Worachai Hema, a United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship core member, has questioned national police chief Somyot Poompunmuang's motive in saying last month's Erawan shrine and Sathon pier bombings might be linked to a political group.
Mr Worachai, a former Pheu Thai MP for Samut Prakan, said he thought Pol Gen Somyot had a hidden onjective in making the comment. The government had tried to say from the beginning that the explosions might be the work of an old political group.
Pol Gen Somyot, at a press conference on Monday, said police have been hunting Odd Prayoonwong, or Yongyuth Pobkaew, one of the 17 suspects named on arrest warrants in connection with the bombings on Aug 17 and 18.
The police chief said Mr Odd was linked to a bomb blast at Samarn Metta Mansion in Nonthaburi's Bang Bua Thong district on Oct 5, 2010, in which four people were killed, and was wanted under an arrest warrant in connection with another explosion in Min Buri district on March 29, last year.
Mr Worachai said he does not know who Mr Odd is, but he believed the Erawan and Sathon blasts were definitely linked to the Uighur traffickers, not the government's political opponents.
"It was an attempt to politicise the incidents. I don't know what the police chief had in his mind, but he obviously tried to politicise them. I don't know whether he wishes to get a political post or said so on someone's orders," Mr Worachai said.
The former MP said it was not correct to link the two explosion to Thai politics. All political groups, be they red-shirts, yellow-shirts or militarymen were Thais who would definitely not take the lives of fellow Thais and ruin the country's reputation.
