Skepticism on M79s

The use of M79s to launch grenades into Silom a few days ago has remained murky. It seems convenient that Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban could immediately blame red shirts and specify the launch site. However, when the Bangkok deputy governor claimed to have video evidence, even though it wasn’t made available, all of the conflicting discussion disappeared. Here we mean eye witness reports, video evidence of soldiers looking to rooftops, and discussions of firing angles.

Bangkok Pundit expresses some of the re-emerging skepticism in an important post, where he claims the Bangkok governor has contradicted his deputy.

At the same time, in the Bangkok Post there are a series of articles that suggest alternative launch sites. Eye witnesses pointed to Chulalongkorn University Hospital. At the time, it seems red shirts believed the grenades were fired from there: “Chulalongkorn Hospital staff and patients were left feeling threatened by the red shirts’ search of the hospital in the wake of grenade bombings at Silom.”

The Post also has this interesting detail: “The army and third-hand elements have been playing a cat and mouse game in the heart of Silom, security sources say. The army has troops in Silom looking for a supposed third hand element which may have been responsible for firing the five grenades which went off in Silom on Thursday night, killing one and injuring 80. It has sent troops into buildings along Silom Rd to look for any suspicious activity.”

Likewise, the “red shirt protesters gathered at the Sala Daeng intersection say they have seen suspicious figures in buildings around the area. But they too have yet to catch anyone.”

Both red shirts and army are focused on high-rise buildings. The report cites cooperation between the two sides: “At the Sala Daeng intersection further up the road, where red shirt protesters are gathered behind barricades made from tyres and bamboo sticks, guards direct green laser lights at the top floors of buildings….  Red shirt supporters shout when they recognise the outline of men on the tops of buildings, which then alerts the guards.  They direct their lights at the spot, hoping to catch someone.”

Of course, none of this tells anyone who fired the grenades. But it casts doubt on Suthep’s easy accusation.

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