|
 Police in Thailand and some security analysts have raised the
possibility of a connection in the Aug. 17 blast to the
Turkic-speaking Muslim Uighur minority from the far west of China,
who complain of Chinese government persecution.
The blast at the Hindu Erawan Shrine, popular with Asian tourists,
killed 20 people, more than half of them foreigners.
Thailand last month deported more than 100 Uighurs to China,
sparking condemnation by rights groups and a protest outside
Thailand's consulate in Istanbul. The treatment of Uighurs is an
important issue for many Turks, who see themselves as sharing a
common cultural and religious background.
Thai media reported that police were investigating 15 to 20 Turkish
people who had entered the country over the two weeks before the
blast.
National police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri, asked about the
reports, confirmed that police had been looking into the arrival of
Turkish people.
"There are probably more Turkish coming into Thailand than that. We
investigated groups which may have come into the country," Prawut
told reporters.
Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said he was aware of
reports in the Thai media that Turks may have been involved but said
Ankara had received no requests for information or assistance from
Thai authorities.
"Our minister called the newly appointed Thai foreign minister
yesterday and they talked about bilateral relations and also the
fight against terrorism. But this issue specifically was not
discussed," he told reporters.
"We told the Thai authorities: if you have any concrete information,
please convey it to us. But until now nothing has been given to us,"
he said.
The main evidence from the blast that police have is security camera
footage showing a man with a yellow shirt and dark hair removing a
backpack after entering the shrine, and walking away before the
explosion.
[to top of second column] |
Twelve of the 20 dead in the attack were foreigners, including
people from China, Hong Kong, Britain, Indonesia, Malaysia and
Singapore.
Anthony Davis, a Bangkok-based security analyst with IHS-Jane's,
speaking at the Foreign Correspondent's Club of Thailand on Monday,
said there were not many groups with the motive and capability to
pull off such an attack.
He said the most likely perpetrators were members of an
ultra-nationalist Turkish organization called the Grey Wolves, a
group not known to have engaged in any significant militant activity
in recent years, beyond street clashes with rivals.
Davis said their motive may have been revenge for Thailand's
deportation of Uighurs to China.
"The Uighur cause is something they've latched onto in a big way,"
he said, adding that the Grey Wolves were "at the front of the
queue" during an attack on the Thai consulate in Istanbul last month
by a mob protesting Thailand's decision to deport the Uighurs.
(Additional reporting by Andrew R.C. Marshall in Bangkok, Tulay
Karadeniz in Ankara; Writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Toby
Chopra, Robert Birsel)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
