Two Explosions Shake Bago, Myanmar Military Regime Arrests Civilians

Civilians clash with security forces from the Myanmar military regime. (Wikimedia Commons/VOA News/Htet Aung Khant)

JAKARTA - More than 20 civilians were arrested after an explosion occurred outside the military regime's environmental administration office in Hpa Do, Bago Region last week.

Two explosions occurred in Bago on Tuesday last week. Police and soldiers arrived at the scene after the first explosion. Shortly thereafter, a second explosion occurred, damaging a Myanmar military vehicle.

"Not long after the bomb exploded, a police car appeared. Usually, it would take about 10 minutes to get to the administrator's office from the police station, but they showed up very quickly", said a local resident, cited from Myanmar Now, June 21.

"In the evening, they started arresting people they suspected (of being behind the blast)", he continued.

The Myanmar military regime raided a house in Ward 5 at 2 a.m. on Wednesday. When they couldn't find the person they were looking for, they reportedly arrested his brother and sister.

In the afternoon, a former Hpa Do Hla Aye administrator and a local volunteer were also arrested.

The military also carried out raids in Ward 1 to look for other suspected men. However, as before, after not finding the person they were looking for, the military detained a suspected male neighbor.

"They surrounded the house, carrying weapons. When no one was there, they took people from the house next door—for no reason", said a local resident.

On Friday, the Myanmar military regime again carried out raids and arrests on several houses in Hpa Do. Family members of those detained said they had no contact with relatives in junta custody.

"Why were they arrested? Where are they now? We don't know anything. There is absolutely nothing", said a family member. The military regime has not made any statement regarding the arrests.

The armed forces of the Myanmar military regime crushed a protest held in Hpa Do on March 27, now known as Anti-Fascist Revolution Day. At least one civilian was killed and many more injured. The momentum of the city's anti-dictatorship movement declined after the crackdown.

Separately, at least 10 people were arrested by regime forces after another explosion occurred on the Yangon-Mandalay railway line in Kanyutkwin Town, Bago, Myanmar on June 10.

For information, as of Sunday, June 20, the Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners (AAPP) recorded 872 civilians killed and 6.219 detained, with 5.033 of them still in detention since the coup of the Myanmar military regime on February 1.

Regarding Myanmar Coup, VOI editorial team continues to monitor the political situation in one of the ASEAN member countries. Civilian casualties continue to fall. You can follow the news about the Myanmar military coup by clicking this link.