Thai court charges Bangkok bombing suspects

A lawyer for one of the men said a Bangkok military court brought ten charges against the pair on Tuesday, including premeditated murder, illegal possession of weapons and murder for the bombing in August.

The August attack at the Erawan shrine, nestled between plush shopping malls and hotels in a bustling district of central Bangkok, dealt a fresh blow to the nation’s image as a holiday paradise.

The two, identified as Bilal Mohammad and Mieraili Yusufu, were indicted on 10 counts – none of them terrorism charges.

Thai officials say there was no political or religious motive behind the attack.

In July, Thai authorities deported almost 100 Uighurs, who speak the Turkic language, back to China at the behest of Beijing. The theory was bolstered by the fact that the Erawan Shrine is popular among Chinese tourists, who figured prominently among the victims of the bombing.

Karadag, identified initially by the name Bilal Muhammed, and Mieraili have been detained at an army base since they were arrested in August and September, respectively. No details of their interrogation have been revealed.

Police believe Bilal was the person who was seen on CCTV camera footage wearing a yellow T-shirt who sat down on a bench at the outdoor temple, took off a black backpack and then left it behind and walked away. Yusufu is believed to have detonated the bomb.

Bilal Mohammed, also known as Adem Karadag, and Yusufu Mieraili have been in custody for almost three months.

Schoochart said interpreters were being arranged for both suspects as they could not communicate with interpreters provided by police. The lawyer for the two suspects said the indictments were made before they arrived.