Burma watchers in the Philippines today warned that the May 7 bombing incident in Rangoon may lead to the escalation of human rights abuses inside military-ruled Burma. “While we condemn this cowardly act of terrorism against innocent civilians in Burma, we are worried that the reaction to this incident by the Burmese junta, the State Peace and Order Council, will lead to more human rights violations in Burma,” said Gus Miclat, Executive Director of the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID).
Burma watchers in the Philippines today warned that the May 7 bombing incident in Rangoon may lead to the escalation of human rights abuses inside military-ruled Burma.
“While we condemn this cowardly act of terrorism against innocent civilians in Burma, we are worried that the reaction to this incident by the Burmese junta, the State Peace and Order Council, will lead to more human rights violations in Burma,” said Gus Miclat, Executive Director of the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID).
The May 7 bombing occurred at two upscale supermarkets and at a convention center in Rangoon where at least 19 died and another 59 were taken to hospitals. The junta accused three major ethnic rebel groups and a Thai-based student group called the All Burma Students Democratic Front for the bombings. But Information Minister Brigadier General Kyaw Hsan also told reporters that the bombers were trained by foreign experts in rebel-controlled areas near the Thai border.
IID cautioned the junta against jumping to conclusions that the exiled opposition groups were responsible for the bombing. “The junta should refrain from its reckless accusations and senseless fingerpointing. This is dangerous because it may lead to another crackdown on the democratic opposition and human rights activists,” Miclat added.
IID also urged the international community to closely monitor how the junta probe will progress.
“An urgent investigation is needed, but not at the expense of innocent civilians and legitimate human rights advocates,” Miclat concluded.
Miclat said it was ironic that the junta was capitalizing on the “foreign terrorism” angle, saying that the junta itself had used force and coercion since it staged a coup and forcibly took power in 1962. “Look who is talking about terrorism? A military government that has terrorized its own citizens for 43 years now, “ Miclat stressed.
IID, a human rights non-government organization based in Manila, is part of the recent campaigns to block Burma’s chairmanship of Asean scheduled in 2006, citing the junta’s poor human rights record.
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