Thailand: Police blame Uighur community for Bangkok bombing

A suspect was caught near the Thai-Cambodian border (Source:AFP/VNA)

Thai police’s chief Somyot Poompanmoung on September 15 pointed to the Turkish-speaking Muslim Uighur minority in China as the suspected group behind the Bangkok bombing on August 17 that killed 20 people.

While mentioning the minority for the first time, the Police Chief also added that a human trafficking network that moved Uighurs from one place to another perpetrated the attack to avenge a crackdown on their trade.

Additionally, passports of the arrested suspects in the case raised the possibility of links to the Uighur supporters and rebels.

In August, Thai authorities deported more than 100 Uighurs to China, leading to protests outside Thailand's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

So far, Thai authorities have arrested two foreign suspects and issued arrest warrants for dozens of others in connection with the explosion at the Erawan shrine on August 17.-VNA