BKK Bombings:New Year's Eve '06

[GWR]

Besieged police chief ousted

Kowit learns of transfer via reporters; police general Seriphisut succeeds him

National police chief Kowit Watana was yesterday transferred to an inactive civilian post, following weeks of public pressure and media speculation.

Pressure to replace Kowit intensified during the questionable handling of investigations into the nine bombings in Bangkok on New Year's Eve.

Police General Seriphisut Temiyavej, a senior adviser to the Royal Thai Police, was appointed as Kowit's successor.

Leaving his office late in the evening, a grim-faced Kowit was quickly surrounded by a crowd of reporters.

When asked to comment on his dismissal, he said: "We cannot choose the way we were born. I'd like to tell policemen to be patient in performing their duties."

He also described policing as "a cursed profession". He did not explain why.

Seriphisut, known as a adversary of Kowit due to previous conflicts, kept his comments to a single phrase: "One reaps what one sows."

Police spokesman General Ajiravid Subranbasaj also resigned yesterday, following Kowit's transfer.

Government spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarb told a press conference that Kowit was not removed over the perceived incompetence of the police investigation into the bomb attacks.

"The decision was made jointly by his superiors," Yongyuth said.

"They decided that it would be appropriate if the national police chief performs his public duties at the PM's Office," he said.

"The matter had been discussed jointly by the prime minister and the chairman of the Council for National Security [General Sonthi Boonyaratglin] all along," he added.

Reporters covering the military were the first to hear reports about Kowit's dismissal, at about 4pm yesterday. The news then filtered to reporters at Government House and the PM's Office.

Kowit was told he had been dismissed by reporters at police headquarters before he was officially informed, reports said.

Ajiravid said later that the news of Kowit's dismissal put him in a state of disbelief.

In a brief interview before he resigned, Ajiravid declined to comment on Kowit's transfer, saying he needed to be notified of the order by PM's Office.

CNS Chairman Sonthi had threatened he would hold Kowit responsible if police failed to identify those who orchestrated and carried out the bomb attacks, or if they produced "scapegoats". The threat was made before the 19 suspects detained by police over the New Year's Eve bombings, who included military officers, were released on January 26.

The CNS will soon decide whether Kowit's status as a CNS member will be invalidated or whether Seriphisut will assume it.

Seriphisut said he would meet with senior officers today. He will revitalise the investigation into the bomb attacks as well as one into a grenade attack on the Daily News compound last week, he said.

He used metaphors to describe the changes he would bring about. Under him, all officers must "go forward in top gear" and those "staying in neutral position" would face disciplinary action, he said.

Retired national police chief Pratin Santipraphob welcomed Kowit's dismissal. Pratin, also a former senator, described Seriphisut as a leader who was bold and untainted by corruption.

Much needed to be done and officers would need to work together to reform the force, he said.

Although he noted that many officers might not cooperate with their new chief, Pratin still supported the leadership change.

Speaking in a pre-recorded television interview aired after his transfer, Kowit said he had adhered to the law throughout his 40-year career. He said the 19 suspects held over the New Year's Eve bombings had to be released because there was not enough evidence against them.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007...s_30026083.php

[GWR]

I'm told his first name used to be just Seri, but that he changed it some years back in order to convey a more forthright aura to the public.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont will explain to the media this afternoon - after a Cabinet meeting - why he decided to dismiss Pol Gen Kowit Watana as police chief.

He promised to talk to the press after the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday.


See full interview by watching the clip of the full programme here: -

mms://video.tv5.co.th/news/tvnews/re...am02_06_50.wmv

SIAM THIS MORNING
Seripisut expresses confidence of solving Bangkok bombing cases

Newly-appointed police chief Pol Gen Seripisut Temiyavej Tuesday expressed confidence that he could solve the Bangkok bombings case.

Seripisut was giving interview to Nation Group editor Thepchai Yong during the Siam This Morning programme broadcast on Channel 5.

The acting police chief said if he had enough time he could solve all the cases, including the Bangkok bombings on New Year's Eve, the bomb attack against Daily News paper, and arson attacks against many schools in northern and northeastern provinces.

"Alll can be done but it depends on time frame. Bangkok bombings, bomb attack against Daily News, and school arsons in many provinces and even the southern violence could be solved," Seripisut told Thepchai.

"But I need time. Today [Tuesday], I'll hold a meeting of all police commanders to set the working direction so that police forces could move on working."

Seripisut said he did not know in advance that he would be made acting police commissioner-general, replacing Pol Gen Kowit Wattana.

"I've never met the prime minister earlier," he said.

The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007...s_30026108.php

[TGunner]

Nice. I think Seri is one of the better cops we have. Cheers for this news!

[GWR]

Hardly illuminating stuff from the PM. In fairness, it was probably a bit of an epic Cabinet session. On top of this issue, the Cabinet OK'ed 5 mass transit routes, agreed to Bangkok having two international airports and even fielded a protest by 500 dairy farmers over milk prices: -

Pol Gen Kowit is sacked because he does not pass evaluation : PM

Pol Gen Kowit Watana is dismissed as police chief because he did not pass the evaluation, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Tuesday.

The decision to sack Kowit on Monday came after he consulted with Council of National Security's chief Gen Sonthi Bunyaratglin, Surayud said.

"The decision came from our evaluation on his performance for the past period. We agreed that there should be some changes in the Royal Thai Police so that their works could be more effective and more progress.

Asked the reason behind appointment of Pol Gen Seripisut Temeyavej as acting police commissioner general instead of choosing deputy police commissioner general, Surayud said Seripisut is chosen because he is the most senior.

