[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
THE NATION: Volunteer workers may f
- Subject: THE NATION: Volunteer workers may f
- From: suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 02 Apr 1998 16:58:00
Politics
Volunteer workers may
face charges
TAK -- The Australian and Thai volunteer
workers released after being held captive
by the Rangoon-backed Democratic Karen
Buddhist Army (DKBA) may face charges
of illegally leaving Thailand if it is proved
they crossed into Burma voluntarily and
were not forced at gunpoint by the DKBA
as previously reported.
Their release was yesterday welcomed with
relief by the Australian government but
contradicting accounts over how the pair
entered Burma irked the Thai Army.
Soldiers from the DKBA delivered Nick
Cheesman and his Thai colleague
Ngamsuk Rattanasathien to local
authorities at Baan Wang Kaew in Tambon
Pa-am, Mae Sot district on Wednesday
after spending five nights at the DKBA's
guerrilla base.
Army chief Gen Chettha Thanajaro
yesterday accused the Australian of almost
causing an ''international accident'' after he
was reportedly abducted by a
Burma-based ethnic guerrilla force last
week.
''This sort of situation could easily get out of
hand and cause an international conflict,''
Chettha said.
''The Australian involved has unreservedly
apologised to Thailand but I think Australian
officials feel guilty that one of their citizens
caused such a problem.''
He said Cheesman, 28, and Ngamsuk, 30,
from the initial investigation, were
suspected of breaching Thai law by leaving
the country without permission and could
face charges.
Pol Maj Col Banja Pluang, chief of Tak
immigration bureau said their
investigations were still incomplete. He
said if the two were found guilty as charged
by the military, they will face both jail terms
and fines.
Police and customs investigations were
under way into the exact circumstances of
Cheesman's disappearance and a report
would be delivered soon, Chettha said.
Thai military officers earlier said Cheesman
and his colleague had not been abducted
but had willingly accepted an invitation to
wade across the shallow river. But
Cheesman maintained yesterday that he
and his colleague had been taken against
their will but had not been mistreated.
In a statement made to the Australian
Associated Press, Cheesman said: ''At no
time did we have the opportunity to return of
our own accord. In no way were we
mistreated during our detention by the
DKBA.
The Nation, Agencies