BANGKOK (AP) — Police in Thailand say they are now certain that last month’s deadly bombing at a Bangkok shrine was related to the trafficking of Uighur (WEE-gur) Muslims from China to Turkey.
National police chief Somyot Poompanmoung’s comments Tuesday marked the first time authorities have publicly linked the Aug. 17 bombing to the smuggling of Uighur Muslims.
Thai police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang.(AP Photo/Sakchi Lalit)
Somyot said the bombing was the result of a crackdown on a trafficking network “that smuggles Uighurs from one country to another.”
Uighurs, an ethnic minority in western China, are related to Turks, and Turkey is home to a large Uighur community.
Thai authorities have avoided calling the bombing an act of terrorism, which they fear would harm Thailand’s image as a tourist destination.
The blast left 20 people dead and more than 120 injured.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
