Assassination Plot Foiled, Police Say; Conspirators Arrested

[Hans Mann]

BANGKOK — Police say they have disrupted a plot to assassinate top government officials and arrested three men, two said to be from the northeastern of Thailand.

Police chief Chakthip Chaijinda announced yesterday that three suspects, a former police officer and two civilians, were detained after police foiled their plan to assassinate “important figures in the government” and stage terror attacks in Bangkok, though he gave no concrete details.

Rumors of a plot to assassinate junta chairman and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha began circulating on Monday.

“The actions of this movement cannot be yet disclosed. Everything is in the case file,” Gen. Chakthip said Wednesday evening.

It is unclear when the three men were arrested.

The trio was identified as Police Sergeant Prathin Chanket, Pitsanu Promsorn and Nattapol Nawanle.

Khon Kaen governor Kamthorn Thawornsathit told Thai Rath two of the suspects hail from the northeastern province. The residence of the third suspect could not be immediately confirmed.

If the police claim is true, it would be the most high profile assassination plot on Thai government leaders since a failed car bomb targeted then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006.

Announcement of the foiled conspiracy came two days after junta deputy chairman Pravit Wongsuwan told reporters he had received intelligence of unspecified attempts to “sow unrest” in the northeastern region of Isaan.

“We have discovered there’s a plot to cause unrest, which means there’s still disorder and conflict,” Gen. Pravit, who also serves as Defense Minister, said Monday. “Just thinking about causing conflict is already bad, but this is an organized attempt to cause unrest.”

Northeastern Thailand has long been a stronghold for supporters of the government toppled by the junta in May 2014.

Redshirt leader Weng Tojirakarn said the three men are not related to the movement in any way, and cast doubt on the claim of a failed assassination.

“Redshirts don’t know anything about this, and we definitely have no connection to this news,” said Weng, a member of the Redshirts’ official umbrella organization, the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship.

He continued, “Personally, I feel there’s something fishy in Gen. Pravit’s remark that there would be a popular uprising in the northeast, and there would be unrest during Bike for Dad event. I think this is a farce.”

Assassination Plot Foiled, Police Say; Conspirators Arrested

[misskit]

Police Allege Radical Redshirt Cell Behind Foiled Terror, Assassination Plot


Nattapol Nawanle is led through police headquarters in Bangkok today. He is accused of being part of a radical Redshirt cell plotting to disrupt the country and possibly assassinate junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha.


BANGKOK — Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha said today he’s received reports of a possible attempt on his life, as police said Redshirt activists behind a disrupted terror plot are linked to an alleged radical Redshirt cell in Khon Kaen province accused last year of inciting insurrection.

Deputy police chief Sriwarah Rangsipramkul said today the military has detained two Redshirt supporters for a week and are seeking seven more in connection with an unspecified conspiracy to cause “unrest,” possibly by assassinating junta chairman Prayuth.

Yesterday Sriwarah told media agencies the group was planning to disrupt the nationwide Bike for Dad cycling event organized by the government to honor Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his father, King Bhumibol. Today the police general indicated he was no longer sure about their objective.

“They have targets, but we cannot confirm what those targets are,” Sriwarah said. However, he believes the group could have been thinking about seizing army barracks in the northeast as a starting point to unleash their alleged campaign of terror.

Several Redshirt leaders have dismissed the alleged plot as a work of fiction by authorities to distract the public from ongoing embarrassment over alleged corruption in the army’s Rajabhakti Park “history park.”

Sriwarah said only the two suspects have been arrested, contradicting the three reported Wednesday by his boss, police chief Chakthip Chaijinda. “Seven more are on the run. The court has issued arrest warrants for all of them,” Sriwarah told reporters today.

According to Sriwarah, the nine suspects are members of the “Khon Kaen Model,” which was the name given to an alleged group of militant Redshirts based in Khon Kaen province, who last year were said to be plotting insurrection against the military regime after it seized power from the Redshirt-backed government in May 2014.

The name, police said, came from the group’s desire their rebellion would be a “model” inspiring Redshirts in other provinces to launch their own uprisings.

Twenty-six people now face trial in military court for their alleged roles in the “Khon Kaen Model,” but Sriwarah said today the group and its objectives live on, despite the crackdown and mass arrests.

“These people have been active all along,” Sriwarah said.

The two arrested suspects were identified as former Border Patrol Police officer Prathin Chanket and a civilian named Nattapol Nawanle. Sriwarah said they were held in military custody for a week before being transferred today to police.



Rumors about a terror attack and plot to assassinate junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha have circulated since Monday, but police chief Chakthip only acknowledged Wednesday that police were investigating the alleged plot.

“I can tell you that this group is targeting Bangkok for their attacks. There’s information that their objective is certain important figures in the government,” Gen. Chakthip said.

Gen. Prayuth told reporters today he’s undeterred by the alleged threat and will continue visiting northeastern provinces for government affairs.

“I can visit any area. I’m already risking my life these days anyway. I’m not afraid. Don’t you think I’m not risking my life now?” Prayuth said at Government House.

Yesterday Redshirt leader Weng Tojirakarn dismissed the story as a “farce.” Today, another high-ranking redshirt, Worachai Hema, said it was absurd.

“Let me ask you, how can possibly harm or do anything to Gen. Prayuth? He has troops of an entire army. He has armored vehicles that cost tens of million baht each. Who will dare harm Gen. Prayuth?” said Worachai, who also served as an MP in the toppled government.

He said the Redshirt movement has nothing to gain from violence.

“The [Redshirt movement] has been insisting all along that we uphold nonviolent methods and democracy,” Worachai said. “Those who use violence in politics will eventually lose to the power of people who love peace.”

