Dozens of visitors arrested during wide scale raids in Insein Township
Wed 01 Oct 2008, IMNA
Dozens of visitors to Insein Township , in the former capital of Rangoon , were arrested last night during raids by police, soldiers and township Peace and Development Council officials.
Guests who had not already applied for permission to stay in Insein were arrested. Typically, visitors from outside a particular town are required to notify authorities upon their arrival, if they wish to stay over night.
People arrested were told they could pay between 2,000 and 10,000 kyat and be freed the next morning. Those who could not pay would face interrogation and between one week and on month’s detention. No one had been freed as of noon the day after the arrests.
“At least a hundred people were arrested at homes with guests that had not applied for permission,” an Insein resident told IMNA. “They forced residents to wait outside while authorities searched their homes. They were looking for explosives, but they found none.”
The searches followed two recent bombings in Rangoon . On September 21st, a bomb exploded outside the Tharmew police station. No one was injured. A few days later, on September 25th, a bomb exploded outside the Old City Hall building, wounding seven. Regime authorities say they have also been regularly finding bombs in public areas in Rangoon since the middle of September.
The government alleges that dissidents on the Thai-Burma border are responsible for the explosives, and have tightened security along the road from Rangoon to the new capital of Naypyidaw. Police in townships crossed by the road have been order to increase their vigilance, including Insein, Hlaing Thayar, and Shwepyitha Townships .
The shadowy Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors (VBSW), however, have taken credit for the bombings. VBSW also announced that it would be targeting regime authorities, and the group asked people to stay away from government employees during the anniversary of last year’s monk led demonstration against the regime.
In September 2007, at least thirty people were killed, more than seventy went missing and thousands arrested during the blood suppression of wide scale peaceful protests.
Wed 01 Oct 2008, IMNA
Dozens of visitors to Insein Township , in the former capital of Rangoon , were arrested last night during raids by police, soldiers and township Peace and Development Council officials.
Guests who had not already applied for permission to stay in Insein were arrested. Typically, visitors from outside a particular town are required to notify authorities upon their arrival, if they wish to stay over night.
People arrested were told they could pay between 2,000 and 10,000 kyat and be freed the next morning. Those who could not pay would face interrogation and between one week and on month’s detention. No one had been freed as of noon the day after the arrests.
“At least a hundred people were arrested at homes with guests that had not applied for permission,” an Insein resident told IMNA. “They forced residents to wait outside while authorities searched their homes. They were looking for explosives, but they found none.”
The searches followed two recent bombings in Rangoon . On September 21st, a bomb exploded outside the Tharmew police station. No one was injured. A few days later, on September 25th, a bomb exploded outside the Old City Hall building, wounding seven. Regime authorities say they have also been regularly finding bombs in public areas in Rangoon since the middle of September.
The government alleges that dissidents on the Thai-Burma border are responsible for the explosives, and have tightened security along the road from Rangoon to the new capital of Naypyidaw. Police in townships crossed by the road have been order to increase their vigilance, including Insein, Hlaing Thayar, and Shwepyitha Townships .
The shadowy Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors (VBSW), however, have taken credit for the bombings. VBSW also announced that it would be targeting regime authorities, and the group asked people to stay away from government employees during the anniversary of last year’s monk led demonstration against the regime.
In September 2007, at least thirty people were killed, more than seventy went missing and thousands arrested during the blood suppression of wide scale peaceful protests.
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