AFP-Thai PM wades into row with Mya

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Subject: AFP-Thai PM wades into row with Myanmar over hostage crisis

Thai PM wades into row with Myanmar over hostage crisis
BANGKOK, Oct 7 (AFP) - Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai on Thursday slammed
Myanmar for its criticism of the way authorities here handled the hostage
crisis at its Bangkok embassy.
In the strongest remarks by a Thai official yet amid the brewing row, Chuan
said Thailand had been trying its best to peacefully solve a problem thrust
upon it by its neighbour.

"They cannot escape anywhere," Chuan said of Myanmar's pro-democracy
students in general.

"So they come to our country, which is helping solve the problem. So in fact
Myanmar cannot criticise us," he added.

Five gunmen, claiming to be pro-democracy students, stormed Myanmar's
embassy here last week, taking nearly 40 hostages, including diplomats, and
holding them for more than 24-hours.

Thai authorities bowed to the men's demands for an escape helicopter to the
border.

Chuan asked the Myanmar junta to understand Thailand's position in handling
the situation, that it had to put the safety of embassy staff and other
hostages as its first priority.

"On the one hand Myanmar sends an official letter to thank us, but on the
other its officials issue critical statements," Chuan complained.

Myanmar's government sent a letter thanking Thailand for its efforts, but
officials there have also questioned Thai security and intelligence
operations and hinted that the way the crisis was handled may have sent the
wrong message.

In one statement Monday, the junta reserved special venom for comments by
Thailand's interior minister, Sanan Kachonprasart, who after the hostage
crisis ended called the gunmen "democracy fighters" rather than terrorists.

"One wonders at any point during the entire siege of the embassy, if the
trigger-happy gunmen's ... activity resulted in death of not only the
embassy staff but families including children, can they still be regarded as
'not terrorists, but students who are fighting for democracy'," the
statement said.

"It is still of grave concern to the diplomatic community around the world
to realise that armed terrorism if carried out under the pretext of a
certain disguise is acceptable ... There will be no effective way of
preventing terrorist activities being repeated and spawned."

But despite the slanging match, Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan said
Tuesday relations with Association of Southeast Asian Nations partner
Myanmar were not damaged by the hostage crisis.

Thailand said Wednesday it planned to round up exiled Myanmar students and
send them to a third country.

The National Security Council said it would round up exiled students inside
Thailand, check their status, and prosecute those found to have entered the
country illegally.

All students would then be transferred to the Maneeloy holding centre near
the Thai-Myanmar Border, and the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees would be asked to quickly transfer them to a third country.