ID :
118256
Fri, 04/23/2010 - 11:52
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http://m.oananews.org//node/118256
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One dead, 87 wounded in Bangkok grenade attacks
BANGKOK, April 23 (TNA) - A series of grenade attacks at the Silom Road-Saladaeng intersection on Thursday night where the 'Silom community' and pro-government 'Multi-Coloured Group' are rallying, killing one persons and wounding 87, including foreigners.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban who chairs the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) earlier that three people were killed and 75 others wounded in the late night attacks, but the Erawan Emergency Medical Centre of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration could confirm only one and 87 wounded.
Mr Suthep said in a television address that that the initial investigation said the attackers shot five M-79 grenades from behind the King Rama VI statue at the entrance of Lumpini Park to the south of the park near where anti-government 'Red Shirt' United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD0 protesters are encamped.
The deputy premier stopped short of directly blaming the Red Shirt protesters.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva called an emergency meeting of security officials at the CRES command post located at the 11th Infantry Regiment.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Erawan Centre said a 50-year-old Thai was killed by a grenade while 30 were hospitalised from injuries.
Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd, CRES spokesman, confirmed that all five grenades were fired from M-79 launchers.
He said the first three rounds landed on the BTS Skytrain station between 8pm and 9.45pm, the fourth on the skywalk beneath the station, and the fifth in front of a Bank of Ayudhya branch on Silom Road.
All five grenades apparently targeted the Silom community group and the multi-coloured group who had gathered under the BTS Sala Daeng station to confront the red-shirt protesters encamped across the street behind a barricade of tyres and sharpened bamboo staves.
Tensions rose early in the evening as the Silom group and the Multi-Coloured protesters gathered again and exchanged abusive verbal taunts, yelled at the Red Shirts to leave their Ratchaprasong rally site.
Both sides on Wednesday night had skirmished as projectiles -- rocks and marbles, launched from schoolboy slingshots and homemade rockets --streaked across the contested intersection with several persons wounded in the clashes.
Soldiers reportedly apprehended five men suspected of being involved in the attack but after being photographed and questioned by police they were released.
The Multi-Coloured Group is made up of middle-class Bangkok residents, academics, the business community and members of the social network Facebook.
Since Songkran they have gathered in various locations every evening to show their force in support of prime minister Abhisit and against the dissolution of Parliament. They planned to have their biggest rally at the Royal Plaza Friday evening.
As the confrontation between Red Shirt protesters and police officers at Saladaeng intersection remained tense throughout Thursday night, as police tried to prevent a clash between the groups, negotiations led to both sides agreeing to withdraw their troops 100 metres from the intersection to ease the tense situation.
Police Bureau Division 1 Commander Pol. Maj-Gen Wichai Sangprapai urged Red Shirt leaders Kwanchai Praipana and Jeng Dokchik to withdraw UDD protesters encamped near Chulalongkorn Hospital and at Saladaeng intersection, and to dismantle their barricades for public safety reasons.
Gen Wichai reaffirmed to the protest leaders that the deployment of police officers at the intersection is not meant to disperse the crowd, but to ensure security for the public and prevent possible clashes.
The Red Shirt leaders at Lumpini Park finally ordered their supporters to retreat 100 metres from the intersection, while police also pulled back personnel to their base at the Dusit Thani Hotel.
Although the Red Shirts did not carry away their makeshift barricades, the atmosphere eased and roads reopened for public commutersl.
UDD core leader Jatuporn Prompan denied Red Shirt responsibility for the series of grenade attacks. He also rejected the government's claim that the grenades were fired with an M79 grenade launcher from the location of the Red Shirts' encampment.
In a related development, the Civil Court on Thursday issued an injunction to ban the government from using force to crack down on the Red Shirt protesters at Ratchaprasong intersection, but said the government can use step-by-step measures from light to harsh ones in line with international practice.
A Red Shirt lawyer filed a lawsuit against prime minister Abhisit and deputy prime minister Suthep on their order to disperse the protesters on Ratchadamnoen Avenue on April 10.
The Red Shirts also filed an emergency motion to the court to petition for temporary protection after Col Sansern on Thursday told protesters to vacate their rally base and that a crackdown will be launched.
The BTS Skytrain reopened for services at every station Friday since 6am, but will close earlier at 6pm.
