The information Committee of the State Peace and Development Council held a Press Conference 4/2005 concerning Foreign currency, formation of Shan State provisional Government and declaration of Shan State independence by expatriate Sao Hkam Hpa and accomplices, conspiracies of terrorist groups such as SSA led by Ywet Sit, KNU, KNPP, NCUB, NCGUB and ABSDF and their deceitful, terrorist and destructive acts at the Ministry of Information Sunday where Minister for Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Director-General of Myanmar Police Force Police Brig-Gen Khin Yee, journalists from foreign and local news agencies and invited guests attended the conference.
First, Deputy Minister for Finance and Revenue Col. Hla Thein Swe explained about the facts on foreign currency.
Next, Chairman of the Information Committee of the State Peace and Development Council, Minister for Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan made clarifications, saying that destructive act of expatriate Sao Hkam Hpa and group did not occur recently. It did not occur solely and separately. It came out of reliance upon external elements and as masterminded by external elements. It was one of the consequences from the series of destructive acts directed by external elements. In other words, it was a consequence of the plan of SSA led by Ywet Sit, SNLD and Shan State Intellectuals Advisory Council for establishing a separate Shan State. These points have also been clarified at the press conference No. 3/2005.
Their plan was aimed at attacking the Government by tripartite group of above-ground elements, underground elements and expatriates. The above-ground plan was to form the Shan State Intellectuals Advisory Council initially and then to form similar councils in the remaining six states. These councils were aimed to launch political attacks against the Government.
The underground plan was to launch military attack against the Government by SSA led by Ywet Sit, KNU, KNPP, NCUB, NCGUB, ABSDF and other terrorist groups simultaneously with the above-ground attack.
Sao Hkam Hpa and accomplices deceitfully declared that they were supported by 48 out of 56 townships in Shan State; 85 percent of the population of Shan State and they had made field trips to grassroots level to gain such support through difficulties. In addition, they also created false ceremonies to mislead the world that the people of Shan State supported the formation of Shan State provisional Government and declaration of Shan State independence.
The customs of Shan nationals are to pay respect to spiritual beings on second and third days of New Year and to hold collective novitiation ceremonies. By exploiting such opportunities deceitfully, Saw Sein of SSA summoned villagers of Wan Haint, Wan Hti and Wan Li village-tracts of Laikha Township on 18th April 2005 to come to Wan Pan village to pay respectsss to spiritual beings. A person from each household was summoned to come to the ceremony bringing along firearms.
Hence, the villagers went to Wan Pan village on 18th April 2005 morning. When about 500 villagers arrived there, about 50 armed terrorists of 758 battalion of SSA led by Mein Hsin in mufti came out from hiding places suddenly and surrounded them. They, the terrorists forced U Zawana of Wan Pan village, U Sai Twee of Tetmauk village, U Nandaw (a) U Lon Hein of Naung Yasai village and Thiri Mingala monastery Sayadaw Samnaw (a) U Tezeinda to read out on the stage the declaration of Shan State independence and formation of Shan State provisional Government led by Nyaungshwe Sawbwa’s son Sao Hkam Hpa and the public support to it.
The entire national people are rejecting and denouncing the attack of expatriate Sao Hkam Hpa and cohorts. The 758 battalion of SSA led by Mein Hsin fabricated false recommendations of residential national races and sent to Ywet Sit of SSA. To explode mines in urban areas, the explosives and exploding techniques were sent to Mein Hsin by SSA headquarters based in Loitaing Lian camp.
The Tatmadaw regional battalions are now in hot pursuit of terrorist SSA 758 battalion and thus the people should have no worry.
Then, he dealt with matters relating to underground attack including planting of mines by SSA led by Ywet Sit, KNU, KNPP, NCUB, NCGUB, ABSDF and other terrorist groups.
While the above-ground elements formed Shan State Intellectuals Advisory Council above-ground, the underground elements formed the Ethnic Nationalities Solidarity and Cooperation Committee (ENSCC). The Chairman of ENSCC is Phado Saw Ba Thin of KNU.
ENC under ENSCC was formed with other national races excluding Bamars and its Chairman is KNU Vice-Chairman Tamalar Baw. The one who sponsored and gave advice to ENSCC and ENC to launch anti-Government activities, winning international recognition and obtaining funds was Han Nyaungshwe. He is a younger brother of expatriate Sao Kham Hpa and he is a director of Euro Burma based in Brussels of Belgium.
Although the destructive elements are committing terrorist acts under various names, ENSCC and all of its member groups are comprised with those same persons. These groups simultaneously launched terrorist acts in accordance with the tripartite attack plan.
