Myanmar defence minister promises further probe into border bombing

Kuala Lumpur, March 16: Myanmar’s Defence Minister Wai Lwin said on Monday that his government will conduct further investigations into the bombing incident across the Myanmar-Chi border which left five Chinese citizens dead and eight others injured last week. Wai Lwin, who is attending a three-day Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Langkawi, Malaysia, said that the Myanmar government has expressed condolences to the victims of the bombing, Xinhua news agency reported. Speaking at a press conference, he said an investigation commission will be formed to find out the root cause of the incident.

“Myanmar and Chi have maintained very good neighbourly relations and friendly relationship for many years, and we adhere to the principles of very peaceful relationship and hope to ease the border tension with support of diplomatic arrangements,” he said.

On March 13, a bomb dropped by a Myanmar warplane hit a sugarcane field in the border city of Lincang, Chi’s southwestern Yunn province, killing five people and injuring eight others working there in the afternoon.

Vice Chairman of Chi’s Central Military Commission Fan Changlong has warned that no further deadly stray fire incidents should happen or the Chinese military would take “firm and decisive action” to protect the safety of its people.

He also urged Myanmar to punish the perpetrators and apologise to and compensate the families of the victims. Chi’s air force has sent fighter jets to patrol over the Chi-Myanmar border areas to “track, monitor, warn and chase away” Myanmar military planes flying close to Chi. Relations between Chi and Myanmar, sharing a border of over 2,000 km, have been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. (IANS)