The government's Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) said yesterday it believed the redshirt movement would carry out operations to disrupt the public order whenever the state of emergency was lifted.
Meanwhile, a homemade bomb similar to a type used in Tuesday's attack on Bhum Jai Thai Party headquarters was yesterday found abandoned in northern Bangkok, with police theo¬rising it was assembled for a planned attack.
CRES spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said redshirt leaders regularly met with "the movement's political wing" to discuss their plans to "deliver violence with armed methods" both in Bangkok and nearby areas and in the North and the Northeast. "In certain areas, they intend to target security officers once the state of emergency is lifted," he added.
To arrest redshirt leaders on the run, including Arisaman Pongruengrong and Suthep Attakorn, seven teams of police commandos have been set up to track them down. So far, arrests have been made with 200 warrants out of a total 886 - leaving 686 fugitives for police to pursue.
In addition to an extra 153 road checkpoints set up by all 86 Bangkokbased police stations, there are 17 security outposts at key entrances and exits to Bangkok, the CRES said.
Military policemen and local police provide constant patrol at locations considered risky to attacks in Bangkok while there are three rapiddeployment companies of soldiers on 24hour standby.
Sansern dismissed media speculation the government was behind the BJT bomb attack to extend the state of emergency, saying: "Even without the attack, the CRES needs to extend the state of emergency given intelligence reports indicating ongoing activities to deliver violence and disruption."
Another 136 checkpoints are being set up jointly by local police and soldiers between 10pm and 5am to ensure extra security. Around gov¬ernment offices such as Government House and Parliament House, security has also been provided at private properties prone to attacks, such as Central Department Store outlets, Channel 3 and TPBS television stations.
CRES told the Election Commission yester¬day election campaigns can be conducted under the state of emergency as long as they are free of provocation.
CRES will decide in a meeting today where to maintain or lift the state of emergency.
State of Emergency is expected to be contin¬ued in Udon Thani, Mukdaharn, Khon Khaen, Chiang Mai. Ubon Ratchthani, BKK and an adjacent province.
On the bomb found in Bangkok, Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Pol LtGeneral Santhan Chayanont said he thought the attack¬ers had discarded the bomb possibly in fear of being tracked down by police. It had been improvised from a 15kg cooking gas cylinder, fully connected to a battery and a detonator.
A police ordnance check is expected soon to identify in detail the type of bomb used in the BJT attack.
In Udon Thani, another homemade bomb was found set up in a telephone booth near an Army barracks. It had failed to go off after the failure of its crude detonation device - a lit cigarette meant to burn five sticks linked to a rope tied to the explosives. All were contained in four 18cm long plastic water pipes.
Local police have not decided if the bomb was for a politically motivated attack. However bomb fears have prompted heightened security at government buildings and political landmarks throughout the country, and are likely to influence the government to extend the state of emergency beyond July 7.
In the search for the suspected mastermind of the BJT bomb attack, police said they expect to obtain a courtapproved arrest warrant for Kamphol Khamkhong, allegedly implicated by suspected attacker Anek Singkhunthod.
Chief Investigator Pol Colonel Songphol Wattanachai cited an intel report as saying Kamphol took part in the redshirt protests last month but it was not likely he masterminded the plot alone.