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Tag: Thailand

  • Thai Police Hunt ‘Foreign’ Man, Two Others For Bangkok Blast

    Thai Police Hunt ‘Foreign’ Man, Two Others For Bangkok Blast

    Thai police said on Wednesday that a suspect captured by CCTV cameras minutes before a bomb exploded at Bangkok’s Erawan shrine was a foreigner, and his appearance suggested he might be from Europe or the Middle East.

    Police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri also said investigators were now convinced two other men seen on the grainy video footage were accomplices.

    At least 20 people were killed in Monday’s blast in the heart of the Thai capital. The government says the unprecedented attack on the city was designed to wreck the country’s economy, which depends heavily on tourism.

    No one has claimed responsibility for the evening rush-hour bombing, in which 11 foreigners from several Asian countries died and more than 120 were wounded.

    Prawut said in a televised interview that an arrest warrant had been issued for a “foreign man”, a sketch of whom showed a fair-skinned youth with thick, medium-length black hair, a wispy beard and black glasses.

    “He had white skin and must have been a European or have mixed blood, perhaps with Middle Eastern blood,” Prawut said, without giving a reason for his assumptions other than the color of the man’s skin.

    The sketch was based on footage that showed a man dressed in a yellow T-shirt dumping a backpack inside the shrine compound and walking away through a crowd of tourists about 20 minutes before the explosion.

    Prawut earlier tweeted that police were offering a 1 million baht ($28,100) reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.

    He said two other men, one dressed in red and another in white, were seen milling around the first suspect, apparently shielding him from the view of the crowd as he placed the rucksack in front of a railing.

    Earlier, police had said they were sure some Thais were involved in the attack.

    The shrine, a blood-spattered scene of charred motorbikes and debris after the blast, was reopened on Wednesday.

    NO CLEAR TELL-TALE SIGNS

    Police have not ruled out any group for the attack, including elements opposed to the military government, though they say it did not match the tactics of Muslim insurgents in the south or so-called ‘red shirt’ supporters of the previous administration.

    Angel Rabasa, an expert on Islamist militancy at the RAND Corporation, said the attack could be the work of Islamic State, which has been expanding its reach in Southeast Asia, or an al Qaeda-related or independent jihadist group. However, such groups usually claim responsibility for their attacks.

    Police said they were also considering the possibility that ethnic Uighurs were behind the bombing. Thailand forcibly returned 109 Uighurs to China last month.

    Hundreds, possibly thousands, of members of the Turkic-speaking and largely Muslim minority have fled unrest in China’s western Xinjiang region, where hundreds of people have been killed, prompting a crackdown by Chinese authorities. Many Uighurs have traveled through Southeast Asia to Turkey.

    However, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha sought to cool speculation of a revenge attack by Uighurs.

    “I have always said that what the government did was within the boundaries of the law and by international agreement,” he told reporters. “If we did not send them they would have been a burden to Thailand. I don’t want this issue raised.”

    Police chief Somyot Pumpanmuang said no direct connection had been established between Monday’s deadly blast and a small explosive thrown from a bridge toward a river pier in Bangkok on Tuesday. No one was hurt by that second bomb. A government spokesman had initially said there were “patterns” linking the two bombs which both used TNT.

    The blast comes at a sensitive time for Thailand, which has been riven for a decade by a sometimes-violent struggle for power between political factions in Bangkok.

    A parliament hand-picked by a junta that seized power in a 2014 coup is due to vote on a draft constitution next month. Critics say the draft is undemocratic and intended to help the army secure power and curb the influence of elected politicians.

    (Reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre, with additional reporting by Pracha Hariraksapitak, Pairat Temphairojana and John Chalmers; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)

    Source: www.reuters.com
  • Reflect On The Death Of Our Own Singaporean In Bangkok, Violence Must Be Condemned And Delegitimised

    Reflect On The Death Of Our Own Singaporean In Bangkok, Violence Must Be Condemned And Delegitimised

    Rilek1Corner,

    A Singaporean Ms Melisa Liu Rui Chun just lost a life in a terror attack in Bangkok and here we are carrying on with life as per normal. No one-minute silence, no mark of respect. Very little reflection. The government will tell you that it is a good sign that the community can carry on depite such a tragedy but is there really no room to think about what happened?

