Myanmar expresses regret over border bombing incident

A child stands between people who fled from the conflict zone as they line up for food at a monastery which is being set as temporary refugee camp in Lashio, Myanmar, Feb 18, 2015. [Photo/IC]

YANGON - Myanmar on Sunday openly responded for the first time to Friday's bombing incident across the Myanmar- China border which left five Chinese citizens dead and eight others injured in China's southwestern Yunnan province.

According to Myanmar's state radio and TV, the government expressed regret over the incident, saying that Myanmar authorities are cooperating with the Chinese side through diplomatic channel to uncover the truth of the incident.

A Myanmar delegation has entered the Chinese territory for a join investigation into the incident.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin summoned Myanmar Ambassador Thit Linn Ohn in Beijing Friday night, lodging solemn representations to him after a bomb dropped by a Myanmar warplane hit a sugarcane field in the border city of Lincang, Yunnan, killing five people and injuring eight others working there in the afternoon.

Liu urged the Myanmar side to thoroughly investigate the case and inform the Chinese side of the result.

Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Yang Houlan on Saturday also lodged the same urgent and solemn representation to the Myanmar government and military.

Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Fan Changlong also urged Myanmar to punish the perpetrators and apologize to and compensate the families of the victims.