2. BURMESE EMBASSY SEIGE

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THE NATION - October 2, 1999

Headlines

Treat to kill hostages denied

TERRORISTS holding at least 39 hostages in the Burmese Embassy =
threatened
late last night to shoot one Burmese hostage every half hour, starting =
this
morning, if their demand for an escape helicopter was not met, the =
British
Broadcasting Corporation reported.

The BBC quoted a man who gave his name only as Johnny and who was =
identified
as the leader of the gunmen as saying in a telephone interview that they
would start shooting the Burmese hostages at the embassy at 8 am.

But Bangkok's police chief said that the gunmen had issued no such =
threat
during negotiations with the authorities.

Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai pledged an all-out effort to solve the =
crisis
peacefully and instructed the relevant authorities to ''keep negotiating
until the situation is solved''.

Police were trying to determine exactly how many people were being held
hostage at the Burmese Embassy, which was seized by 12 heavily armed =
Burmese
students at around 11 am.

Senior police officials, including Bangkok police chief Pol Gen Wannarat
Kajarak, confirmed that about 40 people were being held hostage inside =
the
embassy's main building, but police were also checking reports that up =
to
100 people could still be trapped, or detained, in a building at the =
back of
the embassy compound.

The confirmed hostages include 13 Burmese diplomats, 16 Thais and 10
nationals of third countries. Apart from the Burmese diplomats, the
identities of the other hostages were not immediately known.

The raiders, who call themselves the ''Vigorous Burmese Student =
Warriors'',
made their assault on the embassy in broad daylight. They have demanded =
the
unconditional release of Burmese political prisoners, a dialogue between =
the
Burmese junta and pro-democracy politicians and the convening of the
parliament elected in May 1990.

Armed with four AK-47 assault rifles and about 20 hand grenades, the =
group
began their assault at 11 am and later released a statement declaring =
they
were ready to die.

The violent act shocked both the Thai government and security =
authorities,
who were amazed by the relative ease with which the attackers had gained
entry to the well-guarded Burmese mission.

They were still trying to find out how the gunmen had come into =
possession
of the powerful and expensive weaponry, who their financial backers were =
and
what links they had with other Burmese political dissents and =
non-Burmese
supporters.

The unchallenged attack also sent a shock wave along the whole =
Thai-Burmese
frontier. Burmese border communities were being searched in the hunt for
clues to the identities and connections of the attackers.

Pol Pte Thanomsak Amorndet, a Thai security guard, said he had been =
struck
on the head as the attackers, some armed with rifles, barged into the
compound. They fired several shots into the air, he said.

Released after treatment, Thanomsak said he had been in a sentry box =
when
about five of the group entered, carrying a guitar case. One of them =
pulled
a rifle from the case and hit him. Seven others then moved in.

Police arrested a Burmese man they said had dashed out of the embassy =
just
after the rebels went in. He carried an identity card from Suan Pong, a =
camp
for Burmese refugees in Ratchaburi province.

Police and government officials turned the nearby Bayer building into a
temporary command post. Many officers wore flak jackets and carried M-16
rifles, some with sniper scopes.

Although the attackers won reluctant sympathy from some Thai and Burmese
political campaigners, who believed the step had been taken out of =
''sheer
desperation'' at the fading global interest in the Burmese democracy
movement, their action was condemned and criticised as jeopardising
continuing and future efforts by non-violent groups.

The All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) immediately issued a
statement denying any connection or involvement with the take-over of =
the
embassy. The Front ''is an organisation well known in recent years for =
its
non-violent strategies'', said its chairman, Dr Naing Aung.

''It is evident that the ABSDF has never had a history of terrorist =
activity
in the past and will never in the future,'' he added.

In a disapproving statement, a group of seven Thai human-rights
organisations which have campaigned for democracy in Burma issued a
statement disagreeing with the occupation. They urged the terrorists to
refrain from violence and seek a peaceful solution to the stand-off.

They also urged Thai authorities to refrain from the use of force to end =
the
occupation, saying that it ''will set the stage for the students to use
violence to harm innocent people''.

In an interview yesterday a senior officer of the Karen National Union,
which still holds out against a ceasefire pact with the Burmese junta, =
said
his organisation was not involved in the attack and unaware of the =
source of
the weapons.

Chuan, who visited the ad-hoc operations unit at the Bayer building at =
7.40
pm for a debriefing with Thai authorities, said he was very surprised at =
the
swiftness of the raid and the failure of Thai intelligence to detect the
suspected Burmese movement.

