“Non-political bomb” in Bangkok

The Nation has one of its straightman reports that beggar belief but say a lot if one is cynical and adept at reading between the lines:

A home-made bomb on Friday exploded from inside a postbox located near the Labour Ministry in Din Daeng, police said. There was no casualties reported.

The explosion damaged the postbox and forensic officials found two letters – one addressed to the prime minister and another to the Democrat Party. Police were checking for any linkage between the letters and the explosion.

Metropolitan Police Region 1 commander Maj General Wichai Sangprapai said he suspected young hooligans were the culprits.

Wichai said the incident was not a politically-motivated attack.

So we have bombs in a postbox where there were also letters addressed to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and to the Democrat Party and the police say they are “not a politically-motivated” and the work of “hooligans.” Could that make sense? One reading could be conspiratorial and suggest that the authorities have been well aware of the bombers in previous instances, most of which have not been resolved by the police.

Then put that report together with one in the Bangkok Post. The government behind the government known as the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation “has warned all security agencies to be on high alert for possible violence – including attacks on important people – from now until the New Year…”.

CRES spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd made the point that his agency is getting reports from the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) that “from the month of November until the New Year certain groups of ill-intentioned people may instigate violence in crowded areas and attack important people to erode the public’s confidence in the safety of their lives and property.”

The result is that CRES has “instructed all intelligence agencies including the National Security Council, armed forces and police to keep watchful eyes on activities of groups under suspicion.” Now who could be under suspicion? Probably not “hooligans.” Of course, it is “especially” the “activities of the red-shirts on Nov 13 to mark since six months the death of Maj-Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol (Seh Daeng), who was shot on May 13, and on Nov 19 to mark six months since the May 19 military crackdown on United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship protesters at Ratchaprasong.”

Security units would be on high alert as the “NIA also received reports of suspicious movements of chemicals and explosives which can be used as precursors for making bombs. These activities would also be under watch…”. Was the postbox bomb a teaser? Who knows, but it is an interesting coincidence, perhaps.