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