There has been no casualty in the serial bomb blasts at the Myitsone (river confluence) hydropower dam project site in northern Kachin State on April 17, local residents and Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) sources said.
Four bombs exploded in rapid succession at the Asia World company office building in Long Ga Zuap village, six miles south of the dam project site, at about 2 a.m. on April 17 leaving a Chinese worker injured.
“There has been no death, only a Chinese worker received minor injuries in the leg,” a villager from Tan Phare village in May Kha- Ma Likha River confluence, told Mizzima.
The explosions damaged five heavy duty trucks and two bulldozers in the project site, he said.
At least 14 bombs exploded on the day of which eight exploded in Tan Phare village, two in Kyein Kha Ran and four in Lon Ga Zuap village, a KIO officer said.
Though the junta’s northern command commander Maj. Gen. Soe Win asked the KIO whether they had a hand in the explosions, the KIO had no involvement, the KIO officer said.
The serial blasts occurred just two days after the blast in the X2O Thingyan (water festival) pavilion in Rangoon.
Though no one has claimed responsibility for the blasts yet, there is some speculation that the explosions were caused to put pressure on the KIO by the Chinese government as the relation between the KIO and junta is at an all time low over the Border Guard Force (BGF) issue.
But the KIO officer said that it would not jeopardize relations with the Chinese government as the blasts had nothing do with them.
In the wake of the bomb blasts, inspection of guests staying at homes and collection of car lists and their license plate numbers have been stepped up on the orders of the Ward Peace and Development Council Chairmen in Myitkyina, the capital city of Kachin State, the local residents said.
The Northern Command Commander Maj. Gen. Soe Win visited the villages yesterday it is learnt.
The Myitsone hydropower project is being built by junta’s Ministry of Industry No. 1 in association with the Asia World and China Power Investment Corporation (CPI). The electricity generated at this project will be sold to China.
The dam project led to over 60 villages from upstream of the dam site to be relocated. And local residents and environmentalists are protesting against the dam project as it can inundate even Myitkyina should the dam collapse.
