April 28: The Vigorous Burmese Students Warriors (VBSW), a secretive underground Burmese group said it was not responsible for recent bomb blast at Mandalay Zegyo Market and denounced the action.

VBSW said it did not do anything to harm innocent Burmese civilians and would never do such an action in the future, according to a statement issued on 28 April.

It added its main purpose is to damage the interests of Burma’s military junta, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and said the latest tragedy is the responsibility of the junta.

At least two people were killed and 15 injured by the blast which occurred just before the trading stopped in the late afternoon of 26 April. The junta blamed insurgent destructive elements without giving any specification.

“The subversive act was committed by a group of insurgent destructive elements who wanted to disturb and destroy stability of State, community peace and tranquillity and prevalence of law and order already in place in the nation,” the official New Light of Myanmar said on 27 April.