Guns & bombs change PM’s mind
Police raids which uncovered 6,000 home-made ‘ping pong’ bombs, 30 guns and ammunition resulted in Abhisit cancelling his Chiang Mai visit this weekend.
Chiang Mai police found the bombs, 6 pistols, a rifle and a shotgun at the home of 45 year old Narong Bunchongcharoen, who had worked as a security guard at the last ‘red shirt’ rally. He denied possessing illegal weapons, saying the bombs were ‘fireworks’ which remained unsold after the Loi Kratong festival. The guns had been given to him in settlement of a debt, he claimed.
Late on Wednesday night, police made another arrest at a city centre karaoke bar, where they found 22 home made guns and gun-making equipment.
On Thursday, about 100 red shirted protesters briefly surrounded the central Phrasingh police station, demanding that an arrest warrant be cancelled for a local radio presenter who had allegedly made death threats to the PM. The warrant has yet to be served.
In a statement, the PM said that if the event he was to attend had been a government one, he would have come as planned. But as it came from “the private sector” he had “followed their suggestion” to remain in Bangkok.
It’s a shame that he felt that it had to come to that, however when threats are made on your life you would have to think twice before doing anything I imagine.