A bomb targeting a jewellery store owned by a member of Myanmar’s ruling junta exploded in downtown Yangon on Thursday, according to sources in the area.
One employee of the Shwe Nan Daw jewellery store, located at the intersection of Mahabandoola and Lanmadaw roads in Lanmadaw Township, was injured in the attack, staff at neighbouring shops told Myanmar Now.
The Shwe Nan Daw jewellery store is owned by Thet Thet Khine, the regime’s minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement. It was the second time in less than a month that a property linked to the minister has been bombed.
On June 17, C4 explosives were used to damage the foundation of the 68 Residence condominium building, a high-end development project owned by members of her family.
An urban guerrilla group claimed responsibility for that attack, which it said had done substantial damage to the building.
It was still unclear at the time of reporting who carried out Thursday’s attack. The regime has not released an official statement regarding the incident.
Thet Thet Khine was appointed as one of the regime’s few civilian members soon after the military seized power on February 1.
She was previously a member of the Pyithu Hluttaw, elected in 2015 to represent Yangon’s Dagon Township as a National League for Democracy (NLD) candidate.
She later left the NLD over differences with its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and formed her own party, the People’s Pioneer Party (PPP), which failed to win a single seat in last year’s election.
There have been almost daily attacks on junta-related businesses in Yangon in recent weeks, including explosions at four different locations on July 3, the birthday of coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
The People’s Defence Force of Yangon has confirmed that it carried out those attacks, which targeted Music Zone KTV, a Mytel showroom, and a Shwe Man Thu bus, all businesses linked to the regime.
A police station in Yangon’s Kamaryut Township was the fourth target.
