Thailand’s junta on Thursday detained at least 15 suspects at military barracks on suspicion of launching a string of deadly bomb and arson attacks against tourist towns last week.
No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing spree, which hit tourist towns in the country’s south last Thursday and Friday, killing four and wounding dozens.
The attacks were highly unusual in a country where foreigners and tourist towns are rarely caught up in the country’s frequent bouts of political violence.
Investigators have been under huge pressure to make quick arrests. Tourism accounts for as much as 10 percent of Thailand’s GDP and is one of the kingdom’s few economic bright spots under junta rule.
On Thursday, investigators confirmed they had detained multiple suspects.
“Authorities have detained 17 suspects at the special 11th Army Circle barracks in Bangkok but we released two of them,” Col.Burin Tongprapai, the junta’s top legal advisor, told reporters on Thursday.
He added that authorities were now looking to re-detain those two released suspects and that the entire group were likely to be charged on Friday.
Col. Burin’s comments highlight the primary role the military have played in the investigation and is the first official admission that scores of suspects have been held since the bombings on army barracks.
Local human rights groups had previously said more than a dozen suspects were being held without access to lawyers and called for greater transparency in the investigation.
Thailand is currently ruled by the military, which seized power in 2014 and awarded themselves widespread powers to hold suspects.
Murky motives
Authorities have remained tight-lipped on the motive of the perpetrators of last week’s attack or the identities of anyone detained.
But police and the military quickly ruled out international terrorism, saying the perpetrators were “local saboteurs”.
The assaults struck on Mother’s Day — a national holiday — just days after a controversial military-crafted constitution was passed in a referendum vote where independent campaigning was banned.
A number of analysts say the most likely culprits are therefore ethnic Muslim militants who have fought a lengthy but local insurgency in Thailand’s three southernmost provinces.
The attacks bore many hallmarks of the southern insurgents, who never claim their operations, including coordinated multiple strikes and the type of devices used.
But the junta leadership has been adamant that the deep south conflict has not spread north, fearful that such an admission might harm tourism.
Instead they have hinted at involvement of factions within the so-called “Red Shirt” movement loyal to ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
The Red Shirts have denied any suggestion of involvement and accused the junta of using the bomb blasts to roll out a fresh crackdown against them.
No details were given on Thursday about the identity of the 17 suspects, their faith, their alleged motives or what they will be charged with.
Anthony Davis, a security analyst at Janes IHS, said regardless of whoever was behind last week’s bombings, they were a “watershed moment” because they singled out the tourism trade.
“Whoever is responsible for this may well come back,” he told AFP.
“And if that’s the case, then the tourism industry is at very serious risk.”
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