjiang region.

 

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/erawan-shrine-bombing-suspects-hear-first-plaintiffs-testimony-military-court-today/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-08-23

[z42]

After a truly farcical investigation, a strong likelihood of prisoner mistreatment, and a stronger likelihood of the real perps / masterminds being at large still you do have to feel a degree of sympathy for these guys in the dock. In such a high profile case there is an absolutely unequivocal need for the evidence to be made public.

 

I am sure I am not the only one who is absolutely cynical about what has been going on in this case. Another disgraceful episode for the authorities here.

[NongKhaiKid]

In the Koh Tau case the BIB used an   '  interpreter  '   who apparently couldn't speak the same dialect as the two Burmese suspects.

In this case the Uighur interpreter has   '  disappeared  '   following an arrest on a drugs charge.

[smutcakes]

Call me a cynic but very interesting timing for this suddenly to start moving..............

[Toknarok]

        I have no idea whether these accused are guilty of the atrocity or not. It would appear that I and no one else will probably never know the truth in this matter. Why the military court? why no observers at the trial? From the very beginning the investigation has been a complete and utter farce, from the initial police making a balls up of the investigation of the scene, then running around like headless chooks, to the absolutely disgraceful pantomime of them receiving the reward money.

      The whole damn     thing stinks of a corrupt cover up. Do they have any idea who really was behind the bombing? have they apprehended the mastermind? What about the so called confessions, where is the translator/interpreter?

      A closed show trial begins. If they're really guilty then they deserve everything they get, but unless the Thai authorities allow a completely open free and fair trial the World will smell a convenient cover up. Not that this would be the first time this has happened, just read your Thai history.

[DM07]

Given the results of another high- profile case that got fumbled really badly, this will be a hoot to watch!

  

[NongKhaiKid]

27 minutes ago, smutcakes said:

Call me a cynic but very interesting timing for this suddenly to start moving..............

Last week was the first anniversary of the bombings and the BBC didn't hold back reporting on the lack of progress to date   !

[MZurf]

18 minutes ago, DM07 said:

Given the results of another high- profile case that got fumbled really badly, this will be a hoot to watch!

  

That's the problem - no one will be able to watch it.

[sujoop]

TRANSLATOR IN BOMBING TRIAL SAYS HE’S A MARKED MAN
A few hours before his arrest on June 1, Bakhodirov testified in military court that he was assaulted and threatened by four men who told him to stop working on the bombing case. “[The] police translator in the court said, ‘You teach these men to make drama,’” he said.
http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/courts/2016/06/14/translator-bombing-trial-says-hes-marked-man/l
 

Hope the new translator has better luck than the previous one... This whole case wreaks of a set-up, or, at the least the Police once again appear to go to lengths to provide suspiciously convenient patsy's (ala Koh Tao and others).
 

Despite a sluggish economy Thailand's tourism industry has been going strong thanks mostly to throngs of Chinese tourists. Largest group visiting the shrine are also Chinese. Thus seemingly a perfect target if one wanted to try to de-rail tourism (and the economy) and moreover create instability. Likely the same motive and mastermind as the South bombs - but tourism has barely skipped a beat - thus, hopefully not more to follow or increase impact? Another very worrying aspect is, since the Bkk NY Eve bombs in 2006 to present day, no one has been held accountable, thus nothing to deter the mastermind from continuing to act with impunity.

[webfact]

With interpreter on the run, Erawan bombing trial is postponed to September

By Sasiwan Mokkhasen, Staff Reporter -

 

Military and police officers on Aug. 17, 2015, inspect the scene of carnage at Erawan Shrine in Bangkok.

 

BANGKOK — The first court examination of a witness in the bomb attack that killed 20 people last year was adjourned on Tuesday because an interpreter for the two accused bombers jumped his bail on drug charges.

 

The delay meant that not a single person has testified to the trial on the Aug. 2015 deadly bombing of Erawan Shrine so far. The lengthy trial has already angered some victims of the attack who felt that the authorities are not doing enough to bring those responsible to justice.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/courts/2016/08/23/interpreter-run-erawan-bombing-trial-postponed-sept/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2016-08-23

[metisdead]

A post with an image containing profanity has been removed. 

[soalbundy]

well they have the DNA so they must be guilty 

[madmitch]

Maybe they could find a roti salesman to act as the new official translator.

 

 

[chainarong]

Personally military court says it all, it will be a typical Junta court of old , the judgements will be questionable and the guilty as charged possibly are innocent, with a Junta and a seriously lacking morals police force,  you can never get to the truth............................

[JAG]

And the defence lawyer only met his clients on the day the trial started. That should convince the world that it is a fair trial!

[SOTIRIOS]

...inaccurate statement above.....

 

...but a question nobody seems to be asking: 'Who is paying for their defense?'.....