Myanmar claims no disruption to peace process due to bombings

Myanmar Defence Services has claimed that the recent series of bombings in some cities of the country had no disruption to the domestic peace process between the government and rebel ethnic armed groups, official media quoted an announcement of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services as reporting Tuesday. \"The recent incidents of bombings cannot hamper the peace process being implemented by Union Peace-Making Work Committee and ethnic armed groups, and great stride will be made in translating the peace process into a success,\" the announcement said. Noting that some suspects in connection with the incidents have been exposed, the announcement said an in-charge of a business organization of the ethnic Kayin National Union (KNU) was found involved, however, clarifying that the KNU as a whole is nothing to do with the blasts and only a small number of forces in the organization committed the bomb attacks with the intention of paralyzing the peace making process with the government. The announcement continued to say that the KNU, which has made peace with the government, is cooperating to take action against the detained suspects. There occurred seven series of bomb blasts with four unexploded in six cities of Myanmar, namely Yangon, Mandalay, Sagaing, Toungoo, Phyu and Namkham from Oct. 9 to 17, in which three people died and 10 injured including a foreigner, who is an American. Myanmar Police Chief Major-General Zaw Win said eight suspect bombers have been detained, including the main culprit Saw Myint Lwin who once worked with KNU before five years ago and his activities was masterminded by Saw Shwe Htoo who runs a business undertaking of the KNU, adding that Saw Shwe Htoo, who personally committed the bombings in Mandalay and Sagaing, is absconding. Efforts are being made to further expose other culprits in connection with the bombings, he added.