    Thai Police still have not identified the culprit and the motive. Whatever it is, this is a terror attack not just on Thailand, but also other countries whose citizens have been a victim of this attack. The perpetrator does not have be a bearded, AK-47 wielding mad man for this to be called a terror attack. This is someone using violence to force authorities to submit to them. Selfish people who only think about their self-interest.

    Violence, for whatever reasons cannot be justified. If there is no rule of law and everyone who doesn’t get their way resort to violence to achieve their objectives, how iwll the world turn out?

    What was supposed to be a happy occasion for her turned ot to be a nightmare for her friends and family. Within seconds, lives were changed. Lives were destroyed and may not recover even after years.

    Even as we go on with our busy lives, let’s reflect about what happened. Reflect on why the Singaporean life is lost bcause of an act of senseless violence. Do not let her death be in vain.

     

    Singapura Son

    [Reader Contribution]

  • Experts Divided Over Motive For Attack, Manhunt Continues

    Experts Divided Over Motive For Attack, Manhunt Continues

    As the Thai authorities look for those responsible for Monday’s deadly blast in Bangkok, observers and security analysts were divided as to the motivation and the possible culprits behind what Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has described as the worst act of violence in the country.

    With no one claiming responsibility for the attack that has killed 22 people — including a 34-year-old Singaporean — at Erawan Shrine and left over 100 injured, Thai authorities have been careful not to point the blame in any direction.

    “We’re looking at all angles. We’re not dropping off any possibilities yet,” Dr Panitan Wattanayagorn, a prominent Thai security expert and adviser to Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, told TODAY in a phone interview. “The priority is to make sure this investigation is open and very professional.”

    While Dr Panitan cautioned against any speculation on the motive, he said the attack was aimed at destabilising the country and its economy. The incident is the latest in a series of explosions that have disrupted South-east Asia’s second-largest economy since the military seized power in May last year, and it was no surprise that the experts’ initial assessment was that it was linked to Thailand’s decade-long political turmoil.

    The Thai authorities had blamed supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who call themselves the “red shirts”, for recent attacks in the capital, including two pipe bomb attacks on a luxury mall in February, which injured two persons, and a grenade attack at the Criminal Court a month later, which damaged the property without causing any injuries.

    A suspect in the March incident had reportedly told the police that a network of red shirts had discussed a plot to bomb at least 100 places in Bangkok in a string of attacks against the ruling junta.

    “I think it’s pretty obvious which element is behind this,” a Thai politician who has held senior positions in government told TODAY. “It’s the same pattern … If I’m a betting man, I would place my money on hired militants linked to the red shirts.”

    However, some observers noted that Monday’s attack marked a shift from past outbreaks of political violence, as the bomb was aimed to kill and tourists were deliberately targeted along with Thais.

    “Past explosions were meant more to send a political message and not to harm,” said an editor of a major newspaper in Thailand who did not want to be named. “But this time, the bomb was planted to inflict maximum damage to civilians.”

    This lends weight to the theory that the attack could be linked to international terrorism, he added.

    Police chief Somyot Pumpanmuang said he did not rule out any motives, including Thailand’s controversial repatriation of 109 Uighur people to China recently, which sparked an attack last month on the Thai consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

    There is also speculation of the possible involvement of insurgents from Thailand’s southern provinces, where violence linked to Malay-Muslim separatists has seen over 6,000 people killed in the past decade.

    But observers note that there does not seem to be any reason for the insurgents to stage an attack outside the southern provinces. Thai army chief, General Udomdej Sitabutr, has also said the latest blast “does not match” past attacks in southern Thailand.

    Security experts however, agree on one thing: The high number of casualties and the way improvised explosive devices were used show that those responsible for the attack had professional training not only in bomb-making, but also bomb-radius measurements, placement and detonation.

    When asked if it was easy to obtain bomb-making materials in Thailand, Dr Panitan said: “In general, we do have some problems controlling some of these materials and devices. Some can be obtained from the industry.”

