File Photo: Police inspects the cordoned-off site of a bomb blast at the popular Erawan shrine in Bangkok.(Agence Frane-Presse)
One of the suspects in Thailand's deadliest bombing at a temple here last month has confessed to playing a crucial role and re-enacted how he passed a bomb - laden backpack to a yellow-shirted man to plant it at the shrine, police said today.
The Chinese passport carrying suspect, Yusufu Mieralli, told police that he had handed the backpack with the explosive device to a man in a yellow T-shirt who later placed it in the shrine's compound on August 17.
"This is the area where he met the man in a yellow shirt to exchange the backpack," national police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri told reporters as the suspect was led on a re-enactment of his movements.
Mieraili then led the police to the Brahma shrine where he had gone reportedly to take photos of the aftermath of the bomb.
"But when he got there that day his view was blocked by a pillar so he left," Prawut added.
Mieraili wore a bulletproof vest during the enactment.
Mieraili was yesterday brought to two apartments and a shop in Bangkok to re-enact his alleged crime.
Twenty people were killed and more than 100 injured in the August 17 blast.
According to unnamed sources quoted by The Nation, Mieraili formerly studied at Xinjiang Medical University but failed to pass the exam needed to secure a degree in medical technology.
He then left China's restive Xinjiang, heading to Guangzhou and then to Malaysia.
"He sold cell-phones in Bangkok for about six months," a source said, adding that an Internet-browsing history showed Mieraili also searched for a place to study in Turkey on Internet.
Several organisations, including the Muslim Attorney Centre Foundation, are to hold talks to arrange lawyers for the bomb suspects.
"We still haven't received a lawyers' request from the suspects.
However, as we are a foundation to help fellow Muslims and have the experience on the similar cases in the Far South, we are ready to provide legal assistance to the suspects," foundation secretary- general Sithipong Chantharawiroj said.
Police said all the suspects linked to the deadly bomb blast, including the two men arrested so far, will face trial in Thailand's civilian criminal courts and not a military court, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has said.
Prayut said the cases were serious for both Thai and foreign suspects allegedly involved in the incidents and the justice process had to be universally acceptable.
Earlier, police reportedly planned to transfer the cases to the military court.