Worachai also voiced his suspicion that the military government may be publicizing news about the attempted terror plot to divert public attention from the ongoing investigation into Rajabhakti Park, the army-constructed massive monument said to be rife with corruption.

Police Allege Radical Redshirt Cell Behind Foiled Terror, Assassination Plot

[sabang]

their alleged campaign of terror

What, yet another Coup? Oh dear, I suppose we will just have to delay the (once) promised elections even further. Damn terrorists- I'm sure those Uighur Erawan bombers were closet red shirts too.

[Dapper]

^You're not wrong mate, like a bunch of Disney World Hitlers.

[thaimeme]

....imagining that there are numerous assassination strategies in the fold - including within the system.

Were about due for a counter-coup anyway, aren't we?

[Kurgen]

Colonel Mustard in the kitchen with the lead pipe.

[kmart]

their alleged campaign of terror

What, yet another Coup? Oh dear, I suppose we will just have to delay the (once) promised elections even further. Damn terrorists- I'm sure those Uighur Erawan bombers were closet red shirts too.

Yep. What an utter crock of fucking shit.

[VocalNeal]

Colonel Mustard in the kitchen with the lead pipe.

No lead pipe is valuable. Already sold on as scrap! Blue plastic filled with sand, better than farang!

[Dragonfly]

jesus, where will it end

did anyone notice that AIS backbone operations has been taken over by TOT ? strange isn't it ?

[tomta]

I believe that so far they've been charged with LM and Computer Crimes.

"The suspects face charges of breaching Section 112 of the Criminal Code, known as the lese majeste law, and violating the Computer Act after authorities found them "hatching a plot to stir unrest in the city" and contacting each other to discuss attack plans via the Line application, national police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda had said previously."

PM accuses red shirts of unrest plot | Bangkok Post: news

That's good. Since the trial will be held in a military court and there won't be any reporting of the details, our pure, chaste and loyal minds won't be assaulted by their evil.

[misskit]

'Khon Kaen Model' suspect to counter-sue


One of the nine people accused by the junta of plotting fresh unrest plans to sue investigators, saying he's been in jail for the past 18 months.

Story here Accused plotter fights back | Bangkok Post: news

[stekegto]

somebody should have checked the records

[Warwick]

Prawit: Warrant for behind-bars suspect approved by court | Bangkok Post: news

Perhaps they communicate by telepathy. Does their fiendishness know no bounds?

[Neverna]

Gen Prawit said that although Thanakrit was in prison he must have done something against the law, otherwise the court would not have approved the warrant for his arrest.

"He might have been in some communication (with outsiders). Ask him. He must have done something wrong.

[misskit]

Bike for Dad plot suspect refutes police’s claim

A suspect of a failed terrorist plot around the Bike for Dad event has denied allegations, saying that the police’s claim that he was involved in planning the plot from prison is false.

According Matichon Online, on Wednesday, 2 November 2015, Krit Wongvech, the Director of the Central Correctional Facility of the northeastern province of Khon Kaen, Narin Promsaka, an expert on judicial system, and Sakoontra Nontri, the Director of Rights and Liberty Protection Department of Khon Kaen interrogated Thanakrit Thongngeonperm at the Correctional Facility.

Last week, the police accused Thanakrit of being one of the nine suspects of a terrorist plot around Bike for Dad, a cycling rally to honor the King on 11 December 2015. Rumour has it that the prime target of the foiled terrorist plot was Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the junta leader and Prime Minister himself.

Thanakrit, however, has been detained for more than a year shortly after the 2014 coup d’état as he is one of the 26 suspects of the ‘Khon Kaen Model’ uprising case.

The name ‘Khon Kaen Model’ was given to the case of 26 defendants, mostly elderly, from several provinces in the North East, accused of being hard-core red shirts who planned to rebel against the junta. The alleged operation would first be carried out in Khon Kaen, the second largest province in Isan and a stronghold of the red-shirt movement, and then in other provinces in the North and the North East.

Despite fact that the he has been under detention, the police last week claimed that Thanakrit is an accomplice to the Bike for Dad terrorist plot, saying he allegedly contacted other suspects via mobile phones from behind the cells.

Thanakrit during the interrogation by the correctional staff and others denied the police’s allegation, saying that he could not use personal mobile phones to contact others outside the prison cells since it is the rule of all correctional facilities nationwide.

The suspect added that the prison has phone interception devices, which could track and cut off phone signals.

He told the officers that he used mobile phones only twice on 24 July and 23 September 2015 to contact his family while he was at the military court in Khon Kaen. His wife confirmed his statement, saying that Thanakrit told her on the phone then that he wanted her to visit him at the prison.

During the interrogation, the Correction Facility Director told other officials that it is strictly forbidden for inmates to use personal mobile phones and illustrated that a signal would ring immediately if the prison phone interception devices detect phone signals coming from the cells.

“In addition, there are phone interception devices that could cut off phone signals installed in the prison, so it is very difficult for 4,000 prisoners in this detention facility to contact others outside,” said Krit, the prison director.

On 25 November, Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda, Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police, announced that three suspects had been detained by the military for allegedly attempting to stage a terrorist attack around the upcoming Bike for Dad cycling rally.

The next day, Deputy Police Commissioner General Sriwarah Rangsipramkul said the military had detained only two suspects not three. The two suspects currently detained are former Pol Sgt Maj Prathin C. and Nattapol N.

The police chief added that the suspects also face charges under Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse majesté law, and the Computer Crime Act for contacting each other via the Line chat application to prepare the terrorist plot on the auspicious event for the King.

The junta leader has accused the main faction of the red shirt movement, the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), to be the mastermind of the plot.

The UDD leaders have, however, denied involvement in the plot, saying that the alleged terrorist plot is an attempt by the junta to divert public attention from the Thai Army’s Rajabhakti Park corruption scandal.

http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/5666