Government rules out using emergency decree despite bombings

BANGKOK, March 25 (TNA) – Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Thursday expressed concerned about a series of bombings which continued to rattle some official buildings in the capital and adjacent areas, but said the situation did not warrant putting an emergency decree into force.

The deputy prime minister commented in his capacity as head of national security after minor explosions took place in the compound of Nonthaburi
provincial administration office and the Legal Execution Department in Bangkok Noi district Wednesday night. There were no injuries.

Police bomb experts defused an explosive device planted at a Bangkok Bank ATM booth in the northern province of Chiang Mai early Thursday.

The government has extended enforcement of the Internal Security Act for another week until March 30 in the capital and adjacent environs including Nonthaburi. Tens of thousands of military and police have been deployed across the city.

Mr Suthep conceded the security plan will be adjusted as the assailants have targetted Bangkok suburbs such as Nonthaburi and Thonburi where security lapses were exposed. He assured the public that the government was able to handle the situation and that applying an emergency decree was unnecessary even though security measures will be stepped up.

“I have instructed all security agencies concerned to be on alert and try to minimise the chance that perpetrators will carry attacks,” Mr Suthep said.
“I don’t think the situation warrants an emergency decree enforcement as police are now speeding up investigation to arrest the bombers.”

The first bomb occurred at 8pm in the compound of the provincial administration office in Nonthaburi, in suburban Bangkok. The explosive was detonated 20 metres from an army checkpoint and opposite the provincial police station.

The bomb caused a hole 20 cm wide and 10 cm deep and damaged the ceiling of an electric control room. The police gathered evidence and presumed that the incident was to alarm and cause uncertainty among the public.

The second explosion occurred almost simultaneously at the Legal Execution Department in Bangkok’s Bangkhunnon area.

The police found that it was M67 grenade. Witnesses said they heard the sound of an explosion and saw two men leaving the scene on a motorcycle to Borommaratchachachonnani Road.

There is no surveillance camera installed at the location, but Chujira Kongkaew, department director-general on Thursday ordered the installation of surveillance cameras and increase of night patrol guards.

She believed the grenade attack was related to political turmoil as the department was located near Nonthaburi city hall and there was a report that prosecutors would speed up execution in the assets seizure case of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

However, she said the department has not been contacted by prosecutors on that issue. The case is still in the appeal process.

The Internal Security Act (ISA) was earlier imposed from March 11 to 23 in eight provinces in Bangkok and surrounding provinces to allow officials to
control the situation during the anti-government Red Shirt demonstration which began March 13 and has entered its second week.

Several grenade attacks occurred during the rally at key establishments including the Defence Ministry, the Public Health Ministry, the first Infantry Regiment headquarters.

The Red Shirt protest leaders denied any involvment in the attacks, blaming the government and the military for creating the situation to be used
as a pretext to impose an emergency decree. (TNA)