15 held in Thailand not linked to tourist bombs: Police

AFP, BANGKOK: A group of 15 suspects detained by the Thai military investigating last week’s deadly tourist resort attacks was not involved in the blasts, police said Friday, adding to confusion surrounding the case.
The junta said Thursday the detainees had been held during their investigation into the bombing spree, which hit tourist towns in the south, killing four and wounding dozens, including Europeans.
But on Friday police officials said the group—many of whom are elderly—had instead set up an illegal network aimed at overthrowing the regime and were unconnected to last week’s attacks. Thailand’s deputy junta chief also appeared to back that assertion.
The bombs were highly unusual in a country where foreigners and tourist towns are rarely caught up in the country’s frequent bouts of political violence.
Investigators have been under pressure to make quick arrests given tourism is so crucial to the economy.
The group appeared at a Bangkok police station on Friday escorted by soldiers—the first time they have been seen in public—to hear the charges against them.
Two are women and many of the men are in their 60s and 70s.
Thai media had run multiple reports quoting anonymous investigators as saying the group helped coordinate the recent attacks.
But Major General Chayaphol Chatchaidej, a senior official at the Office of Police Strategy who was at the police station to receive the suspects, told reporters they were not involved.
“There is no evidence linking them to the bomb attacks in the seven southern provinces based on our investigation, although some of them are involved with lese majeste (royal defamation) and arms trafficking,” he said.
Instead he described them as a splinter faction of the anti-junta Red Shirt movement loyal to ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled by the military in 2006.
He said the network called itself the Revolutionary Front of Democracy party—a previously unheard of group.

 

15 held in Thailand not linked to tourist bombs: Police

AFP, BANGKOK: A group of 15 suspects detained by the Thai military investigating last weeks deadly tourist resort attacks was not involved in the blasts, police said Friday, adding to confusion surrounding the case. The junta said Thursday the detainees had been held during their investigation into the bombing spree, which hit tourist towns in the south, killing four and wounding dozens, including Europeans. But on Friday police officials said the groupmany of whom are elderlyhad instead set up an illegal network aimed at overthrowing the regime and were unconnected to last weeks attacks. Thailands deputy junta chief also appeared to back that assertion. The bombs were highly unusual in a country where foreigners and tourist towns are rarely caught up in the countrys frequent bouts of political violence. Investigators have been under pressure to make quick arrests given tourism is so crucial to the economy. The group appeared at a Bangkok police station on Friday escorted by soldiersthe first time they have been seen in publicto hear the charges against them. Two are women and many of the men are in their 60s and 70s. Thai media had run multiple reports quoting anonymous investigators as saying the group helped coordinate the recent attacks. But Major General Chayaphol Chatchaidej, a senior official at the Office of Police Strategy who was at the police station to receive the suspects, told reporters they were not involved. There is no evidence linking them to the bomb attacks in the seven southern provinces based on our investigation, although some of them are involved with lese majeste (royal defamation) and arms trafficking, he said. Instead he described them as a splinter faction of the anti-junta Red Shirt movement loyal to ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled by the military in 2006. He said the network called itself the Revolutionary Front of Democracy partya previously unheard of group.