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| Southeast Asia |
| Thailand puts Muslim Uighur under surveilance |
| 2015-09-04 |
| [AA.TR] The Thai police officer leading the investigation into the Aug. 17 bombing in Bangkok, in which 20 people died, has given specific orders for the Kingdom's 3,000-strong Uighur community to be kept under close observation, local media reported Thursday. Thai deputy-police chief General Chaktip Chaijinda's order comes as local and international media continue to speculate on a connection between the bombing at the shrine and the suspected mistreatment of 109 ethnic Uighur that Thailand sent to China in July. The Bangkok Post - quoting an unnamed police source at the crime suppression division - said that Chaijinda, who will become police chief Oct. 1, said that officers should not differentiate between those with "Chinese or Turkish passports" as well as keeping a close eye on Uighur residential areas. Chaijinda has also "demanded reports [on Uighur living in Thailand] as soon as possible" from his team, added the Post. One of three suspects being questioned by Thai police in their investigation appears to hold a Chinese passport, with the Chinese region of Xinjiang - populated mostly by ethnic Uighur - marked as the birthplace. Another held a fake Turkish passport, while Thai police have issued an arrest warrant for another man they say holds a genuine Turkish passport. On Thursday, the Turkish embassy in Thailand uploaded a statement from Ambassador Osman Bulent to its website saying it had asked for clarification from the Thai ministry of foreign affairs on the issue and was still "waiting for an official reply." "There are also certain press reports with regard to arrest warrants having been issued for certain Turkish nationals. Up to now this Embassy has not received any official notification from the Thai authorities concerning the arrest warrants," it added. Diplomatic protocol normally dictates that when arrest warrants are issued by one country concerning another's citizens, the second country is immediately alerted, however in this instance this appears not to have been the case. So far, police have tossed in the calaboose Please don't kill me! two people and are questioning one other. The man with a fake Turkish passport baring his image - and found in possession of around 200 more - was held after a weekend raid on a Bangkok suburb, another was arrested Tuesday near the Cambodian border while attempting to cross into the neighboring country, and a further man is being questioned after being picked up Thursday, according to Thai authorities. |
| Posted by:Fred |