'Uighur' man sought over Bangkok bombing

Thai authorities on Saturday issued an arrest warrant for a 12th suspect wanted in connection with the bombing at Bangkok's Erawan Shrine last month, in which 20 people, mostly ethnic Chinese visitors, were killed.

In a statement, immigration police said the suspect was "the one who plotted, ordered, and funded the attack," and referred to the arrest warrant as mentioning the man's Uighur ethnicity.

Later on Saturday, police seemed to backtrack on the question of ethnicity, and released a new photo of him along with a request asking media "to drop the word Uighur."

Police spokesman Lt. Gen. Prawut Thavornsiri said the man left Thailand a day before the blast and was "not the mastermind" of the attack, but was wanted on the charge of "jointly possessing illegal military supplies."

Accusations of repression

Speculation has been growing in the country that the attack may have been carried out by militants from China's Uighur minority - or from among their supporters - in revenge for Thailand's forced deportation of 109 Uighur refugees in July.

The Uighurs, many of whom have their home in the northwestern Xinjiang region of China, have long accused Beijing of discrimination as well as religious and cultural repression, with scores fleeing to Turkey via Southeast Asia in recent years.

Up to now, Thai authorities have avoided suggesting that Chinese nationals were deliberately targeted in the August 17 attack and have declined to mention the word Uighur in briefings to reporters for fear of harming Thailand's vital tourism industry and ties with China.

Thai authorities have already detained two foreign male suspects, whose nationalities have not been confirmed, over the attack.

The Hindu Erawan shrine, where the blast occurred, is located in the Thai capital's busy downtown district and is highly popular with Chinese tourists, who believe praying there brings good luck.

tj/rc (AFP, AP)