Myanmar coup: Military junta blames shadow government for bus stop incident

Myanmar’s military continues its regime over the people for more than a year since it seized power from the elected government. Following a deadly bombing at a bus stop, the junta blamed the shadow government for the incident.

Reuters reports the Myanmar junta blamed the members of the shadow government who opposed the rule of the generals for the bombing at a bus stop in downtown Yangon Tuesday. Two people were killed, and seven were injured in the bombing, according to the junta’s spokesperson Zaw Min Tun in a news briefing.

Zaw Min Tun alleged that the bomber was linked to the shadow government and was among those who were killed in the blast. Zaw Min Tun did not provide evidence to back up the claims.

The incident comes amidst a time of civil and political unrest since the generals took power over the country, ousting Aung San Suu Kyi and members of the elected government in February last year. The military engaged in a bloody crackdown on the peaceful protests against the generals, killing hundreds and detaining thousands.

No group claimed responsibility for the blast, but the state media outlet the Global New Light of Myanmar said the bomb was planted by PDF or People’s Defense Force “terrorists.”

Armed members of the PDF are spreading across the country to fight back against the military. The United Nations has also condemned the Myanmar military for its atrocities against civilians.

The shadow government, the National Unity Government, condemned the incident. The NUG’s spokesperson accused the junta of staging the bombing to pin the blame on the shadow government.

In May, the NUG was able to engage with foreign diplomats as Malaysian foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah met with his Myanmar NUG counterpart, Zin Mar Aung. Both diplomats met on the sidelines of the US-ASEAN summit in Washington. Myanmar junta leaders were excluded from the summit, and a non-political envoy represented the country instead.

Malaysia “stands ready to work towards restoring peace and democracy in Myanmar,” tweeted Abdullah.

“We took the opportunity to exchange views on latest developments in Myanmar, where Minister Zin shared insights as well as challenges faced by NUG, including humanitarian assistance, technical training, and education for Myanmar refugees,” said Abdullah.