He later ordered the establishment of a central command unit at =
Government
House to coordinate civil, police, and military operations to end the
embassy crisis and to serve as a focal point for contact with the =
Burmese
junta in Rangoon.

At about 6 pm, Chuan told reporters that he did not know how long the =
siege
would last and that the Burmese government had not yet got in touch with
Bangkok to inquire about the incident.

The premier added that he wanted a peaceful ending and would try to =
solve
the crisis through negotiation. ''We have to try our best to find a =
peaceful
solution without the shedding of blood,'' Chuan said.

As of 10 pm last night, the Burmese military government had not made any
comment about the seizure of its embassy.

It remained unclear if the terrorists were residents of or had =
connections
with Burmese living in the Maneeloy camp in Ratchaburi. The camp, which =
was
established by the Thai government and is run by the Interior Ministry, =
now
houses some 1,000 Burmese under the protection of the UN High =
Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR).

The UNHCR office in Bangkok yesterday said it ''is following events =
closely
through the media, and therefore we have no comment at this time''.

Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Oum Maolanond said the Burmese Foreign
Ministry had summoned the Thai Ambassador to Rangoon, Pensak Chalalak, =
to
voice its concern over the situation and urge quick action to end the =
siege.

Oum said the director-general of the Burmese Political Department had =
also
asked the Thais to strengthen security at the embassy and the residences =
of
the ambassador and other staff.

Ambassador U Hla Muang and six other diplomats were away from the =
embassy
whenh the occupation began. Thirteen staff members, two female and 11 =
male,
were inside the embassy.

It was reported that the attackers had asked where the ambassador was =
when
they stormed in.

''Johnny'' initially warned the police the hostages would be harmed if =
the
Thai police force refused to move away from the embassy. He also asked =
the
Thai authorities to get a helicopter to take them and hostages to the
Thai-Burmese border.

Those trapped inside the embassy include nationals of Malaysia, =
Singapore,
Canada, France, Japan and the United States who were there to get visas.

Pattaya, a Thai member of the embassy staff, told police by telephone =
that
everyone was safe so far.

Somchai Homla-or of Forum Asia told The Nation last night that his =
colleague
Chalida Tajaroensuk had made a 20-minute phone call from the Thai centre =
in
the Bayer Building at around 10.40 pm and spoken to the terrorist called
Johnny.

Chalida tried to convince Johnny, whom she had talked to earlier in the =
day,
and other attackers to open negotiations with the Thai authorities.

Quoting Chalida, Somchai said Johnny was ''apparently very tense'' and =
had
expressed his unreadiness to begin a dialogue with the Thai officers.

The terrorist leader said the group had received a number of death =
threats
through the embassy fax and was very concerned about safety.

Somchai said the identity of the armed group remained unclear but that =
the
attackers claimed to have come from the Burmese border area opposite Mae =
Sot
district in Tak.

A well-informed source said it was likely that San Naing, one of the two
Burmese who hijacked a Burmese domestic flight to Thailand in October =
1989,
was among the terrorists.