The MRT underground opened only its route from Bang Sue Station to the Thailand Cultural Centre Station from 9am until midnight. MRT management will monitor the situation and may order the service suspension at 6pm if needed. (TNA)
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban who chairs the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) earlier that three people were killed and 75 others wounded in the late night attacks, but the Erawan Emergency Medical Centre of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration could confirm only one and 87 wounded.
Mr Suthep said in a television address that that the initial investigation said the attackers shot five M-79 grenades from behind the King Rama VI statue at the entrance of Lumpini Park to the south of the park near where anti-government 'Red Shirt' United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD0 protesters are encamped.
The deputy premier stopped short of directly blaming the Red Shirt protesters.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva called an emergency meeting of security officials at the CRES command post located at the 11th Infantry Regiment.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Erawan Centre said a 50-year-old Thai was killed by a grenade while 30 were hospitalised from injuries.
Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd, CRES spokesman, confirmed that all five grenades were fired from M-79 launchers.
He said the first three rounds landed on the BTS Skytrain station between 8pm and 9.45pm, the fourth on the skywalk beneath the station, and the fifth in front of a Bank of Ayudhya branch on Silom Road.
All five grenades apparently targeted the Silom community group and the multi-coloured group who had gathered under the BTS Sala Daeng station to confront the red-shirt protesters encamped across the street behind a barricade of tyres and sharpened bamboo staves.
Tensions rose early in the evening as the Silom group and the Multi-Coloured protesters gathered again and exchanged abusive verbal taunts, yelled at the Red Shirts to leave their Ratchaprasong rally site.
Both sides on Wednesday night had skirmished as projectiles -- rocks and marbles, launched from schoolboy slingshots and homemade rockets --streaked across the contested intersection with several persons wounded in the clashes.
Soldiers reportedly apprehended five men suspected of being involved in the attack but after being photographed and questioned by police they were released.
The Multi-Coloured Group is made up of middle-class Bangkok residents, academics, the business community and members of the social network Facebook.
Since Songkran they have gathered in various locations every evening to show their force in support of prime minister Abhisit and against the dissolution of Parliament. They planned to have their biggest rally at the Royal Plaza Friday evening.
As the confrontation between Red Shirt protesters and police officers at Saladaeng intersection remained tense throughout Thursday night, as police tried to prevent a clash between the groups, negotiations led to both sides agreeing to withdraw their troops 100 metres from the intersection to ease the tense situation.
Police Bureau Division 1 Commander Pol. Maj-Gen Wichai Sangprapai urged Red Shirt leaders Kwanchai Praipana and Jeng Dokchik to withdraw UDD protesters encamped near Chulalongkorn Hospital and at Saladaeng intersection, and to dismantle their barricades for public safety reasons.
Gen Wichai reaffirmed to the protest leaders that the deployment of police officers at the intersection is not meant to disperse the crowd, but to ensure security for the public and prevent possible clashes.
The Red Shirt leaders at Lumpini Park finally ordered their supporters to retreat 100 metres from the intersection, while police also pulled back personnel to their base at the Dusit Thani Hotel.
Although the Red Shirts did not carry away their makeshift barricades, the atmosphere eased and roads reopened for public commutersl.
UDD core leader Jatuporn Prompan denied Red Shirt responsibility for the series of grenade attacks. He also rejected the government's claim that the grenades were fired with an M79 grenade launcher from the location of the Red Shirts' encampment.
In a related development, the Civil Court on Thursday issued an injunction to ban the government from using force to crack down on the Red Shirt protesters at Ratchaprasong intersection, but said the government can use step-by-step measures from light to harsh ones in line with international practice.
A Red Shirt lawyer filed a lawsuit against prime minister Abhisit and deputy prime minister Suthep on their order to disperse the protesters on Ratchadamnoen Avenue on April 10.
The Red Shirts also filed an emergency motion to the court to petition for temporary protection after Col Sansern on Thursday told protesters to vacate their rally base and that a crackdown will be launched.
The BTS Skytrain reopened for services at every station Friday since 6am, but will close earlier at 6pm.
The MRT underground opened only its route from Bang Sue Station to the Thailand Cultural Centre Station from 9am until midnight. MRT management will monitor the situation and may order the service suspension at 6pm if needed. (TNA)
