Nightmare in Thailand: Who is behind the bombings?
After two turbulent days in Thailand with 13 bomb attacks and 4 arson attacks in Trang, Hua Hin, Phuket, Surat Thani, Phangnga, Krabi and Nakhon Si Thammarat, the question remains: who is responsible for this orgy of violence that killed four people? and injuring 35 others?
Thai authorities maintain the theory that anti-junta elements are responsible for the coordinated bombings and arson attacks that shook the country on Thursday and Friday.
Speaking at a rally following the events, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said a political motivation tops the list. With these attacks, opponents of the regime may want to make it clear that they oppose the new constitution of the junta, which was subject to a referendum last Sunday.
The authorities also mention a possible second option: Terrorism by groups such as IS. There are reports that Islamic State (IS) is becoming increasingly active in Malaysia, so this cannot be ruled out. A source at the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) says that the SIM cards used in mobile phones to detonate the bombs came from Malaysia. Research also shows that the bombs were placed two days before the attack.
National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda notes that the attacks took place in provinces where the majority voted in favor of the junta's draft constitution. Chaktip: “With the attacks they want to damage the government by affecting tourism and the economy in these areas.”
Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit is almost certain that Muslim separatists in Thailand's deep south have nothing to do with the attacks. He does think that one and the same group from the south is responsible for all the attacks of the past few days. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha would not say anything about the motive for the attack while the investigation is still ongoing.
Bangkok Post writes that it is remarkable that foreign intelligence services warned of possible violence surrounding the referendum in Thailand.
An army source said the attacks were carried out by political groups based in southern Thailand. This group wants to sow unrest by carrying out attacks on important business centers and popular tourist destinations.
Meanwhile, the hunt for the perpetrators is in full swing and the security services are on edge. The police arrested two men yesterday, but it is unclear whether they actually have anything to do with the attacks.
Source: Bangkok Post
Completely as expected. That is the result of a somewhat strange way of holding a referendum on a draft constitution. Namely by silencing opponents of the design in advance as much as possible.
And if the draft is accepted by only 33% of those entitled to vote, then the fence is over.
The south has very few supporters of Red. More from Geel, but Groen is very quick with his conclusions.
All statements are open.
Muslim terrorists, the reds, as a result of the referendum, the yellows, to put the blame on the reds and deal them the final blow, landowners who are pissed that their stolen land has been confiscated, security services, who see a reason to stir up unrest in Thailand.
Just pick one, plenty of choice.
Moderator: That is in the article so your comment is superfluous.
My question is whether the police are also competent to catch the perpetrators or is it just like in China: the police arrest “perpetrators” regardless of whether they have done it.
Now on sukhumvit visible extra mib with vest and also some soldiers more than yesterday. But it is also possible that this is because of a busier weekend
Hmmmm, the PEA (provincial electricity authority) is now extra guarded by the army………
With regard to the attacks in Bangkok, the conclusions that turned out to be wrong were quickly drawn. The reds must be behind it again, suggested by green. Or are we now thinking of an alliance of the Reds with terrorists from the South? Also seems colder. Thaksin acted very hard in the South. We remember the stories of suffocated detainees in trucks. IS? They opt for a different type of attacks. Certainly not spare their own lives either. If IS is active in Thailand, the feeling of insecurity will only increase. Then the tourists stay away completely, if only because of the name and reputation of IS.
However, according to reports, the method used is rather typical of terrorists from the South. They also make sure they get away (characteristic), in contrast to the caliphate followers of IS.
The islands will therefore remain relatively safe for tourists. Those cowards can hardly get away from there after their deed.
For now, it is a guess as to who the perpetrators of the recent bombings are, not to mention the arson attacks. Let me make a few comments:
– that these attacks are the work of individually operating 'crazies' who, by chance and on the Queen's birthday, commit attacks in various cities in this country is highly unlikely. There appears to be (some form of) coordination;
– within the scope of (global) terrorism and given the expertise available to these terrorist groups, the recent attacks are 'child's play' and not really professional: no major bomb attacks in really busy places (e.g. not on the night market of Hua Hin and not comparable to the bomb in Bangkok at the Erawan temple) to cause as many victims as possible, no suicide bombers, heavy car bombs, no really targeted targets where there are, for example, many tourists or government officials. No attacks to instill so much fear in the population or - in this case tourists - that they automatically stay away or a large number of countries issue negative travel advice.
It therefore seems to be the work of 'somewhat professional' bombers who, at the same time and in various places, mainly want to cause chaos, want to gain publicity, but not in an extremely negative sense. People, groups who are frustrated with something. But what is that something? The result of the referendum? Not ruled out, but I don't think it's obvious. If you really want to hit the government, you look for other targets or you do terrible things on the day of the vote. Furthermore, the largest numbers of those who voted against do not live in the south and in tourist areas. And politicians from all walks of life have declared that they will respect the result. But it is not impossible that the red stronghold is falling apart and that more radical splinter groups are emerging that advocate methods other than winning elections. But not in the south, I think.
This fragmentation has been going on for several years among the Muslim population in the south of the country. In my opinion, the perpetrators must therefore be sought among radicalized, frustrated Muslim groups. Radicalization then NOT in the sense of being strict orthodox Muslims (or introducing Sharia) but in the sense of turning away from the strategy that the organizations that until now represented (or said they do) the vast majority of Muslims had mapped out . Negotiations with the Thai government have so far failed and, as far as I can judge, nothing is being done by this government, not even in secret. You may also not be able to expect from soldiers who have promoted themselves to politicians that they will come up with a political solution to the problems in the south. It is mainly repression and ignoring. The result is that the frustration only increases and also the fragmentation of the existing Muslim organizations and the unpredictability of the actions, the uncontrollability of these splinter groups by Muslim leaders. Now you can of course think that this is beneficial for the government (the fragmentation only weakens the movement and you can always argue that it is impossible to talk to parties because you do not know who they really represent) but for a lasting solution in the south this development is disastrous.
All this does not alter the fact that the chance of dying in Thailand through gun violence (about 2000 deaths per year, so about 40 per week; perhaps not all innocent civilians) or in traffic (80 deaths per day, so about 560 per week; many innocent) is many times greater than being hit by a bomb attack. These 600 deaths PER WEEK hardly make it to the press. A number of bombings and arson attacks on Mother's Day are world news.
sources:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/A-bullet-and-a-body-Thailands-troubling-gun-murder-30266347.html
https://asiancorrespondent.com/2015/03/thailand-road-deaths/
This is the best article about the possible perpetrators behind the attacks, namely the insurgents in the South. By the way, this is an ethnic-sociopolitical conflict with only a little religious sauce.
http://www.newmandala.org/thai-blasts-wake-call-peace/
Prayut, Prawit and police officials have already ruled out that possibility and suggest political motives in the yellow-red conflict. Red shirts have already been arrested.
I am in Patong (Phuket) 1,5 km from our hotel in Soi Bangla, at 8 o'clock in the morning a bomb exploded at the police station and a little further away another bomb. Given the time and places where the bombs went off, you would say it was aimed at the authorities. Because in the morning there is hardly a chicken on Bangla road. And in the evening it is super busy. Now the crowds are a bit lighter here too.