BURMA’S ruling generals claimed yesterday they had uncovered a plot to sabotage the government and arrested 12 opposition supporters in connection with an alleged bombing campaign. The junta, which has always said a strong hand is needed to keep the ethnically diverse country together, has come under increasing international pressure in recent weeks over its detention of pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
| Y'don't suppose that's why they discovered a bomb plot, do you? |
Senior military intelligence officers told a news conference that the 12 people had planted several time bombs in the capital Rangoon and nearby townships and had tried to link up with leaders of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) to foment unrest. Four of the bombs were detonated, killing two people and injuring dozens, they said. "They had plans to contact the NLD in creating civil unrest, but I’m not sure whether the NLD leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, were aware of the plans," said Deputy Military Intelligence Chief Major General Kyaw Win. Another senior military intelligence officer, Colonel San Pwint, said the group had received explosives, detonators, weapons and time bombs disguised as lunch boxes and pencil cases from the ethnic minority Karen National Union, which is fighting a guerrilla war against the government on the Burmese-Thai border.
| The Karen are kind of a classic example of an oppressed minority. Mostly Baptists, believe it or not, they're a non-Burman forest tribe. The ladies smoke pipes, which lends kind of an exotic ethnic flavor. They're not particularly warlike — it took a lot of oppression to get them fired up. They seem to have the determination to keep on fighting against the junta. |
He said the suspects also had links with pro-democracy exile groups, such as the All Burma Students Democratic Front, and were planning to plant five bombs in Rangoon on July 19, the day Burma honours Suu Kyi’s father, independence hero Aung San. |