UPDATE: Sketch of bomber released. Uighur revenge motive probed.
Police offering a one million baht reward for information leading to the arrest of the man seen in CCTV footage placing a bomb at the Erawan shrine in Bangkok that killed 20 people and injured another 125 on Monday night.
Police offering a one million baht reward for information leading to the arrest of the man seen in CCTV footage placing a bomb at the Erawan shrine in Bangkok that killed 20 people and injured another 125 on Monday night.
The sketch of the Erawan shrine bombing suspect released by the Royal Thai Police on Wednesday.
UPDATE
Sketch of Erawan bomber released
Police on Wednesday released a sketch of a man believed to have placed the bomb that went off at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok's Ratchaprasong district on Monday evening.
The man in the sketch is the same person seen in video caught by CCTV cameras at the Erawan Shrine before the deadly explosion. He was seen wearing dark framed glasses, a yellow t-shirt, baggy shorts and sweat bands on his wrists.
He said police will seek a court warrant for the suspect's arrest on charges of causing the bomb attack and homicide.
Read full story here
Now he has it, then he doesn't: The now infamous man in the bright yellow T-shirt, wearing glasses and sports sleeves, was seen on several CCTV feeds, first with his backpack, then dumping it at a bench, and then leaving without it. (Photos courtesy of Royal Thai Police)
BOMBING AFTERMATH
City police probe Uighur revenge motive for blast
Sathon bomb fizzles as cops hunt for suspect
19/08/2015
Post Reporters
As police Tuesday evening stepped up their hunt for a man filmed at the shrine shortly before Monday's deadly blast, sources say the probe is focusing on a revenge motive by Uighur militants, after the Thai government deported Chinese Muslim migrants to Beijing in July.
Police are offering a one million baht reward for information leading to the arrest of the man seen in CCTV footage placing a bomb at the Erawan shrine in Bangkok that killed 20 people and injured another 125 on Monday night (See full story here)
The rather broad description of the suspect offered by police, "Middle-Eastern looking man," led to one Australian English teacher (as well as model and actor) named Sunny Burns, who some netizen thought looked like the bombing suspect, reportedly being forced to go to the police and questioned for six hours, after his immigration documents and address were posted to social media (See Sydney Morning Herald story here).
Australian English teacher, model and actor Sunny Burns was mistaken for suspect. (SOURCE: Facebook)
UIGHUR REVENGE MOTIVE
At a news conference earlier in the day, Gen Prayut declined to say whether the attack was perpetrated by Uighur militants as suggested by Chinese media and Thai police sources, but he urged the media to report responsibly and avoid causing panic.
...The bomb has already scared foreign tourists, with China, this country's biggest source of overseas arrivals, issuing a travel warning to its citizens.
Police sources said Uighur militants may have launched the attack in retaliation for Bangkok's decision to deport 109 Uighur refugees to China in July, which drew international criticism. Thai Muslim and human rights groups accused the government of separating the Uighur families by sending the male migrants to China and the women and children to Turkey.
However, an expert on Southeast Asian politics and security declared: "Some Chinese media outlets reported that it was carried out by a Uighur terrorist angry at Thailand's recent deportation of 109 back to China, but this should not be dignified with a response." ( See article in The Diplomat here )
Police deployed more officers to the Chinese embassy in Bangkok after its request two weeks ago. Intelligence from the Special Branch also suggested there could be an attack on Chinese tourists after Aug 11.
Deportation of 109 Uighur refugees to China in July, which drew international criticism.
SUSPECT LEFT BACKPACK AT BOMB SITE
Meanwhile, police said they are hunting for a "Middle Eastern-looking man" caught on a CCTV camera, whom they are "more than 50% certain" was the bomber. They are searching for the suspect in Nana sois 3, 5, 9 and 11, a neighbourhood popular with Uighur migrants.
The young, slightly built man wearing a yellow T-shirt and black-framed glasses, was carrying a backpack. He wanders around the shrine, and is seen sitting down and leaving the backpack there. Moments later he leaves the shrine and heads onto the street.
Police say he arrived in a tuk-tuk and left on a motorcycle taxi. They have asked the drivers to come forward.
The device which went off at the Erawan shrine, and the one at Sathon pier, were pipe bombs containing ball bearing assembled professionally.
The first bomb was an improvised explosive device that looked like a model typically made abroad. It was detonated by a timer similar to ones seen in Thailand in the past. But no connection was found to the bombs typically used in the deep South.
The Sathon bomb had a range of 30-50 metres and many 5-milimetre-diameter ball bearings were found scattered in the area, similar to those used by the Iranian bombers found assembling a bomb in Soi Sukhumvit 71 in 2012.
STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is refusing to say whether domestic politics or international conflict lies behind the deadly bombing at the Erawan shrine.
Speaking in a televised address last night, Gen Prayut would not be drawn on the motive, saying he did not want to cause public panic or mislead investigators.
The prime minister went before the cameras after a second blast went off at Sathon pier about 1pm Tuesday. Speaking on television, Gen Prayut sent his condolences to families of the victims killed and injured..
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/660640/city-police-probe-uighur-revenge-motive-for-blast
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