[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

The Straits Times - Chuan rebukes M



Reply-To: "TIN KYI" <tinkyi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: The Straits Times - Chuan rebukes Myanmar in row over hostage crisis 

The Straits Times
OCT 8 1999

Chuan rebukes Myanmar in row over hostage crisis

The junta created the student refugee problem and it is not appropriate for
it to criticise Thailand's handling of the crisis, says the Prime Minister

BANGKOK -- Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai slammed Myanmar yesterday for
criticising Thailand's handling of the hostage crisis at its embassy.

In the strongest remarks yet by a Thai official, he said Thailand was trying
its best to solve peaceably a problem thrust upon it by its neighbour.

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

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

Five gunmen, claiming to be pro-democracy students, stormed Myanmar's
embassy here last week.

They took nearly 40 hostages, including diplomats, and held them for more
than 24 hours.

Thai officials gave in to their demands for an escape helicopter to the
border.

Mr Chuan asked the Myanmar junta to understand Thailand's position: 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," he complained.

Myanmar sent a letter thanking Thailand for its efforts, but its officials
have also questioned Thai security and intelligence and hinted that their
handling of the crisis may have sent the wrong message.

In a statement on Monday, the junta reserved special venom for comments by
Thai Interior Minister Sanan Kachonprasart, who referred to the gunmen as
"democracy fighters" rather than terrorists.

Said the statement: "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'?

"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 on
Tuesday that ties with the Asean partner had not been damaged by the crisis.

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

The National Security Council said it would prosecute those found to have
entered the country illegally.

All students would then be transferred to a holding centre, and the UNHCR
would be asked to transfer them quickly to a third country. --AFP