Grenades and shots fired in Bangkok

[KoratCat]

Grenades fired into 11th Infantry Regiment

Four soldiers were wounded when two grenades exploded at the 11th Infantry Regiment camp, where the government's peace-keeping operations unit is situated, early Sunday, police said.

The explosions were the latest in a series of more than a dozen since the red-shirt protests began on March 14, including attacks on two television stations -- the state-owned NBT and the army-owned Channel 5 -- and the Customs department on Saturday, which left eight others wounded.

Maj Gen Prawut Thavornsiri, from the police task force set up to monitor the protests, said two grenades were lobbed near the gate of the 11th Infantry Regiment camp in Bang Khen, north Bangkok.

"The blasts wounded four soldiers,'' Maj-Gen Prawut said.

The explosions, that occurred before 5am, hightened tensions in the capital, as the red-shirts were converging on the army base to pressure Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to hold talks with them.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on national television on Sunday that the government will invoke martial law if the red-shirts storm the military camp.

He said the army commander is authorised to invoke martial law in the area inside the 11th Infantry Regiment, if the situation turns violent.

“But if the red-shirts do not enter the military camp, martial law will not be used”, the deputy premier said.

Bangkok Bank branch under attack

An unknown number of gunmen opened fire at Bangkok Bank's Saphan Khao branch in Bangkok on Sunday evening, police said.

There were no reports of injuries, according to Pol Lt Thanasarn Bamrungkit at Nang Loeng Police Station.

The shots caused three windows to shatter.

Police were investigating the scene.

Bangkok Post

[KoratCat]

Grenade attack at Banharn's home

A grenade attack at the Bangkok home of a former Thai prime minister wounded a woman late on Sunday, the latest in a series of explosions during mass anti-government protests, police said.

The blast occurred shortly before 10:30 pm by the house of Banharn Silpa-archa. The woman, who was walking along the street nearby, suffered minor injuries, police said.

Banharn, who was premier from mid-1995 to late-1996, is now chief adviser to Chart Thai Pattana, one of the parties in the government coalition led by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Street demonstrations under way for more than a fortnight to demand snap elections have passed off peacefully but the capital has been hit by a string of blasts at government and army buildings.

A dozen people were injured over the weekend when grenades were lobbed at the gate of the barracks where Abhisit has been living and working since the protests began.

Bangkok Post

[KoratCat]

Second Bangkok Bank branch shot at

Bullets were fired at a second Bangkok Bank branch on Sunday night, this one in Bang Yi Khan area and just 300 metres from the house of Chart Thai Pattana Party chief adviser Banharn Silpa-archa, police said.

Bang Phlat police chief Adisak Khunphan said they were informed of the attack on Monday morning, but the attack was made on Sunday night.

The shots caused damaged to the front of the bank. There were no injuries, he said.

On Sunday evening, police reported an attack on the bank's Saphan Khao branch and found five bullets holes in the bank's front door.

Police were examining video from the bank's security cameras.

Bangkok Bank

[KoratCat]

In Thailand, grenades hit two state television stations

New York, March 29, 2010—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns and calls for a thorough investigation into grenade attacks launched against two state-owned television news stations in Thailand. The attacks—one against army-run Channel 5, the other against the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT)—took place Saturday night in the capital, Bangkok.

“We call upon both sides of Thailand’s political conflict to exercise restraint and allow reporters to do their jobs without fear of attack or reprisal,” said Bob Dietz, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator. “The media should be protected and treated as an observer, not a participant, to the country’s political conflict.”

According to local and international news reports, motorcycle-riding assailants threw a grenade at Channel 5’s headquarters, which is situated near military installations, at around 7 p.m. Two soldiers and two civilians were seriously hurt, while three others were treated at hospitals and released the same evening, according to the reports.

The attack against the headquarters of NBT, which is managed by the prime mister’s office, was reported at the 9:40 p.m. and left one security worker injured, according to news reports. No suspects were arrested or identified in either attack.

The attacks come in the context of escalating anti-government street demonstrations spearheaded by the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), which has called on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve parliament and call new elections.

The UDD is aligned with exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup. During recent protests, Thaksin has made a number of video-linked statements that were critical of the government and carried on the UDD-aligned satellite news broadcaster D-Station.

In April 2009, UDD-led protests evolved into rioting, and the government temporarily shut down D-Station after declaring a state of emergency. UDD supporters threatened and assaulted various Thai television reporters—including those from Channel 5 and NBT—over perceived biased news coverage against their demonstrations.

Committee to Protect Journalists