Before talking to the press, Surayud met Seripisut at the Government House.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30026116

[GWR]

Originally Posted by GWR

I'm told his first name used to be just Seri, but that he changed it some years back in order to convey a more forthright aura to the public.

'Pisut' (or even 'Wisut') appears to be of Pali-Sanskrit origin and have the approximate meaning of 'pure', 'clean' or 'spotless'. It has been added as a suffix to his existing name. ['Vizada' in Sanskrit appears to mean 'spotless'.]

I have hunted high and low for the General's biography, since I seem to remember he suffered political interference in his work from the likes of former Interior minister & PM General Chaovalit Yongjaiyudh. If anyone has this info, please post it here.

It seems that Seri felt contaminated by this political interference, and so decided to purify his tainted name with a suffix. ( I'm told that prefixes can do the same thing. e.g: Thanajaroen can thus replace a luckless Jaroen.)

Again, I claim no authority on these matters other than the fact that I have a local informant. Please feel free to correct this if you perceive I have made a false interpretation.

It is obvious that quite a few people have a high regard for General Seripisut and his apparent attempts to purge the force of negative influences. But it is precisely that same missionary zeal that has probably created many enemies for him within the police force over the decades.

[GWR]

This is almost certainly as a result of the bombing investigations, given General Seripisut's heavy criticism of Gen Viroj's role in the case: -

The Police Commission Wednesday approved the transfer of Pol Lt Gen Viroj Chantharangsi from the post of metropolitan police commissioner to the post of Provincial Police Bureau 6 commissioner.

Viroj was replaced by Pol Lt Gen Adisorn Nonsee, Provincial Police Bureau 6 who is close to acting national police chief Pol Gen Seripisut Temiyavej.

The transfer was part of a reshuffle of 57 senior police officers. The Police Commission spent about five hours to consider and approve the reshuffle list.

Other transfers included the promotion of assistant police commissioner-general Pol Gen Charnwut Watcharapuk as deputy police commissioner-general.

The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30027493

[GWR]

Featured Frontpage today: http://www.2bangkok.com

Headlines
Komchadleuk, February 28, 2007
The headline reads: Sketches of six suspected Bangkok bombers. These sketches have been distributed to all police stations in Thailand. It is believed that two of the suspects speak Thai with a southern dialect.

PS: 'Dialect' might perhaps be more accurately reworded (above) as 'accent' or 'lilt'.

[GWR]

Police have identified three suspects linked to the bomb attacks at two of the nine sites on New Year's Eve acting police chief Seripisut Temiyavej said Monday.

The identities of the three suspects, including one woman, have been obtained after their images taken from security cameras at two bomb sites were enhanced by Canada-based image-processing experts.

A man and a woman are seen in footage taken from security cameras at Seacon Square and another man at the Major Ratchayothin cinema complex.

"We now know who they are and what their names are," he said, adding that all of them were being tracked by police, but he needed more evidence against them before giving an approval for police's request for arrest warrants from the court.

The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30029103

[GWR]

'Separatists' behind city bombs

Devices made the same way as in South

WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM

The police team investigating the New Year bombings in Bangkok and Nonthaburi has concluded that a southern separatist group was responsible for the nine explosions.

Police are now hunting for a man with a southern Thai accent who bought 300 silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) diodes, used in the assembly of bomb circuits, in Bangkok's Ban Mo area.

A highly-placed source in the investigation team said the insurgent group responsible for the nine bombs wanted to show its capability to launch terrorist attacks outside its home region.

Evidence collected from attack scenes and the detonation circuitry used to assemble the bombs supported the investigators' conclusion, the source said.

"After examining evidence thoroughly, it was found that the bomb detonation circuits are the same [as the circuits used by a southern insurgent group].

Moreover, the materials used to make the bombs are all the same," the source said.

The investigation team is now focusing its investigation on one insurgent group.

The materials used to assemble the nine bombs included metal boxes containing ball bearings and nails, a Casio 200 watch, a nine-volt battery and a small deodorant spray bottle containing gunpowder.

The same materials are used by the southern insurgent group, said the source.

The brand and model of diodes used in the bomb circuits was also the same as the devices the group used to launch attacks in the deep South. They are SCR diodes made by Motorola.

The owner of an electronics shop in Ban Mo told investigators that on Dec 23, one week before the bombings, he sold 300 of the SCR diodes of the same model, together with 300 nine-volt battery terminals of the same type that police collected from the bomb scenes, the source said.

The shop owner said the man who bought them wore a hat and spoke Thai with a southern accent.

Bomb disposal experts told the investigation team that the bombs used in the New Year attacks and terrorist attacks in the deep South were probably assembled by the same person.

Each bomb-maker has his or her own signatory bomb-making style, the source said.

The investigation team will report its findings to the Council for National Security (CNS) soon.

The CNS earlier believed that an "old political power clique" was responsible for the Bangkok bombing.

"Now it's rather clear that it was a southern insurgent group that launched the attacks," the source said.

Assistant national police chief Pol Lt-Gen Phanuphong Singhara na Ayutthaya, who leads the bomb probe, has ordered the investigation team to gather information to identify insurgent groups capable of launching such an attack, another police source said.

Another investigation team, led by assistant police chief Pol Lt-Gen Jongrak Juthanont, has asked the Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for two suspected New Year bombers who appear in video footage from two security cameras, one at the Saphan Khwai intersection and another at Major Cineplex Ratchayothin.

The team will make public the footage of the suspect at Major Cineplex on Wednesday, to seek more information from the public.

The team has already publicised footage of the male suspect at the Saphan Khwai intersection and received more than 300 tips from the public.

Link may expire:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/19Mar2007_news03.php