The prime mini
s ter has called for tighter security in Bangkok after two bomb incidents over theweekend - one at Rajamangala University of Technology and another planted inside the Supreme Court compound.
Security sources fear more attacks leading up to February 26, when
the court is scheduled to hand down a verdict on former PM Thaksin Shinawatra's Bt76-bil
lion assets- seizure case.
In the first incident, an M79 grenade was fired into the
compound of Rajamangala University of Technology on Saturday night. Then, a bomb made of three pounds of C4 explosive was spotted and defused inside the compound of the Supreme Court yesterday morning.
A source from the Special Branch Police said intelligence officials had learnt that eight more bomb attacks would be carried out around Bangkok, including at the Royal Plaza, the Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall, Victory Monument and Democracy monument. The attacks were expected before the end of next week.
The source said the Police Special Branch had deployed intelligence officials to monitor groups suspected of planning the attacks.
After learning of the bomb attack at the university's Phra Nakhon campus, which is near Government House, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said officials need to tighten security.
Abhisit said the person who fired the grenade into the university compound at 10pm wanted to make headlines.
The bomb inside the Supreme Court compound was found by security officer Prakong Mahanet at 9.30am. He alerted Chana Songkram police after spotting a juice box tied with adhesive tape.
Bomb-disposal officers used a water gun to destroy the bomb's electronic circuit and disposed of the C4 explosive.
Pol Lt-Colonel Kamthorn Ouicharoen, deputy inspector of the Metropolitan Police's bomb-disposal division, said the device had been fully assembled. If it had been detonated, it could have demolished a building or killed people within a 5-metre radius.
He said the Metropolitan Police would meet to discuss security for senior government figures after the two incidents.
Supreme Court secretary Chawaeng Chusiri said the bomb might have been lobbed over the fence from the nearby Klong Lod Canal.
He said the spot where the bomb was found was about 250 metres away from the Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office.
Court president Sobchoke Sukharom had been informed of the incident. Sobchoke had instructed officials to tighten up security, he said.
Deputy PM's Secretary-General Panitan Wattanayakorn said the two incidents were apparently staged to create turmoil. He said the government was not worried by the incidents because it had prepared security measures to protect all key government offices.
The Internal Security Operations Command was also monitoring the situation closely.
He said the government would wait to assess the situation for one or two more days before making a decision during the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday whether to enforce the Internal Security Act to control the situation ahead of the ruling in the assets seizure case.
Suriyasai Katasila, secretary-general of the New Politics Party, said the M79 attack and the C4 bomb at the Supreme Court were definitely carried out by the same group of people responsible for the bomb attack at the Army headquarters.
Only military officers could launch such attacks. The situation should be monitored closely before the assets seizure ruling day, he said.
He said Deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban, who is charge of security affairs, should review his "failure" to keep security.
Samrarn Rodphet, a spokesman for the New Politics Party, said the government should rush to improve its intelligence operations.
From: The Nation
No comments:
Post a Comment