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Ex-Thai Prime Minister Denies Involvement in New Year?s Eve Blasts

In a hand-written letter faxed from China, the ousted Thai Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra expressed anger that the present ruling government insinuated that he was behind the recent bombings in Bangkok. On New Year?s Eve, three people were killed in separate explosions across the Thai capital.

Shinawatra said that he was being unfairly attacked and that interim Prime Minister, Surayud Chulanont, should look for the true perpetrators of the attacks. "I strongly condemn this act and I swear that I never ever think of hurting the people and destroying the country`s credibility for my own political gain," Thaksin said in the letter that was faxed to his lawyer in Thailand. Shinawatra said that he was convinced that Islamic extremists from the country?s southern region might have a hand in the bombings.

Although nobody has claimed responsibility for the blasts, the Thai government has virtually ruled out the possibility of it being the work of southern insurgents. They are focusing their attention, instead, on the ousted government?s allies. Political analysts have also introduced the theory that the military itself could be involved in the blasts to give the picture that Thailand is still unstable and thus justifying its continued imposition of martial law that has been in place since the coup in September 2006.