One Killed, One Injured In Myanmar Bus Blast
YANGON (AFP)--One man was killed and another injured when a bomb went off aboard a passenger bus headed to Myanmar's main city, state media reported Tuesday.
The explosion took place at 8:50 am (0220 GMT) Monday, en route to the country's economic hub Yangon, according to the official The New Light of Myanmar newspaper.
"One passenger died and another was injured in an explosion on a bus en-route from Kyaukkyi to Yangon," the paper said, noting that authorities are investigating the blast.
The man who died was a 55-year-old named Khant, it said. A 46-year-old man named Pa Pa received a stomach injury in the blast which took place near Daik Oo town, 85 miles northeast of Yangon.
Authorities immediately blamed insurgents for the bombing.
"Insurgents have committed destructive acts to jeopardize the stability of the state, community peace and prevalence of law and order to cause panic among the people," the paper said.
The bus journey started in Kyaukkyi near the border of Karen state where ethnic rebels have battled for decades against the military regime, who have run Myanmar since 1962, for autonomy in their region.
Earlier this month a small bomb exploded at the offices of the pro-junta Union Solidarity and Development Association on the outskirts of Yangon, causing no injuries but blowing a hole in the wall of the building.
Myanmar faces scores of organized resistance groups. Such small explosions are usually blamed on ethnic rebels or exiled dissident groups.
Thai Embassy in Rangoon Bars for Burmese Seeking Visas
The Royal Thai Embassy in Rangoon has made it more difficult for Burmese nationals to visit Thailand, say recent visa seekers. “It is difficult for first-time applicants,” said one Burmese man who recently applied for a visa. “They have to submit information about everything they own—their homes, their cars, even their phones.”
In the past, applicants only had to show that they had US $600; now, he said, “If you want a Thai tourist visa, you have to show that you have assets valued at 1.8 million kyat ($1,525) or more.”
A Burmese national who recently arrived in Thailand confirmed that the embassy was not readily accepting visa applications, and was penalizing those who used fake documents by making them wait several months before they could reapply.
“Nowadays very few people are applying for Thai visas—far fewer than before Nargis,” she said, referring to the devastating cyclone that hit Burma on May 2-3. “When I went the Thai embassy, I saw just two people waiting for visas.”
According to other recent applicants, there have been long delays in the visa-issuing process for new applicants since the first week of May.
Rangoon travel agencies said that it was unclear if the problems reflected a shift in Thai foreign policy or were simply the result of a decision by embassy officials.
Monsak Jangariyawong, the first secretary of the Royal Thai Embassy in Rangoon, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that there has been no change in tourist-visa policy for new applicants.
“We haven’t changed any practice since Nargis,” he said. “When new applicants apply for Thai tourist visas, they are required to submit financial documents as before. We have been doing this for the past few years.”
Some Burmese observers have suggested that the Thai government may be worried about a possible influx of Burmese seeking employment due to the economic impact of Cyclone Nargis.
In the past, applicants only had to show that they had US $600; now, he said, “If you want a Thai tourist visa, you have to show that you have assets valued at 1.8 million kyat ($1,525) or more.”
A Burmese national who recently arrived in Thailand confirmed that the embassy was not readily accepting visa applications, and was penalizing those who used fake documents by making them wait several months before they could reapply.
“Nowadays very few people are applying for Thai visas—far fewer than before Nargis,” she said, referring to the devastating cyclone that hit Burma on May 2-3. “When I went the Thai embassy, I saw just two people waiting for visas.”
According to other recent applicants, there have been long delays in the visa-issuing process for new applicants since the first week of May.
Rangoon travel agencies said that it was unclear if the problems reflected a shift in Thai foreign policy or were simply the result of a decision by embassy officials.
Monsak Jangariyawong, the first secretary of the Royal Thai Embassy in Rangoon, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that there has been no change in tourist-visa policy for new applicants.
“We haven’t changed any practice since Nargis,” he said. “When new applicants apply for Thai tourist visas, they are required to submit financial documents as before. We have been doing this for the past few years.”
Some Burmese observers have suggested that the Thai government may be worried about a possible influx of Burmese seeking employment due to the economic impact of Cyclone Nargis.
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