Prawit heads to China, rules out talks on blasts
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Arrest warrant issued for husband of Thai suspect; Turkey's embassy awaits confirmation on nationality of arrested duo
EVEN as police and other concerned authorities continue to dismiss media reports linking the Erawan Shrine bomb suspects with the Uighurs or China, Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday left for Beijing but denied any plan to discuss the recent Bangkok bombings with the Chinese government.
“I don’t think the incidents are related to China. In addition, they are our domestic affairs. There’s no point having discussions on the issue there,” said Prawit, who is also the deputy prime minister overseeing security affairs.
Two bombs exploded in Bangkok last month. One rocked the popular Erawan Shrine on August 17, killing 20 people and injuring more than 100 others. The other happened the following day near Sathorn Pier but caused no casualties.
In the wake of the blasts, speculation has mounted that the bombings might have been staged in retaliation for the Thai government’s decision to deport more than 100 Uighurs to China in late June.
The speculation gained traction partly because an angry mob attacked the Thai consulate in Istanbul in early July to protest the deportations.
Thai authorities have arrested two suspects in connection with the Bangkok bombings. Both are foreigners, whose nationalities have yet to be identified.
Speaking before he boarded his flight to China yesterday, Prawit said the authorities had not yet determined the motives behind the attacks.
“Our main focus now is to unravel the network of attackers. Who are involved? We need to do that first to ensure public safety in Thailand,” he said.
He assured that relevant authorities were conducting thorough investigations in a bid to nail down all the culprits.
Eight arrest warrants have been issued to date, with the latest issued yesterday for Emrah Davutoglu, the husband of Thai suspect Wanna Suansan. Several of the wanted men are Turkish.
Wanna, who is in Turkey, reportedly expressed her intention to report to Thai police as soon as the warrant for her was issued on Monday.
Meanwhile, Tharit Charungvat, Thailand’s ambassador to Turkey, said yesterday that Wanna had not yet contacted the embassy.
Wanna’s brother, E-cha Suansan, urged the public not to rush to judgements about his sister before all things could be proven.
“I’m confident that my sister and others in our family are not involved in the bombing,” he said.
The Turkish Embassy in Bangkok said it has sought confirmation from Thai authorities on whether the arrested suspects and other wanted persons are Turkish nationals.
“The embassy is awaiting an |official reply from Thai authorities,” it said yesterday. Pol General Somyot Poompanmuang, the National Police commissioner, said he believed the network behind the Bangkok bombings was big.
“And definitely, they are not terrorist attacks,” he said.
Separately, police spokesman Lt-General Prawut Thavornsiri said it would take time to verify the nationality of the suspects now in custody.
“The process requires help from experts and relevant embassies,” he said.
Regarding the foreign suspect arrested in the border province of Sa Kaew on Tuesday, Prawut said identification by witnesses, DNA tests and latent-fingerprint tests would be used to identify if he was the man suspected of planting the bomb at the Erawan Shrine.
One tuk-tuk driver, one taxi motorcyclist and one taxi driver have told police that they provided transport for the suspected bomber on the day of the blast.
Prawut said the latent-fingerprint test results would come |out later yesterday, and DNA |test results within two days.
“After we get the official results, we will publicly announce them,” he said.
Prawut also disclosed that a big meeting of all immigration police chiefs would take place next Monday to ensure stricter screening of immigrants.
On Tuesday, the chief of Sa Kaew Immigration, Pol Colonel Pairach Pukcharoen, was transferred to an inactive post along with five other police officers very likely over their alleged role in the smuggling of Uighurs.
National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree urged homeowners and the operators of hotels and apartments to report foreign guests to the authorities within 24 hours after they check-in.
“It’s a way to boost safety,” he said.
He also appealed to a man wearing a blue shirt who was spotted on a security camera taking a photo at the Erawan Shrine on August 17.
He should urgently contact police as he may have taken a photo of the bomber.
“Police want to see the photos taken by the man in a blue shirt to obtain a clear view of the bomber,” Winthai said.