The hostages
Chronology Of The Siege
Drawing Attention

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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>THE NATION - October 2,=20
1999<BR><BR>Headlines<BR><BR>Treat to kill hostages =
denied<BR><BR>TERRORISTS=20
holding at least 39 hostages in the Burmese Embassy threatened<BR>late =
last=20
night to shoot one Burmese hostage every half hour, starting =
this<BR>morning, if=20
their demand for an escape helicopter was not met, the =
British<BR>Broadcasting=20
Corporation reported.<BR><BR>The BBC quoted a man who gave his name only =
as=20
Johnny and who was identified<BR>as the leader of the gunmen as saying =
in a=20
telephone interview that they<BR>would start shooting the Burmese =
hostages at=20
the embassy at 8 am.<BR><BR>But Bangkok's police chief said that the =
gunmen had=20
issued no such threat<BR>during negotiations with the =
authorities.<BR><BR>Prime=20
Minister Chuan Leekpai pledged an all-out effort to solve the=20
crisis<BR>peacefully and instructed the relevant authorities to ''keep=20
negotiating<BR>until the situation is solved''.<BR><BR>Police were =
trying to=20
determine exactly how many people were being held<BR>hostage at the =
Burmese=20
Embassy, which was seized by 12 heavily armed Burmese<BR>students at =
around 11=20
am.<BR><BR>Senior police officials, including Bangkok police chief Pol =
Gen=20
Wannarat<BR>Kajarak, confirmed that about 40 people were being held =
hostage=20
inside the<BR>embassy's main building, but police were also checking =
reports=20
that up to<BR>100 people could still be trapped, or detained, in a =
building at=20
the back of<BR>the embassy compound.<BR><BR>The confirmed hostages =
include 13=20
Burmese diplomats, 16 Thais and 10<BR>nationals of third countries. =
Apart from=20
the Burmese diplomats, the<BR>identities of the other hostages were not=20
immediately known.<BR><BR>The raiders, who call themselves the =
''Vigorous=20
Burmese Student Warriors'',<BR>made their assault on the embassy in =
broad=20
daylight. They have demanded the<BR>unconditional release of Burmese =
political=20
prisoners, a dialogue between the<BR>Burmese junta and pro-democracy =
politicians=20
and the convening of the<BR>parliament elected in May 1990.<BR><BR>Armed =
with=20
four AK-47 assault rifles and about 20 hand grenades, the group<BR>began =
their=20
assault at 11 am and later released a statement declaring they<BR>were =
ready to=20
die.<BR><BR>The violent act shocked both the Thai government and =
security=20
authorities,<BR>who were amazed by the relative ease with which the =
attackers=20
had gained<BR>entry to the well-guarded Burmese mission.<BR><BR>They =
were still=20
trying to find out how the gunmen had come into possession<BR>of the =
powerful=20
and expensive weaponry, who their financial backers were and<BR>what =
links they=20
had with other Burmese political dissents and=20
non-Burmese<BR>supporters.<BR><BR>The unchallenged attack also sent a =
shock wave=20
along the whole Thai-Burmese<BR>frontier. Burmese border communities =
were being=20
searched in the hunt for<BR>clues to the identities and connections of =
the=20
attackers.<BR><BR>Pol Pte Thanomsak Amorndet, a Thai security guard, =
said he had=20
been struck<BR>on the head as the attackers, some armed with rifles, =
barged into=20
the<BR>compound. They fired several shots into the air, he =
said.<BR><BR>Released=20
after treatment, Thanomsak said he had been in a sentry box =
when<BR>about five=20
of the group entered, carrying a guitar case. One of them pulled<BR>a =
rifle from=20
the case and hit him. Seven others then moved in.<BR><BR>Police arrested =
a=20
Burmese man they said had dashed out of the embassy just<BR>after the =
rebels=20
went in. He carried an identity card from Suan Pong, a camp<BR>for =
Burmese=20
refugees in Ratchaburi province.<BR><BR>Police and government officials =
turned=20
the nearby Bayer building into a<BR>temporary command post. Many =
officers wore=20
flak jackets and carried M-16<BR>rifles, some with sniper=20
scopes.<BR><BR>Although the attackers won reluctant sympathy from some =
Thai and=20
Burmese<BR>political campaigners, who believed the step had been taken =
out of=20
''sheer<BR>desperation'' at the fading global interest in the Burmese=20
democracy<BR>movement, their action was condemned and criticised as=20
jeopardising<BR>continuing and future efforts by non-violent =
groups.<BR><BR>The=20
All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) immediately issued =
a<BR>statement=20
denying any connection or involvement with the take-over of =
the<BR>embassy. The=20
Front ''is an organisation well known in recent years for =
its<BR>non-violent=20
strategies'', said its chairman, Dr Naing Aung.<BR><BR>''It is evident =
that the=20
ABSDF has never had a history of terrorist activity<BR>in the past and =
will=20
never in the future,'' he added.<BR><BR>In a disapproving statement, a =
group of=20
seven Thai human-rights<BR>organisations which have campaigned for =
democracy in=20
Burma issued a<BR>statement disagreeing with the occupation. They urged =
the=20
terrorists to<BR>refrain from violence and seek a peaceful solution to =
the=20
stand-off.<BR><BR>They also urged Thai authorities to refrain from the =
use of=20
force to end the<BR>occupation, saying that it ''will set the stage for =
the=20
students to use<BR>violence to harm innocent people''.<BR><BR>In an =
interview=20
yesterday a senior officer of the Karen National Union,<BR>which still =
holds out=20
against a ceasefire pact with the Burmese junta, said<BR>his =
organisation was=20
not involved in the attack and unaware of the source of<BR>the=20
weapons.<BR><BR>Chuan, who visited the ad-hoc operations unit at the =
Bayer=20
building at 7.40<BR>pm for a debriefing with Thai authorities, said he =
was very=20
surprised at the<BR>swiftness of the raid and the failure of Thai =
intelligence=20
to detect the<BR>suspected Burmese movement.<BR><BR>He later ordered the =

