THAILAND-BLAST/SUSPECT TRANSFER Military hands over second suspect in Bangkok blast to police

Record ID: 141617

  • Title: THAILAND-BLAST/SUSPECT TRANSFER Military hands over second suspect in Bangkok blast to police
  • Date: 7th September 2015
  • Summary: BANGKOK, THAILAND (SEPTEMBER 7, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SUSPECT YUSUFU MIERAILI STANDING AND SURROUNDED BY SECURITY OFFICIALS / MIERAILI BEING ESCORTED BY MILITARY OFFICERS WALKING INTO BUILDING OFFICIALS WAITING INSIDE ROOM MIERAILI WALKING IN MIERAILI SITTING AT TABLE, MEDICAL PERSONNEL PUTTING ON BLOOD PRESSURE ARMBAND HANDS MEASURING BLOOD PRESSURE VARIOUS OF MIERAILI TALKING WITH A DOCTOR DOCTOR EXAMINING MIERAILI'S NECK AND MOUTH POLICEMEN, TRANSLATOR INSIDE ROOM LOOKING ON DOCTORS EXAMINING MIERAILI / MIERAILI'S HANDS TIED BY PLASTIC CABLE SWAT TEAM STANDING INSIDE ROOM DOCTOR TALKING TO MIERAILI / MEDICAL AND MILITARY PERSONNEL LIFT MIERAILI'S SHIRT MIERAILI SITTING DOWN OPPOSITE TRANSLATOR
  • Embargoed: 22nd September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA47CI8V8PU4OCO480N6MQBBQD4
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The Thai military transferred another suspect in the Bangkok blast investigation into police custody on Monday (September 7).
    He had been held under Article 44 which allows the military to hold anyone for a week without charges.
    The suspect, who was carrying a Chinese passport and which gave his name as Yusufu Mieraili, was detained last week at the Thai-Cambodian border. The passport also showed his place of birth as the western Chinese region of Xinjiang, but it was unclear if it was authentic.
    If the China link is proven it would add weight to theories by some security experts that the bombing could have been revenge by sympathizers of the mainly Turkic-speaking Uighur Muslims from Xinjiang.
    In July, Thailand deported 109 Uighurs to China, where many suffer persecution. That struck a chord in Turkey, which has a large Uighur diaspora.
    Police have established a firmer Turkish connection, using the language to interrogate the suspects, one of whom was arrested with fake Turkish passports. Two other suspects are believed to be in Turkey.
    Forensic tests on the two suspects in custody have failed to find a link to the site of Thailand's deadliest bomb attack, police said on Friday (September 4), dealing a blow to the investigation.
    DNA examination of the two foreigners tie them to a stash of explosives found in a Bangkok apartment block, but not to evidence collected at the Hindu Erawan Shrine where 20 people were killed on Aug. 17, police said in a televised announcement.
    The military has speculated the perpetrators could have been members of a human trafficking gang frustrated by a police crackdown. Thailand has rejected the possibility a militant group was involved.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register