Bombs exploded in Taungoo, Pegu Division

July 1, 2003

It is reported that some explosive devices were found at the same time in three different places in Taungoo, Pegu Division recently and two exploded but no one was hurt.

The devices were said to be found at the gate of Sasana Beikman Building at No. 20 Ward near Rangoon-Mandalay Highway and at the entrance of USDA office near Maina Stadium and inside a rubbish bin in front of the station, according to the local people.

The ones in front of the Sasana Beikman Buidling and the USDA office exploded and the one inside the bin was diffused 40 minutes before the scheduled explosion. A local resident from Taungoo told the DVB about them as follows:

A Taungoo resident : It was on the 27th of June. One exploded in front of the Sasana Beikman. It was built by the government inside a stadium called Maina. And adjacent to that, there is a USDA office. One exploded in front of the office. But the bombs didn’t cause any death or damage to the buildings. They were small bombs with loud sounds…most people think that. They were not that severe.

During last month, there had been continuous explosions in Tachileik in eastern Shan States, Myawaddy in Karen State and at a cinema in Phyoo near Taungoo. One of the explosions this time occurred in front of the USDA office. Are they connected to Dipeyin incident? At Dipeyin the NLD supporters were attacked by the USDA members and is the SPDC staging a plot to make the explosions look like the works of the NLD supporters? A local resident of Taungoo gave his opinion as follows:

A Taungoo resident : People are quite doubtful. The explosions didn’t cause much damage or loss of life. They occurred near Rangoon-Mandalay Highway. People think that they want to show that there are explosions. There are many kinds of people. I don’t know what they want. I don’t think they are the works of ‘insurgents’ or ‘terrorists’ because they have been tightening the security for awhile. There are many security checkpoints. I have heard that they have built more police checkpoints. They have been tightening security measures since the Dipeyin incident. They have been searching people. For example, if you travel by car, they would search your bags. Despite all these measures why could the bomb planters come to the town? People are still wondering about it. It makes you think. Whatever it is, it’s not good.

These are the comments of someone close to political circles. What do ordinary people who are not close to political circles think of the explosions?

Another Taungoo resident : We are market traders and we are busy with our works. I didn’t go and see them myself when they occurred. They told me that no one was hurt. So, I don’t feel anything, I think. I never think that it is done by the NLD. [giggles] I trust the NLD. I love Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, if I have to be frank [giggles]. They can’t be their works. I don’t think that they would do that kind of thing. Most people think that these are done by the people of other side. Every one knows what I mean by ‘people from the other side’.

Whenever there were bomb explosions inside Burma, the SPDC have been accusing the people who are opposing it especially the KNU and the SSA rebels.