Myanmar Spring Chronicle – December 18 Scenes
MoeMaKa, December 19 2022
Bomb explosion on a ferry ship in Dala, Yangon
On the night of December 18th, a bomb exploded on the ‘Cherry Ship’ owned by the Department of Maritime Administration, which was running to and from Dala, a suburb township on the other side of Yangon, and Pansodan, in the center of Yangon. The news reported that at least 5 people died and more than 10 were injured in that incident.
While the residents of the villages in Sagaing are fleeing from their homes, air strikes are taking place in Karen State, and battles with the military council troops are taking place in the northern Shan regions and Kachin State, the explosion occurred on a ferry ship that was returning to Dala from Yangon after coming to work during the day.
Last May, a bomb explosion occurred at the crowded Barr Street Bus Stop in Yangon, resulting in deaths and serious injuries. Again, in October, an explosion occurred at the reception counter at the entrance gate of Insein Prison, killing family members of political prisoners and prison staff.
Currently, no group has revealed responsibility for the explosion on the Dala-Yangon ferry ship, but the military council is likely to accuse PDF and urban guerrillas in the city of carrying out the bomb explosion.
While the military council is attacking the armed resistance in the rural regions using the scorched-earth system, some PDF guerrilla forces often attack the outposts and bomb the offices and government buildings to prevent the military council troops from ruling over the cities.
Many anti-military council activists criticized the STA, an urban guerrilla group that claimed responsibility for the explosion at the reception counter at the entrance of Insein Prison.
Most of the casualties from the bomb explosion on that ferry ship were civilians, and the explosion occurred when they came back from work at daytime in Yangon to Dala.
It is also necessary to watch out to see whether the bomb blast on a ferry ship where civilians, manual laborers, and grassroots travel was a filthy act by the military council to make the situation complicated and to defame the PDF. It is also questionable whether the bombing of the ferry ship used by civilians and the grassroots was carried out on purpose, given that most of explosions are done by urban guerrilla forces.
On the other hand, the fact that bombings and assassinations were used as a method by urban guerillas, now provides an opportunity to blame the ferry ship bombing as their handiwork.
After a year of the Spring Revolution, I think it is necessary to review the methods and strategies that have been used thus far in order to achieve the political goal as soon as possible. I think it is time to discuss and find ways to organize the armed forces of the urban guerrilla groups, villages, and towns that are divided into small groups.