Suspects indicted for Bangkok bombing
Wed, Nov 25, 2015
A military court in Thailand yesterday indicted two men accused of carrying out a deadly bombing at a central Bangkok shrine that left 20 people dead and more than 120 injured.
The Aug. 17 blast at the popular Erawan Shrine was one of the most deadly acts of violence in Bangkok in decades. Authorities have declined to call it an act of terrorism out of apparent fear that it would hurt the nation’s huge tourism industry.
The two suspects, identified as Bilal Mohammad and Mieraili Yusufu, were indicted on 10 counts — none of them terrorism charges — connected to the blast. The charges included conspiracy to explode bombs and commit premeditated murder, defense lawyer Chuchart Kanpai said.
Both men have been described by officials as ethnic Uighurs from western China’s Xinjiang region. Officials said the blast was carried out by a people-smuggling gang seeking revenge on Thai authorities for cracking down on their operation.
Thai officials said there was no political or religious motive behind the attack, but skepticism about the police explanation on the shrine attack has abounded because of leaks, contradictions, misstatements and secrecy surrounding the investigation.
Bilal and Yusufu have been held at an army base since their arrests in late August and early September respectively.
Media was not allowed to enter the military court yesterday and the indictments took place before the suspects arrived, their lawyer said.
They are being tried at a military court inside an army base in Bangkok because cases of “national security” have been handled by the military since May last year, when the army seized power in a coup from an elected government.
Former National Police Chief Somyot Poomphanmuang before his retirement in September said that the case against the two suspects was supported by closed-circuit television footage, witnesses, DNA matching and physical evidence, in addition to their confessions.
Security camera footage from the Erawan Shrine showed a man wearing a yellow T-shirt sit down on a bench at the outdoor shrine, take off a black backpack and then leave it behind as he stood up and walked away. Time stamps showed he left the shrine just minutes before the blast occurred, during evening rush hour as the area in central Bangkok was filled with people.
Police believe that Bilal is the yellow-shirted man who planted the bomb and Yusufu is believed to have detonated the bomb.
Bilal was initially identified as Adem Karadag, which was the name on a fake Turkish passport in his possession when he was arrested Aug. 29. He was arrested at one of two apartments police raided on the outskirts of Bangkok.
Yusufu was arrested Sept. 1 near the Thai-Cambodia border, carrying a Chinese passport indicating he was from Xinjiang. Police said his DNA and fingerprints were found in both raided apartments, including on a container of gunpowder.
Police said they have confessions from the two, and Bilal’s lawyer said his client admitted planting the deadly bomb at the behest of another suspect, who remains a fugitive. He said Bilal was induced to carry out the action by a promise that his emigration to Turkey would be expedited.
Early speculation about the bombing suggested it might be the work of Uighur separatists who were angry that Thailand in July forcibly repatriated more than 100 Uighurs to China, where it is feared they face persecution. The theory was bolstered by the fact that the Erawan Shrine is popular among Chinese tourists, who figured prominently among the victims of the bombing.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2015/11/25/2003633306
Structure of the Lead:
WHO-Bilal Mohammad and Mieraili Yusufu
WHEN-yesterday
WHAT-A military court in Thailand yesterday indicted two men accused of carrying out a deadly bombing at a central Bangkok shrine that left 20 people dead and more than 120 injured.
WHY-not given
WHERE-Thailand
HOW-not given
Keywords:
1.indict 控告
2.conspiracy 陰謀
3.premeditated 有計畫的
4.smuggling 走私
5.leak 漏洞
6.contradiction 矛盾
7.detonate 使爆炸
8.
After reading the news,I think the problem of terrorist attack should be solved as soon as possible because if the government don't do the appropriate process, the problem will be more and more serious. I hope the world will be good without terrorism.
回覆刪除After I read the article, I thought it is the time that humans should uplift to against the terrorism. With the attacking of the terrorism, the globe turns into confusion. I think we should not give up. And have to confront them bravely.
回覆刪除In recent years, terrorist attacks erupt frequently.Government sometimes can't resist, but we can't give up. Once we give up to resist terrorist organization, the situation of the world will get worse.
回覆刪除