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89,90 Press Reports on Bomb At SLOR



Subject: 89,90 Press Reports on Bomb At SLORC Embassy in Tokyo 

Dear Friends:

           As ISBDA had received several requests for information about 
the "SLORC's Time Bomb in Tokyo' case, I decided to post a series of 
press reports on the regime's bomb plantation tactics at own home. In 
fact, as most Burmese know, this is not a new imposture of Burmese 
military regime. It is being used since 1970s. But, I posted the old 
press cuttings in a belief that these worth repeating at this moment if 
history tends to teach  better understanding of current issues.

                         Sincerely yours,
                                                     Kyaw Tint
************************************************************************

                          MYANMAR  EMBASSY  BOMB  MADE  OF  C4
                          (Mainichi Daily News, November 15, 1989)

       A time bomb planted at the Myanmar Embassy in Tokyo was identified 
Tuesday as a powerful plastic explosive known as "C4" used by military 
forces, and terrorists, around the world.
       An embassy official called police after finding the strange object 
on the first floor of the embassy building in Shinagawa-ku Monday morning.
       Shaped and even smelling like a bar of soap, the explosive weighed 
600 grams, powerful enough to blow up three jumbo jets, police said. The 
square object measured 10 by 10 by 6.6 centimeters.
       The explosive device was fitted with  a percussion cap connected 
to an alarm clock and a 9-volt battery. It was wrapped in a Myanmar 
newspaper and a black plastic bag, and planted at the embassy in a box, 
police said.
        The same type of explosive was used in an attempt to assassinate 
former South Korean President Chun Doo Hwan in 1983 when he visited 
Yangon (formerly Rangoon), the capital of Myanmar, police added.

*****************************************************

         CALLER  SAYS  HE  PLACED  BOMB  OUTSIDE  MYANMAR  EMBASSY
                            (The Japan Times, November 16, 1989) 

        An anonymous male caller telephoned The Japan Times Wednesday to 
take credit for planting the time bomb that was discovered  around 6:45 
a.m. Monday near the rear entrance of the Myanmar Embassy in Tokyo. 
         Speaking in English with what seemed to be an Asian accent, the 
man also said his group planted two other bombs at the "Burmese" Embassy. 
         The two bombs are set to blow up an hour apart starting at 5 
p.m. Wednesday, said the caller, who claimed to be a member of the 
"Democratic Liberation."
         He said the group's action is aimed at freeing  its leaders, who 
are being held prisoner in Myanmar. 
         Police were immediately informed of the call.

*******************************************************

            MYANMAR   EMBASSY  TIME   BOMB   STILL  UNEXPLAINED
                      (Mainichi Daily News, February 10, 1990)

          A counselor from the Myanmar Embassy in Tokyo asked by police 
for cooperation in connection with a time bomb placed in the embassy 
grounds last November has told the Foreign Ministry he is to return home 
on next Thursday, it was learned Friday. 
          The 48-year-old counselor told police he had been out jogging 
when he found the bomb in a black plastic bag at the door of the 
ambassador's  residence in the embassy compound in the morning on Nov. 
13, police said. 
          The counselor threw the bag into vacant land near the embassy, 
but it did not explode as the timing device in the bomb broke on impact, 
police said.
          Police interviewed the counselor several times immediately 
after the incident.
          Police later learned that the time bomb was made of powerful  
plastic bomb for military use, called "Composition 4."
          Police also learned that the plastic bomb was not made in Japan 
and that the detonator was  a product of a Southeast Asian country.
          As a result of intensive investigations, police had requested 
the counselor to give a further explanation on the case in late January. 
          But the embassy rejected the request, claiming diplomatic 
immunity, police sources said. 
           Police suspect the time bomb case might reflect the 
complicated political situation in Myanmar under the current military 
regime, the sources said.

**************************************************************

                  RECALCITRANT  MYANMAR  ENVOY  RETURNS  HOME
                           (Mainichi Daily News, February 17, 1990)

   A Myanmar diplomat who was asked to cooperate with police questioning 
here in connection with his discovery of a time bomb in the Myanmar 
Embassy in Tokyo last year left for home Thursday morning. 
   U Tun Ngwe, a counselor at the Myanmar, reported he had found a time 
bomb within the embassy compound in Tokyo's Shinagawa-ku on Nov. 13 last 
year.
   He was asked by the Metropolitan Police Department to appear for 
questioning to help the police inquiries into the incident, but refused 
to do so, citing diplomatic immunity.
      The envoy's return home forced police to virtually end their 
investigation into the incident.
       Police said they regarded U Tun Ngwe as a key person in the 
incident, as no other embassy staff member saw the time bomb, made of 
plastic explosive for military use called Composition 4, before he found 
it.
       Police said they also believed no other persons could have entered 
the embassy compound  from outside. 
       They said the bomb was made from different components from those 
used by the Japan's Self Defense Forces and its electric detonator was a 
product of Southeast Asia.

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KT
ISBDA