Military commander critically injured in Rangoon blasts

Monday, 19 April 2010 22:42 Myint Maung

New Delhi (Mizzima) - A regional commander of the Burmese Army was critically injured in one of the three bomb explosions at the X2O pavilion in Kandawgyi, Rangoon on April 15, the second day of the traditional water festival, it is learnt.
The bombs exploded in quick succession at the X2O pavilion, when the Rangoon Division No. 4 Military Region Commander Col. Ohn Cho was inspecting the pavilion as part of his monitoring tour of water festival centres. Shrapnel from the second bomb hit him in the abdomen. He was admitted to the Mingaladon Military Hospital.

Earlier, the junta said that eight people were killed and about 170 people were injured in the serial blasts but some police sources said that the death toll is mounting.

The explosions killed a Police Colonel and a Sub-Inspector. The Mingala Taungnyunt Township Peace and Development Council Chairman was critically injured.

Among the 44 injured still being treated in the Rangoon General Hospital, 20 are critical.

Two days after the bomb blasts, Zeya, son of writer Linyone (Eagle) Maung Maung, and his son Sithu Zeya were picked up from their homes for questioning, a person close to the family said.

“The father son duo was taken away from their homes in the evening of the Burmese New Year. The team was made up of local authorities and the Police Special Branch (SB) took them in for questioning. They did not say why they were detained,” a family member, who wished not to be named, said.

The literary circle in Rangoon felt the arrest was on suspicion of their taking photographs of the blast site.

In some townships and ward level Peace and Development Council offices, the authorities announced a Kyat 1 million award for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators of the blast.