    Observers said it is hard to predict whether there would be more attacks.

    “After several months of relative calm in the capital, the main impact on Thailand is that certain elements are willing to fund open protests, demonstrations and bombings to oppose policies that they believe are unfavourable,” said Associate Professor Antonio Rappa, head of UniSIM’s Management and Security Studies. “The greatest danger is that more innocent people may lose their lives.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Atuk-Atuk ‘Miang’ Cuci Mata Tonton Penari Bogel Di Betong Thailand

    Atuk-Atuk ‘Miang’ Cuci Mata Tonton Penari Bogel Di Betong Thailand

    Betong: Kubur kata mari rumah kata nanti, namun jiwa muda segelintir lelaki tua rakyat Malaysia yang purata umur menjangkau 70-an menyebabkan ‘kelab tarian bogel’ di pekan Betong, Thailand di sini, tidak pernah sunyi daripada dikunjungi golongan ini.

    Lebih memalukan, kewujudan Masjid Jamek Al Mahadi yang terletak kurang 200 meter dari pusat maksiat ini tidak sedikitpun mencetuskan rasa malu dalam kalangan pengunjung beragama Islam ini.

    Kumpulan lelaki warga emas yang datang berlibur ini didapati kerap memenuhi pusat hiburan sekitar Jalan Chayachawalit, Jalan Mongkolprachak dan Jalan Grandvilla 2 di sini, yang menawarkan tarian bogel serta joget tiang kepada pengunjung.

    Pusat hiburan mendapat jolokan ‘kelab atuk nakal’ ini berbeza dari pusat tarian bogel di Hatyai atau Bangkok, Thailand, berikutan ia membenarkan pelanggan menyaksikan tarian bogel pada jarak dekat dengan pentas atau tiang persembahan.

    Suasana ini, sekali gus dianggap istimewa berikutan pengunjung lelaki boleh menyentuh penari atau melihat persembahan maksiat daripada dekat.

    Ini menyebabkan lokasi pusat hiburan pernah dijadikan sasaran bom jangka puak pemisah Islam di Selatan Thailand pada 25 Julai lalu terus dikunjungi lelaki warga Malaysia tanpa rasa gusar.

    Tinjauan wartawan Metro Ahad selama tiga hari mendapati rata-rata pusat hiburan maksiat ini dipenuhi lelaki Malaysia seawal jam 3 petang saban hari.

    Antara pusat maksiat popular dalam kalangan pengunjung warga Malaysia di sini adalah Jockey Club, Gala, Sexy Dance dan Disko 008.

    Kebanyakan kelab tarian berahi ini didapati menyediakan sehingga 30 penari bogel pada satu-satu masa.

    Wanita terbabit akan menari secara bergilir-gilir di atas pentas sambil diiringi muzik rancak manakala sebahagian lagi rakan mereka melayan pelanggan yang mengerumuni pusat hiburan itu.

    Seorang lelaki warga emas yang ditemui wartawan berkata, dia sering datang ke Betong bersama tiga rakan sekurang-kurangnya dua kali sebulan.

    “Kami bukan buat dosa teguk arak macam orang lain. Datang cuci mata tengok perempuan seksi di sini…cuma dosa ringan.

    “Tak mahal pun, tiada caj masuk kelab, cuma bayar air Coke segelas dengan harga Baht 100 (RM10) kemudian boleh duduk tengok show sampai puas,” katanya yang hanya mahu dikenali sebagai Mat, 71.

    Peraih getah berasal dari Gerik, Perak itu berkata, pertunjukan tarian tiang atau ‘tiger show’ itu bermula seawal jam 3 petang hingga 11 malam.

    “Jadi kami tak perlu tidur di Betong. Masuk sekejap untuk tengok show dan balik ke Malaysia sebelum pintu Kompleks Imigresen Bukit Berapit di Pengkalan Hulu ditutup,” katanya.

    Seorang lagi warga emas yang hanya mahu dikenali sebagai Halim, 65, berkata, lokasi pusat hiburan di Betong kini kian meriah berbanding lima tahun lalu.

    “Dulu (pusat hiburan) di Betong lengang dan terkawal, namun sekarang terlalu ramai pengunjung dari Kedah dan Kuala Lumpur terutama ketika hujung minggu.

