Hier der Bericht der Nation:
While sticking to smuggler-revenge theory, police now also include local motivation
POLICE INVESTIGATORS are convinced political motives were also behind last month's Erawan Shrine bombing, besides possible retaliation by human smugglers at the government for cracking down on them, the National Police chief said yesterday.
One of the Thai suspects was involved in the "political bombings" during the unrest in 2010 and last year, Pol General Somyot Poompanmuang told an afternoon press conference at the Royal Thai Police headquarters.
The suspect, identified as Aod Payungwong or Yongyuth Pobkaew, was wanted in 2010 in connection with an explosion at an apartment building in Nonthaburi's Bang |Bua Thong district. Last year, |an arrest warrant was issued for |him in connection with an |explosion in Bangkok's Min Buri district.
Aod was also allegedly involved in many other criminal cases, according to the police chief.
Both of the explosions occurred |at times when protesters took to |the streets against the government at that time - in 2010 against |Abhisit Vejjajiva's administration and last year against Yingluck Shinawatra's.
"A motive was the authorities' crackdown on a Uighur human-trafficking racket. Investigators believe that there are people who hired the perpetrators. Different groups of people were involved and they shared the same objective and desire," Somyot said.
"We can't rule out political motives," because Aod was also involved.
The man is one of the 17 people wanted in connection with the bombings at Erawan Shrine and at Sathorn Pier.
The shrine attack left 20 people dead and more than 100 wounded - mostly foreign tourists.