Bangkok Post : Suthep: Blast intended to discredit govt

Suthep: Blast intended to discredit govt

Published: 30/07/2010 at 12:05 PM
Online news:

The grenade blast in the heart of Bangkok early Friday morning was clearly an attempt to discredit the government, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said.

The grenade, which was put in a plastic rubbish bag and dropped on a pile of garbage in front of a house in Rang Nam Road opposite the King Power duty-free shopping centre, went off about 1.30am.

Pol Maj-Gen Wichai Sangprapai, chief of Metropolitan Police Division 1, said that the pin of the grenade was removed and a rubber band used to hold the trigger handle closed.

The explosion seriously injured a man in his 30s who was scavenging. He has not yet been identified.

Mr Suthep, director of the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation, said the explosion was clearly intended to discredit the government.

"It is deplorable that some people have the intention of causing chaos just to make people believe that the government is not able to keep the situation in control," he said.

Mr Suthep said that in the CRES meeting on Thursday he assigned the Royal Thai Police Office to join force with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, civil defence volunteer units, and military police of the three armed forces to beef up security in the capital after a bomb went off in front of the Big C department store on Ratchadamri road on July 25.

The deputy prime minister in charge of security affairs said he was not satisfied with the work of intelligence agencies and that he raised this with Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon at the CRES meeting.

He said Bangkok and nearby provinces are still vulnerable to violence. This was why the government has to keep the emergency decree in force in these provinces.

Bangkok and nine other provinces are still under the state of emergency. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Thursday signed an order to lift the emergency decree in six other provinces.

Give us your ideas!

What do you want to see at the website? We need your input! We appreciate your suggestions.

Take survey

About the author

: Writer: Online Reporters; Position: Online Reporters

Keep this article in your social bookmark:

Latest stories in this category:

Share your thoughts

For more candid, lengthy, conversational and open discussion between one another, use our Forum

Report objectionable comments click here. Include: discussion #, commenter name, comment date / time as it looks on the page. Example: discussion 15: 09/01/2009 at 10:00 AM.

Richard

Discussion 6 : 30/07/2010 at 06:10 PM6
The only obvious sign of anything having happened there is a single broken pane of glass in a telephone box, so not much in the way of a "bombing" (that conjures up images of much more dramatic destruction!).

However, I found it tragic to read about the cowardly nature of the attack and the random nature of the detonation, especially as there's a school nearby. I wonder if the culprit has children or a younger brother or sister?
tik

Discussion 5 : 30/07/2010 at 04:40 PM5
It will take a lot to stop the fugitive creating havoc in Thailand. Since the Thai economy is growing swiftly and the government moves forward with the reconciliation process, Thaksin is running out of options for his comeback.
Belly

Discussion 4 : 30/07/2010 at 04:11 PM4
Thaksin comes in, The country go up !!!
James

Discussion 3 : 30/07/2010 at 02:15 PM3
Foolish me, I thought it was to discredit the Red Shirts, extend the emergency decree, take away the human rights of the people, and assure that the military gets a lot more money to line their pockets with.
Peter

Discussion 2 : 30/07/2010 at 02:15 PM2
Doesn't Suthep understand that continuing emergency rule is like waving a red flag in the face of a bull? It simply encourages the tiny minority that actually wants to cause chaos to have a go. Or doesn't he want to understand?
Bubba

Discussion 1 : 30/07/2010 at 01:54 PM1
- "It is deplorable that some people have the intention of causing chaos just to make people believe that the government is not able to keep the situation in control," Suthep said.

May I re-write that?

"It is deplorable that the government has the intention of exploiting fear just to make people believe that the government is able to keep the situation in control,".

Get rid of the military.

Liberate the institutions from their control.

Let the people decide the fate of the country at the ballot boxes.

The violence nor occurring, since April and May is something that has grown out of the military coup of 2006. Before that democracy was evolving, slowly yes, but now it has been dragged back to the pre 1990's.

Richard

Discussion 6 : 30/07/2010 at 06:10 PM6

The only obvious sign of anything having happened there is a single broken pane of glass in a telephone box, so not much in the way of a "bombing" (that conjures up images of much more dramatic destruction!).

However, I found it tragic to read about the cowardly nature of the attack and the random nature of the detonation, especially as there's a school nearby. I wonder if the culprit has children or a younger brother or sister?

tik

Discussion 5 : 30/07/2010 at 04:40 PM5

It will take a lot to stop the fugitive creating havoc in Thailand. Since the Thai economy is growing swiftly and the government moves forward with the reconciliation process, Thaksin is running out of options for his comeback.

Belly

Discussion 4 : 30/07/2010 at 04:11 PM4

Thaksin comes in, The country go up !!!

James

Discussion 3 : 30/07/2010 at 02:15 PM3

Foolish me, I thought it was to discredit the Red Shirts, extend the emergency decree, take away the human rights of the people, and assure that the military gets a lot more money to line their pockets with.

Peter

Discussion 2 : 30/07/2010 at 02:15 PM2

Doesn't Suthep understand that continuing emergency rule is like waving a red flag in the face of a bull? It simply encourages the tiny minority that actually wants to cause chaos to have a go. Or doesn't he want to understand?

Bubba

Discussion 1 : 30/07/2010 at 01:54 PM1

- "It is deplorable that some people have the intention of causing chaos just to make people believe that the government is not able to keep the situation in control," Suthep said.

May I re-write that?

"It is deplorable that the government has the intention of exploiting fear just to make people believe that the government is able to keep the situation in control,".

Get rid of the military.

Liberate the institutions from their control.

Let the people decide the fate of the country at the ballot boxes.

The violence nor occurring, since April and May is something that has grown out of the military coup of 2006. Before that democracy was evolving, slowly yes, but now it has been dragged back to the pre 1990's.