APRIL 7 SITREP: IED INCIDENT AT INTERNATIONAL

UNCLAS RANGOON 000471 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, DS/IP/RD/EAP, DS/IP/ITA, DS/ICI/PII, CA/OCS/EAP, AND A/OPR/OS; BANGKOK FOR RSO AND COMPANY C E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PTER PGOV BM SUBJECT: APRIL 7 SITREP: IED INCIDENT AT INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL REF: RANGOON 463 (NOTAL) ¶1. (U) Embassy personnel spent April 7 following up on the April 6 discovery and dismantling of an improvised explosive device (IED) on the campus of the USG-sponsored International School of Yangon (ISY). The device was packed with what local security personnel determined was 1.5 pounds of explosive material (reftel). The device did not detonate and there were no injuries. ¶2. (SBU) The A/RSO spoke this morning with faculty and staff at the ISY campus and spent the rest of the day--joined by DEA officers, NEC Site Security Manager, and RSO OMS--conducting interviews with ISY students at an off-campus site (the Embassy-sponsored American Club). A/RSO will report septel with details on the ongoing investigation. Among other activities today: --Local GOB security officials interviewed faculty and staff at ISY. We provided several Embassy staff to be present during these interviews; --The local teacher who discovered the IED on April 6 (reftel) informed Burmese police officials that he had seen an Amcit substitute teacher in the vicinity of the locker room where the device was found. Local police, under the incorrect impression that the Amcit planned to depart Burma on April 7, held him for questioning and searched his apartment. CONS chief gained access to the Amcit, who was released at 4:00 p.m. local (septel will provide more details); --ISY issued a letter to ISY parents providing basic information and notice of a meeting with parents regarding security issues on April 18, the day that ISY is scheduled to resume classes; --The Bangkok Post broke the IED story by mid-afternoon on April 7 and ISY subsequently received several press inquiries. For the time being, ISY is referring to the IED as "a suspicious device" and being careful not to get out in front of local authorities. On April 6, senior military officials had expressed to ISY administrators their desire that the issue be "kept quiet;" --On April 6 and 7, we contacted eleven Rangoon-based diplomatic missions with citizens who attend the ISY middle and high schools to inform them of the incident and apprise them of the student interview process. All missions expressed cooperation; --The Australian Embassy offered us law enforcement assistance and will share any information they gain from GOB sources. The British Embassy informed us that, per standard UK practice, HMG would issue a travel notice informing the British public about the IED incident; --Our consular section issued a Warden Message informing Amcits of the incident; we also informed all Embassy employees. --Also on April 7, local security officials visited at least two other international schools in Rangoon ("YIS" and "YIEC") and conducted thorough searches, finding nothing suspicious. ¶3. (U) RSO and Embassy officers (including ISY Board members) will meet with ISY administrators on April 10 to discuss immediate and medium-term measures to tighten campus access and improve overall security. VILLAROSA