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BKKPost(3-10-99) N0. 2
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<font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=6><b>Phone hero cajoled and
reproached authorities<br>
</font></b><font size=5><i>'We did not know what would happen'<br>
</i><b>P</font></b><font size=3>rasert Lueng-aramvej emerged a hero from
the Burmese embassy hostage drama.<br>
His voice was heard over the Ruam Duay Chuay Kan radio programme as he
helped officials conclude an initial agreement with the intruders to
release their captives in exchange for a helicopter ride to the
border.<br>
Mr Prasert acted as middleman, passing messages between Interior Minister
Sanan Kachornprasart and the students during the most tense period.<br>
The businessman was applying for a visa when the self-styled Vigorous
Burmese Student Warriors stormed the embassy on Sathorn road late Friday
morning.<br>
"I was with embassy staff in an inner room when the seizure took
place, and was the last person to be taken hostage," he said.<br>
Mr Prasert's voice was generally calm during the on-air exchanges, but
from time to time his excitement was evident as the tension built
up.<br>
He criticised, reproached and pleaded with the authorities.<br>
Later, after the situation was resolved, he said the authorities were
slow in dealing with the situation.<br>
Things became tense when the attackers were informed the helicopter could
not land at the embassy because of space restrictions.<br>
"At that moment everyone was under stress. All hostages had their
faces down and did not dare to look up, for fear of being chosen to be
killed first.<br>
"Although they promised they would not hurt any of us, we did not
really know what would happen," he said.<br>
Mr Prasert, with a trembling voice, pleaded for the authorities to do
something quickly, as they were about to leave for Bangkok Christian
College where the helicopter was supposed to be waiting.<br>
He was told to relay a message from the interior minister that Deputy
Foreign Affairs Minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra would trade places with
the hostages and accompany the students to their destination.<br>
Apparently due to nervousness, Mr Prasert was heard telling the students
that the deputy health minister would fly with them to the border.<br>
He drove the hostages and the attackers to the Armed Forces Academy
Preparatory School, a few hundred metres away, where a helicopter landed
for the dissidents.<br>
His van became stuck in mud and he and other hostages got out to
push.<br>
Mr Prasert was again a free man after the deputy foreign minister and
another official, the former chief of Maneeloy holding camp, Chaiyapruek
Sawaengcharoen, traded places with the hostages and the students took
off.<br>
While he was co-ordinating between the students and the authorities, Mr
Prasert briefly spoke to his wife, Pranee, and daughter, Cherry, who were
contacted by the radio station.<br>
"We are preparing food. Don't worry. Take care of yourself,"
his wife said.<br>
"Dad, are you all right? Just hurry back home," his daughter
was heard to say.<br>
Mr Prasert said later the students treated all the hostages well. They
slept in the ambassador's room.<br>
Mr Prasert recalled the events after he was picked by the students to
negotiate with the authorities.<br>
"I told them if they trusted me I would act as a middleman between
them and the authorities so there would be no bloodshed, not theirs or
the hostages'," he said.<br>
Even at the most tense moments, Mr Prasert said, he and the other
hostages still wanted the dissidents to depart safely.<br>
"These students treated us well, and there was talk among us about
what we would do. Everyone said even if the students wanted to take us to
the border with them, we were ready to go.<br>
"At that moment everyone was willing to be their hostage, and wanted
to see them return home safely," he said. <br>
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