'Warriors' claim responsibility for Rangoon blast

by Mizzima News

Wednesday, 02 July 2008 20:19

New Delhi - A Burmese armed student rebel group, Vigorous Burmese Students Warrior (VBSW), on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the bomb blast on Monday in a suburban township in Burma's former capital Rangoon. VBSW in a statement, posted on a Burmese blog in exile, on Tuesday said they had triggered the bomb blast at the office of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) on Monday, July 1. "As a continuation of VBSW's operation, the attacked the USDA office in Rangoon's Shwepyithar Township is apart of our unit no. 18's handiwork," the Burmese statement posted on http://drlunswe.blogspot.com/, said. The statement further said, they have been launching an operation against Burma's military rulers and that it had exploded two bombs on April 20, targetting vehicles owned by USDA officials, which were parked in front of the 'ABC' restaurant in downtown Rangoon. The VBSW members, who claim to be operating inside Burma's business hub Rangoon, were, however, unreachable for confirmation of the authenticity of the statement. On Monday, a small bomb exploded in the office of the USDA, a pro-junta civil organization, in northern Suburb of Rangoon. While the existence of the Student Warrior group cannot be proved, the statement allegedly by them said, they are genuinely opposed to the military junta's continued rule in Burma and have resolved to carry out attacks on them. It, however, said, "In our operation against the junta's political activities, military and economy, we have vowed not to harm innocent civilians." The VBSW had earlier claimed responsibility for several similar bomb blasts including a deadly blast at the Panorama restaurant in Rangoon's Pasodan Street in December 2004. So far, Burma's military junta, has made no official accusation against any groups regarding the blast, but merely stated that "authorities are investigating the incident," in its state-run newspaper, New Light of Myanmar. But the paper urged the people, "to pay special attention to the saboteurs who will be active assuming various forms in public places and to expose them by reporting to officials in time." < Prev   Next >