A high-end condominium project owned by the family of a junta cabinet member was bombed on Thursday morning, in the latest of a series of attacks on pro-regime targets.
The construction site of the 68 Residence luxury condominium project in Yangon’s Bahan Township was hit by an explosion at around 5am on Thursday, sources said.
An anti-regime group calling itself the Yangon Urban Guerrilla Group claimed responsibility for the blast, which it said was designed to inflict maximum damage to the foundation of the building.
A member of the group said that C4 explosives were used in the attack, which had been carefully planned for over a month.
“It will have to be rebuilt from the start because we bombed the foundation. If the owners lie and say it doesn’t need such a restart, the buyers will suffer,” he said, noting that the group includes a number of engineers.
A resident of Bahan who lives near the construction site, which is located at the corner of Kabar Aye Pagoda and Sayar San roads, said he heard the explosion but didn’t feel any tremors.
The guerrilla group also claimed responsibility for the shooting on May 22 of three soldiers guarding a high school in Yangon’s Thingangyun Township. One soldier was killed in that attack.
The 27-floor 68 Residence was one of several controversial high-rise projects approved under Yangon Region’s former chief minister, Phyo Min Thein, who was ousted by the February 1 coup.
The main backer of the project is Thet Thet Khine, who was appointed by the regime to be its minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement.
The former lower house MP for Dagon Township in Yangon was a member of the National League for Democracy (NLD) until her resignation in 2019.
She later went on to found her own party, the People’s Pioneer Party (PPP), with former military officers and ultranationalists. The party failed to win any seats in last year’s election.
Her family also owns the Shwe Nan Taw jewelry shop, one of the largest jewelry retailers in the country.
Attacks targeting regime forces and junta-appointed officials have occurred on an almost daily basis in recent weeks, as the military continues to tighten its grip on power after ousting Myanmar’s NLD-led civilian government.
