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Australia officials seek access to



Australia officials seek access to hostage in Myan 
12:32 a.m. Mar 29, 1998 Eastern 
MELBOURNE, March 29 (Reuters) - Australian officials said on Sunday they
were concerned about an Australian citizen who they believed had been
abducted on the Thai-Myanmar (Burma) border. 

Artist Nicholas Cheesman, 28, was believed to have been forced into Myanmar
with a Thai colleague last Friday by the pro-Myanmar government Democratic
Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), said a spokesman for the Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade. 

According to press reports quoting Thai military officials, 

Cheesman had been taking pictures of a DKBA camp that had been 

shelled by the opposition Karen National Union. 

``We are concerned for the safety and welfare of Mr Cheesman and are in
close contact with Thai and Burmese authorities,'' the foreign affairs
spokesman said, speaking from Canberra. 

``Our staff in Bangkok are seeking consular access to Mr Cheesman and an
officer will go to the area as soon as it's practicably possible,'' he said.
^REUTERS@ 

Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited.