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NEWS - No death threats from Myanma



Subject: NEWS - No death threats from Myanmar gunmen -Thai police

No death threats from Myanmar gunmen -Thai police

  
BANGKOK, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Bangkok's police chief said on Saturday that
gunmen holding at least 30 hostages in the Myanmar embassy in the Thai
capital had not issued threats to kill hostages during negotiations with
the authorities. 

Lieutenant-General Wannarat Kocharak was commenting on a BBC report that
one of the gunmen had said in a telephone interview that they would
start by shooting one hostage every half an hour, starting later on
Saturday, if their demand for an escape helicopter were not met. 

14:00 10-01-99  
But at this moment they only demand a helicopter to fly them to the
(Thai-Myanmar) border, and negotiators have not accepted that demand
yet,'' he told reporters, adding that the gunmen had made no death
threat. 

He said the negotiators could not immediately accept the demand for a
helicopter as it had to be referred to higher authorities. Earlier, the
group issued a statement demanding Myanmar's military government free
political prisoners, start a dialogue with the opposition and convene a
democratic parliament. 

The BBC quoted a man, who gave his name as ``Johnny'' and was identified
as the leader of the gunmen, as saying they would start shooting Myanmar
hostages at 8 a.m. (0100 GMT). The gunmen are holding at least 30
hostages, including Myanmar diplomats and some foreigners. 

Wannarat added that the gunmen, who had promised police negotiators that
they would release some women hostages after food was given to them, had
failed to do so. ``They are now refusing to negotiate because they have
not answered the phone for the last 30 minutes. The negotiations may
resume later in the morning,'' he said. 

14:35 10-01-99