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Thai riot police - Source: Reuters -
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Police discovered three unexploded bombs in Bangkok and a
neighbouring province, authorities said today, the latest in a
series of mysterious incidents stoking fears of civil unrest in
Thailand.
The devices were all found yesterday, one near a school in Bangkok
and two others outside a shopping mall and the Public Health
Ministry in Nonthaburi, a province on the outskirts of the capital
where a controversial emergency decree is in force.
The security law, imposed on April 8 after protesters stormed
parliament, gives security agencies broad powers to impose curfews,
detain suspects without charge, censor media and ban political
gatherings of more than five people.
"The bombs were all home-made and we think they were planted by the
same group," said national police spokesman, Major-General Prawut
Thawornsiri, without saying who he thought the perpetrators could
be.
The discovery came after a series of small grenade or bomb attacks
across Bangkok that followed violent clashes between troops red
shirt protesters in April and May, in which 91 people were killed
and up to 2,000 wounded.
No group has so far claimed to be behind the attacks.
Pressure is mounting on the authorities to rescind the emergency
decree, which rights groups say is unconstitutional and being used
by the government to crush political opposition and silence
critical voices.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, however, said the
unexploded bombs represented a clear threat to security and there
would be no lifting of the decree.
"This is a sign there is someone trying to cause confusion and we
have to stop it," he told reporters.
"It's difficult to take care of all areas so I insist the emergency
decree must remain in Bangkok and six provinces."
