April 2010 Yangon Thingyan Bombings

April 2010 Yangon Thingyan Bombings
Part of Internal Conflict in Burma
Location Yangon, Burma (Myanmar)
Date April 15, 2010
3:00 pm[1] (GMT+6:30)
Target Civilians
Attack type
 bombing
Deaths 10[2][3]
Non-fatal injuries
 178[4]

The April 2010 Yangon Thingyan Bombings were bomb blasts that had killed 10 people and injured 178 on April 15, 2010, in Yangon, Burma (Myanmar) during Thingyan Water Festival.

Background

Bombings inside or in the vicinity of Yangon have occurred on numerous occasions in the past. In April 2006, five bombs detonated in the center of the city, no casualties were reported. In September 2008, a bomb exploded outside the Yangon City Hall killing 7 people and injured several others.[3]

Bombings

On April 15, 2010, three separate blasts occurred in front of the X2O water festival pavilion allegedly sponsored by Than Shwe's grandson[5] near to Kandawgyi Lake, where hundreds of people were celebrating Water Festival.[6][7]

Investigations

Police Chief Khin Yi said that three members of Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors were responsible for the bomb blasts.[7]

Phyo Wai Aung, an engineer, was charged with alleged involvement in bombing was sentenced to death in May 2012. He pleaded innocent to the charges and said he was tortured during interrogations. He was released under a presidential pardon in August 2012 and died of liver cancer in January 2013.[2][8]

References

  1. ↑ "5TH LD: Bomb blasts kill 8, injure 94 in Myanmar's Yangon. - Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. 2010-04-19. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Man Accused of Thingyan Bombing Dies at Home | The Irrawaddy Magazine". Irrawaddy.org. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Myanmar: Bombings and Pre-Election Tensions". 15 April 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "Casualties rise to 178 in Myanmar water festival bomb blasts". News.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  5. ↑ http://www.dictatorwatch.org/prthingyan.html
  6. ↑ "Nine die in Rangoon bombings | DVB Multimedia Group". Dvb.no. 2010-04-15. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Phyo Wai Aung’s Family Searches for Truth over Bomb Blast in Thingyan 2010 video | democracy for burma". Democracyforburma.wordpress.com. 2013-02-05. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  8. ↑ "President pardons man convicted of Thingyan bombing". Mmtimes.com. 2012-08-06. Retrieved 2014-02-01.