Agence France Presse

Bangkok, May 16:

Thailand expressed surprise today over military-ruled Myanmar’s accusation that the kingdom may have supplied explosives used in Yangon bomb blasts that left at least 19 people dead.

The reclusive state’s junta said military-grade explosives unavailable in Myanmar were used in the May 7 triple bombing, and blamed foreign-trained “terrorists”, including a group near the Thai border at an ethnic Karen rebel camp, for the attacks.

Brigadier General Kyaw Hsan, Myanmar’s information minister, told a press conference yesterday the explosive, RDX, “is found in a neighboring country,” apparently referring to Thailand.

“We are surprised by the statement,” Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told reporters in Bangkok. “Thailand has no policy to interfere in neighbouring countries’ domestic affairs,” he added. “We do not allow anyone to use Thai soil to attack neighbouring countries.”

He also said Yangon was perfectly capable of using diplomatic channels to express their positions, or to seek assistance from Thailand in investigating the worst bomb blasts in the Myanmar capital in decades, but had failed to do so.