Provides details of fund exchanges; names key leaders
A former personal chauffeur of late Army specialist Khattiya Sawasdiphol has been apprehended and is cooperating by providing useful inside information on the red shirts and their protests in May, security sources said yesterday.
Jakchalat Khongsuwan, for whom an arrest warrant had been issued, implicated several key figures involved in the planning of the red-shirt protests and who he said gave Khattiya money to fund the protests, the sources revealed. "He also told of many rendezvous where the money was delivered several times," the sources said.
The man was arrested recently in Bangkok after hiding upcountry since May. He has been in military custody at a barracks outside Bangkok.
Meanwhile, after an intelligence alert over possible bomb attacks in Bangkok, soldiers last night apprehended a taxi motorcyclist suspected of planting a bomb while he was riding around Sanam Luang, but they released him before noon despite an inspection that found explosive residues on his hands and his motorcycle.
Chana Songkhram police said Kalasin native Rungphet Muangsoon, 40, showed no signs of guilt during an eight-hour interview. Police later searched his room and found a pro-red scarf before seizing 17 items to be analysed for explosive substances.
The man said he attended the red-shirt protests at Phan Fa Bridge but took no part in violent protests or acts. There is no evidence that he took part in a violent clash on April 10 at Khok Wua intersection, where a number of soldiers and red shirts were killed.
Elsewhere, the 3rd Army Area, which commands Army units in the North, has recommended to the government that it lift the state of emergency in the entire region, or at least in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces, saying the military and police could jointly handle the situation relying on the power given to them under regular laws.
Commander Lt-General Thanongsak Aphirakyothin said a bomb-related incident in Chiang Mai on Thursday should not result in the state of emergency being continued and soldiers could still legitimately maintain patrols and surveillance jointly with the police without the state of emergency in place.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said a proposal would be submitted to the government to lift the state of emergency if intelligence analysis from military and civilian security agencies merited such a move. The proposal would be ready for submission by Tuesday.
"The lifting of the state in emergency in certain cases could be authorised by the prime minister without Cabinet approval," he said.
Chiang Mai Governor Amornphan Nimanant said the state of emergency in his province should not be lifted unconditionally or entirely, saying there were some indications that the situation was not quite calm as it looked. He did not explain further.
The bomb planted in a bus stop in front of a school in San Pa Thong district contained gravel intended as shrapnel, but was found and defused. "This shows the intent of those who planted it. People would have got hurt if it had gone off," Amornphan said.
He said emergency could be lifted in certain areas and remain in effect in others. He did not explain what reasons would be used for maintaining or lifting it or give details about which areas might be affected.