Three Frenchmen!!!!

[dawnstar@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

THREE FRENCHMEN HELD IN THAI EMBASSY 
> 
> Friday, October 1, 1999 Published at 10:50 GMT 11:50 UK
> World: Asia-Pacific
> 
>  gunmen demand releases all political prisoners
> 
> The Burmese opposition flag is hoisted onto the embassy's mast
> 
> Gunmen holding a number of diplomats, staff and more than a dozen
> foreigners
> hostage at the Burmese embassy in Bangkok have issued a list of demands
> calling on the Burmese Government to free all political prisoners.
> 
> In a facsimile statement to a TV station in the Thai capital, the group
> calling itself the Vigorous Burmese Students Warriors said the military
> government in Rangoon would be responsible for the consequences if it
> did
> not accede to their demands.
> 
> The statement also demanded that the government enter into talks with
> the
> Burmese opposition and convene a democratic parliament.
> 
> There are reports of a further demand for a helicopter capable of flying
> 20
> people to the Thai-Burma border.
> 
> A local media organisation, AsiaWorks, contacted one of the hostages by
> phone who said three Canadians, three Frenchmen, one American, one
> German
> several Malaysians, Singaporeans and Thais were among those being held.
> 
> A short time later, two hostages, both Thai nationals were released,
> joining
> a security guard who was allowed to go free earlier.
> 
> Gunfire heard
> 
> About a dozen armed men stormed into the embassy compound at about 1100
> (0400GMT) seizing a number of diplomats and their families.
> 
> Witnesses said several bursts of automatic gunfire could be heard from
> inside the compound as members of Thailand's elite anti-terrorist unit
> took
> positions at the scene.
> 
> It is unclear whether anybody has been wounded.
> 
> Following another round of the gunfire, the attackers removed the
> Burmese
> flag from the mast and replaced it with the yellow fighting peacock on a
> red
> background - the symbol of Burma's democracy movement.
> 
> However, the main group representing Burmese students in exile says it
> has
> no connection with the attack and does not condone it.
> 
> "We are not involved in this," Moe Thee Zun, Vice President of the All
> Burma
> Students Democratic Front told the Reuters news agency. "We don't want
> to
> support terrorist actions."
> 
> Holding fire
> 
> A Thai security police guard who was released by gunmen from the siege
> said
> that the gunmen were holding 20 hostages.
> 
> Police and anti-terrorist unit officials say they have been ordered to
> hold
> fire in order to allow negotiations to take place.
> 
> According to witnesses, the attackers were heavily armed, with AK-47
> rifles,
> 20 hand grenades, as well as grenade launchers.
> 
> The released policeman said he believed the attackers were Burmese
> students.
> 
> There are hundreds of democracy and human rights activists, including
> exiled
> students, working in Thailand to lobby for greater democracy in Burma,
> which
> is run by a military government.
> 
> Students and ethnic groups in particular regularly demonstrate in front
> of
> the Burmese embassy in Bangkok but their demonstrations are always
> peaceful.
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++