establishment of a central command unit at Government<BR>House to =
coordinate=20
civil, police, and military operations to end the<BR>embassy crisis and =
to serve=20
as a focal point for contact with the Burmese<BR>junta in =
Rangoon.<BR><BR>At=20
about 6 pm, Chuan told reporters that he did not know how long the=20
siege<BR>would last and that the Burmese government had not yet got in =
touch=20
with<BR>Bangkok to inquire about the incident.<BR><BR>The premier added =
that he=20
wanted a peaceful ending and would try to solve<BR>the crisis through=20
negotiation. ''We have to try our best to find a peaceful<BR>solution =
without=20
the shedding of blood,'' Chuan said.<BR><BR>As of 10 pm last night, the =
Burmese=20
military government had not made any<BR>comment about the seizure of its =

embassy.<BR><BR>It remained unclear if the terrorists were residents of =
or had=20
connections<BR>with Burmese living in the Maneeloy camp in Ratchaburi. =
The camp,=20
which was<BR>established by the Thai government and is run by the =
Interior=20
Ministry, now<BR>houses some 1,000 Burmese under the protection of the =
UN High=20
Commissioner<BR>for Refugees (UNHCR).<BR><BR>The UNHCR office in Bangkok =

yesterday said it ''is following events closely<BR>through the media, =
and=20
therefore we have no comment at this time''.<BR><BR>Foreign Ministry =
deputy=20
spokesman Oum Maolanond said the Burmese Foreign<BR>Ministry had =
summoned the=20
Thai Ambassador to Rangoon, Pensak Chalalak, to<BR>voice its concern =
over the=20
situation and urge quick action to end the siege.<BR><BR>Oum said the=20
director-general of the Burmese Political Department had also<BR>asked =
the Thais=20
to strengthen security at the embassy and the residences of<BR>the =
ambassador=20
and other staff.<BR><BR>Ambassador U Hla Muang and six other diplomats =
were away=20
from the embassy<BR>whenh the occupation began. Thirteen staff members, =
two=20
female and 11 male,<BR>were inside the embassy.<BR><BR>It was reported =
that the=20
attackers had asked where the ambassador was when<BR>they stormed=20
in.<BR><BR>''Johnny'' initially warned the police the hostages would be =
harmed=20
if the<BR>Thai police force refused to move away from the embassy. He =
also asked=20
the<BR>Thai authorities to get a helicopter to take them and hostages to =

the<BR>Thai-Burmese border.<BR><BR>Those trapped inside the embassy =
include=20
nationals of Malaysia, Singapore,<BR>Canada, France, Japan and the =
United States=20
who were there to get visas.<BR><BR>Pattaya, a Thai member of the =
embassy staff,=20
told police by telephone that<BR>everyone was safe so =
far.<BR><BR>Somchai=20
Homla-or of Forum Asia told The Nation last night that his =
colleague<BR>Chalida=20
Tajaroensuk had made a 20-minute phone call from the Thai centre =
in<BR>the Bayer=20
Building at around 10.40 pm and spoken to the terrorist=20
called<BR>Johnny.<BR><BR>Chalida tried to convince Johnny, whom she had =
talked=20
to earlier in the day,<BR>and other attackers to open negotiations with =
the Thai=20
authorities.<BR><BR>Quoting Chalida, Somchai said Johnny was =
''apparently very=20
tense'' and had<BR>expressed his unreadiness to begin a dialogue with =
the Thai=20
officers.<BR><BR>The terrorist leader said the group had received a =
number of=20
death threats<BR>through the embassy fax and was very concerned about=20
safety.<BR><BR>Somchai said the identity of the armed group remained =
unclear but=20
that the<BR>attackers claimed to have come from the Burmese border area =
opposite=20
Mae Sot<BR>district in Tak.<BR><BR>A well-informed source said it was =
likely=20
that San Naing, one of the two<BR>Burmese who hijacked a Burmese =
domestic flight=20
to Thailand in October 1989,<BR>was among the terrorists.<BR><BR>The=20
hostages<BR>Chronology Of The Siege<BR>Drawing=20
Attention<BR><BR>********************************************************=
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