US embassy cable - 05RANGOON549

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000549 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, DS/IP/EA,; CA/OCS; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINS, PTER, ASEC, CASC, BM 
SUBJECT: RANGOON TRIPLE BOMBINGS: MAY 9 SITREP 
 
REF: RANGOON 542 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: DCM Ronald K. McMullen for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
1. (C) Summary:  Two days following the May 7 triple bombing, 
Rangoon is quiet, but city residents are in a state of shock 
over the carefully coordinated explosions that targeted 
crowded areas frequented by affluent Burmese as well as by 
foreign residents.  The GOB has not altered its casualty 
figures (11 dead and 162 wounded), but the actual toll could 
be at least as high as 25 dead and well over 200 wounded. 
All official Americans have been accounted for and there were 
no known Amcits among the casualties.  Although U.S. mission 
personnel and other diplomats frequent the two grocery stores 
at the bombing sites, there is no evidence that American 
citizens were specifically targeted.  The GOB's reaction has 
been telling: focus on security, leave trauma care to the 
overwhelmed and under-equipped public hospitals, and seize 
the opportunity for political gain by quickly blaming regime 
opponents.  End Summary. 
 
Quiet - but Shocked 
------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) Rangoon is quiet two days after three deadly 
explosions rocked the city on May 7.  The three bombing sites 
(a trade center and two shopping complexes) remain shuttered 
and heavily guarded, and authorities have closed or tightly 
restricted access to other major shopping centers and public 
venues.  However, most commercial activity resumed on May 9 
for a typical Monday morning in Rangoon and the city had a 
distinctive "business as usual" atmosphere. 
 
3. (SBU) Despite the appearance of normalcy, however, city 
residents are in a state of shock after the triple bombings. 
Previous bombings in the capital and at upcountry locations, 
at least in recent years, have typically involved 
homemade-style explosives resulting in minimal loss of life 
and damage.  The May 7 triple bombings, however, were large, 
carefully coordinated blasts that targeted crowded areas 
frequented by middle- and upper-class Burmese, as well as by 
diplomats and other foreign residents. 
 
Casualties and Chaos 
-------------------- 
 
4. (C) The GOB has not altered its preliminary casualties 
figures (11 dead and 162 wounded).  However, police and 
hospital sources indicate that the actual toll is likely 
higher (at least 16 confirmed dead and over 200 wounded) and, 
taking into consideration those victims who have subsequently 
succumbed to serious injuries, fatalities may exceed 25 dead. 
 
 
5. (SBU) According to eye-witnesses, the explosions 
immediately led to chaos at the blast sites, where body parts 
and twisted wreckage made rescue a challenge.  Eye-witnesses 
also observed that while the GOB responded quickly with 
security forces and riot police, the official emergency 
response was paltry and most victims were rushed to local 
hospitals with taxis and private vehicles. 
 
6. (SBU) The focal point for emergency care has been 
Rangoon's General Hospital, which is the GOB's only 
non-military medical facility equipped to handle massive 
trauma.  However, the hospital apparently reached maximum 
capacity at 90 patients and other victims were directed to a 
half dozen other government hospitals.  Several sources have 
told Emboffs that security officials warned private clinics 
not to treat serious cases because the bombings were viewed 
as politically motivated, intimating that the GOB wanted full 
control of the emergency response. 
 
No Know Amcit Targets or Victims 
-------------------------------- 
 
7. (SBU) According to Embassy sources, several foreigners 
were slightly wounded, including the son of the Cambodian 
ambassador and possibly a Malaysian citizen and several 
Koreans.  All official Americans, including faculty at the 
U.S. mission-affiliated International School Yangon (ISY), 
have been accounted for and there were no known Amcits among 
the casualties.  There were, however, several "close calls," 
as U.S. mission personnel and other diplomats frequent the 
two City Mart grocery stores that were bombed.  There is no 
evidence, however, that American citizens were specifically 
targeted in the bombings. 
 
8. (SBU) The May 7 bombings instantly created speculation 
about possible motives (septel) and fed rumors about 
additional, thwarted bombings at other shopping centers.  GOB 
sources deny that any explosive devices were discovered 
elsewhere in Rangoon.  On May 8, two of Rangoon's largest 
hotels (Inya Lake and Traders) apparently received bomb 
threats, but security officials found nothing suspicious at 
either location and both hotels remained opened for business. 
 
Comment:  First Thing's First 
----------------------------- 
 
9. (C)  From a crisis management perspective, the GOB's 
reaction to the triple bombing left much to be desired. 
Emboffs and contacts who visited the blast sites within the 
first hour after the explosions were struck by the presence 
of hundreds of riot police and armed soldiers, but observed a 
total of two fire trucks and less than half a dozen 
ambulances activated for the entire crisis.  End Comment. 
Martinez