According to the information received, ABSDF, DPNS (Democratic Party for New Society), PLF (People’s Liberation Front) and other terrorist groups would send saboteurs into Myanmar in March. They had plots to explode mines at crowded venues of ceremonies. Information was received that they would bring along mine slabs measuring 8 inches in length and 7.5 inches in breadth, hidden in toy boxes and other consumer items.
The information received was significant and important. Some members of terrorist groups at border areas were given training on blasting explosives at the border of the neighbouring country under the sponsorship of a world famous organization of a super power nation beginning on second week of December 2004. That world famous organization provided 100,000 US dollars from the account heading of assisting refugees to expatriate Sein Win of NCGUB based in Washington.
The saboteurs were to blow up explosives simultaneously in collaboration with hard-core UGs in the country.
The persons who gave close supervision to that group were Pyithit Nyunt Wai (a) Maung Maung of NCUB, Aung Moe Zaw of DPNS, Tin Oo and Lwan Ni of National League for Democracy (LA). ABSDF Ko Ko Naing and other saboteurs were assigned duties to explode mines and a tip off has been received that Ko Ko Naing had entered into the country.
Likewise, on 23rd March 2005 two foreigners and a foreign correspondent provided training on blowing up mines at Zala camp of KNU brigade-6 at the border area. The training course was attended by some 20 persons. Of them some were holders of refugee cards and some were from National League for Democracy (LA), DPNS and ABSDF. After completion of the training course, saboteurs were to infiltrate into Myanmar and blast explosives at major places with the aim of harming Myanmar’s relations with international community.
Another information was received that the KNU saboteur group led by Htein Lin and Kyaw Moe reached Mawlamyine via Minletpan-Kawkareik jungle route. The saboteur group brought in five big mines and other small mines to explode Thanlwin River Bridge (Mawlamyine) as well as some places in Yangon.
According to the information received, a group led by Ko Ko Naing of ABSDF who exploded mines at three places in Yangon on 7th May 2005 was directed to retreat to Zala camp in a neighbouring country on 11th May 2005 via Shwekyin-Kyaukkyi-Mwetawywa of Bago Division, Kyaukhnyut-Nathmaw of Kayin State and Alugyi-Alulay Kayin Village between Kyaikhto and Bilin in Mon State.
The saboteur group led by Ko Ko Naing was to blast explosives continuously on 9th and 10th May in Yangon if the conditions permitted. Their route to retreat would be guarded by insurgents of KNU brigade-3 and brigade-1.
In the afternoon of 7th May 2005, time bombs went off consecutively at three crowded places in Yangon. Evidences were collected from the incidental places.
These items were examined separately by the technical survey team at laboratories of three departments. The examinations were made with unknown material test procedures, water-soluble test, acetone soluble test and melting point test. The results show that the cordite used in the bombs could neither be TNT (trinitrotoluene) nor AN (ammonium nitrate) nor PETN (pantaerythrite Tetra nitrate) but RDX (Research Department Explosive).
The RDX cannot be produced in Myanmar and it cannot be available in the country. It is produced in super power nations.
So, it is crystal clear that the terrorists, who detonated three time-bombs in three busy shopping places in Yangon on 7th May 2005, the cordite, and the time-bombs were originated from the training on blowing up explosives conducted with foreign experts at a place in a neighbouring country by a world famous organization of a certain super power nation.
Continuing he said that Prime Minister Lt-Gen Soe Win, Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Thein Sein and responsible personnel visited the scenes of incidents and hospitals and gave encouragement, clothes, goods and medicines to the victims and their families.
Moreover, social organizations and well-wishers visited hospitals and gave encouragement, cash and medicines to the victims. While the Government, social organizations and well-wishers are providing cash and kind to the victims out of genuine goodwill, the national people in Shan State held mass rallies to unanimously denounce cruel and inhumane terrorist acts of 7th May 2005. The Union Solidarity and Development Association also held Youth Seminar to denounce the inhumane 7th May 2005 terrorist bomb blast. Likewise, 54 millions population of the Union and social organizations are also denouncing the terrorist acts.
As the Government has made public security arrangements to the best of its ability, people can do their daily business without having any anxiety. Moreover, the people should not believe rumours that are likely to surface and spread at this time.
The people should always watch the terrorists with security awareness, as they may disguise themselves as ordinary people to commit harmful acts. The people should inform the security personnel immediately if they see any suspicious looking stranger or object in the surrounding areas.
Next, Minister for Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan, Minister for Home Affairs Maj-Gen Maung Oo, Minister for Finance and Revenue Maj-Gen Hla Tun, Deputy Minister for Health Dr. Mya Oo and Director-General of Myanmar Police Force, police Brig-Gen Khin Yee answered queries raised by journalists and the press conference came to an end.
Later, local and foreign journalists and officials observed the record-photos on casualties, injuries and damages caused by bomb explosions.
