An explosion and gunfire rang out near a sprawling anti-government protest site in the Thai capital early on Tuesday, the latest in the series of such incidents on the fringes of opposition rallies.

Weeks of unrest, in which protesters have barricaded several Bangkok intersections, have been interrupted by occasional bombs and gunfire, with one blast killing a woman and a young brother and sister in a shopping district on Sunday.

So far, security forces have been unable to identify those responsible for the blasts or their ultimate intentions.

There was another explosion and more gunfire near one protest site on the edge of Bangkok's Lumpini Park in the early hours of Tuesday, national security chief Paradorn Pattanathabutr told Reuters.

Two men were wounded, medical sources said.

"Last night, we don't know where and who it came from, but there was an explosion and the sound of gunfire from 1 am," Paradorn said. "Officials will investigate the area this morning and there should be more information soon."

He also said there was an explosion near the office of the opposition Democrat Party. No one was hurt.

More than 700 people have been wounded since demonstrators took to the streets for rolling rallies aimed at ousting Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and ending the political dominance of her billionaire family.

The protesters left Thailand in political limbo after disrupting a general election this month that looked likely to confirm Yingluck once more as the nation's leader.

Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban accused Jatuporn Promphan, a leader of the "red shirt" supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and of Yingluck's government, of wanting to bring armed militants to Bangkok from their power base in the mainly rural north and northeast, setting the stage for potential conflict.

He also accused police of doing nothing about it.

"It is clear that Jatuporn wants to divide the country in two," Suthep told supporters late on Monday.

Last week, however, Suthep declared his support for armed gunmen who had fired bullets at red shirt protesters on Feb 2, the day before elections, disguising their guns inside empty popcorn bags.

According to an opinion piece in the Bangkok Post, he said on Friday that he did not know who these "popcorn shooters" were, but he loved them.

"They are helping us. They help us as we are fighting Yingluck with only our bare hands," he told supporters.

He said that his supporters would target Shinawatra businesses again on Tuesday, a threat that sent stock prices tumbling last week. Some shares were recovering on Tuesday.

SC Asset Corp, a property developer controlled by the Shinawatra family, lost almost 10 percent in the second half of last week and mobile handset distributor M-Link Asia Corp, also with links to the family, lost 12 percent.

Reuters - AFP

(China Daily 02/26/2014 page11)