A journalist who with his son was detained in alleged connection with the suspected grenade attacks at a Rangoon water festival pavilion last month, appeared in Mingala Taungnyunt Township Court today, his wife said.

Maung Zeya, 55, and his son Sithu Zeya, who were arrested on April 17 for allegedly taking photographs of the blast scene were, the police said, detained on suspicion of participating in the bombings at the X2O Thingyan, or water festival, pavilion. The national police chief said on May 6 that they would be released when they were cleared of the allegations.

The police are yet to file a case against Maung Zeya but he was produced in court this morning and remanded in police custody to appear for a hearing on May 30.

“He has not been tortured and is in good shape. He is still in police custody because the police are yet to file charges against him,” his wife Ye Ye Tint told Mizzima. “He said he was doing social service among fellow prisoners.”

On the third day of Thingyan, Maung Zeya’s son Sithu Zeya was arrested in front of the pavilion while taking photographs of the blast site. Two days after his arrest, Special Branch officers arrested his father at home in Bahan Township.

Sithu Zeya was tortured during interrogation and was forced to confess to the crime, Ye Ye Tint said.

Opposition sources said the police had charged him with offences under section 17/1 of Unlawful Associations Act. His case will be heard for the first time tomorrow in the same Mingala Taungnyunt court.

Ten people died and about 170 were injured in the blasts on April 15. The dead included senior army officers and township officials. The junta arrested electrical engineer Phyo Wei Aung, 31, from Sanchaung, Rangoon, in connection with what they said were grenade attacks at the water festival and accused the Vigorous Burmese Students Warriors of triggering the blasts.