    “Terasa rimas sebab semua pusat hiburan dan tarian bogel berasak-asak dengan pelanggan lain,” katanya yang bekerja sebagai pemandu teksi.

     

    Source: www.hmetro.com.my

  • Thai Consulate In Istanbul Attacked After Uighurs Deported

    Thai Consulate In Istanbul Attacked After Uighurs Deported

    Turkish anti-Chinese demonstrators stormed the Thai consulate in Istanbul in protest at the deportation by Bangkok of dozens of Uighur Muslims to China, as diplomatic tensions flared Thursday in an increasingly combustible controversy.

    The attack was the latest in a series of nationalist-tinted protests in Turkey during the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan over China’s treatment of the Turkic-speaking, largely Muslim Uighurs in the northwestern Xinjiang region.

    Nine people were arrested after the action at the consulate building in Istanbul late Wednesday organised by a group calling itself the East Turkestan Education Association, the Dogan news agency reported.

    They broke down the doors to the building, pulled down the sign outside and damaged the furnishings inside, television footage showed.

    The Thai flag was pulled down as the building was also pelted with stones. Files and documents were flung outside and littered the street while a man was seen battering a window with a post.

    Shocked consulate workers returned to the office on Thursday to find their workplace upturned, with broken glass and debris littering the floor.

    Thailand said it had deported around 100 Uighur Muslims detained in the kingdom since last year to China, in a move sparking fears for the safety of the asylum-seekers.

    The fate of the Uighurs, who presented themselves to police as Turkish, had been the subject of a diplomatic tussle between Ankara and Beijing.

    Thai government spokesman Werachon Sukhondapatipak told reporters “some 100” Uighurs were deported to China Wednesday after finding “clear evidence they are Chinese nationals”.

    He also revealed that an earlier group of Uighurs, 172 women and children, were sent to Turkey in late June.

    – ‘Without consent’ –

    In an address to Turkish ambassadors late Thursday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — who is scheduled to visit China later this month — condemned the violence and warned against “any provocations”.

    “We have our compatriots all over the world. Whatever happens to them directly concerns us. But we can never approve of what happened in Istanbul, such things don’t befit us,” Erdogan said, declaring all Asians visiting Turkey “our friends.”

    In a statement released Thursday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned Thailand for sending the Uighur Turks back to China, accusing it of “acting against the international laws.”

    Foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic told AFP that Ankara was “saddened” by the attack on the Thai consulate, saying such actions “were not approved” and “do not benefit anyone”.

    The UN refugee agency said it was “shocked” by the deportation to China after the earlier group of Uighurs had “benefited” from being moved to Turkey.

    It is “a flagrant violation of international law”, said Volker Turk of UNHCR in a statement which added the Uighurs “indicated that they did not wish to be deported to China”.

    Turkey last week had summoned the Chinese ambassador to convey its “deep concerns” over alleged restrictions on the Uighur community during Ramadan. Beijing has denied any such restrictions.

    Protests have taken place across the country, dealing a blow to relations between China and Turkey which have noticeably improved over the last few years.

    On Thursday pro-Uighur protesters who gathered outside the Thai embassy in Ankara attacked an Asian tourist, thinking that she was Chinese, news agency Dogan reported.

    The woman, whose nationality was not immediately clear, was rescued by a plain clothes police officer.

    On Saturday, Turkish nationalists attacked a group of South Korean tourists in the heart of Istanbul’s old city, believing they were Chinese.

    The Royal Thai Embassy in Turkey on its Facebook page warned Thai citizens to be on alert.

    Turkish media reported on Thursday that China Philharmonic Orchestra cancelled a performance scheduled to take place in Istanbul in mid-August in the face of the protests.

    Opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) chief Devlet Bahceli added further fuel to the fire by saying the attack on the Koreans was understandable given that both peoples have “slitty eyes”.

    Meanwhile in a possible bid to ease tensions, a report by Turkey’s state Anatolia news agency from Xinjiang said it found there were no special restrictions on Uighur Muslims during Ramadan.

     

    Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com