SCMP-Border closed until student gu

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Subject: SCMP-Border closed until student gunmen caught, says Burma

South China Morning Post
Thursday, October 14, 1999
THAILAND

Border closed until student gunmen caught, says Burma
WILLIAM BARNES and AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE in Bangkok

Burma said yesterday it would not reopen its border with Thailand until Thai
authorities apprehended five gunmen who held 89 people hostage last month at
the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok.
"The sooner the five students are arrested, the quicker problems will be
resolved," said Hla Maung, Burma's ambassador to Bangkok, after a one-hour
meeting with Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan.

Burma closed checkpoints along the border on October 2, after the Thai
Government supplied the five radical student gunmen with an escape
helicopter in exchange for the safe release of the hostages.

The junta also cancelled concessions for Thai fishermen in Burmese waters,
resulting in losses to the industry of an estimated 150 million baht
(HK$29.6 million) a day.

So far, Thai police have issued arrest warrants for two of the five gunmen.

The ambassador said the hostage-takers would not be extradited to Burma and
should be prosecuted under Thai law.

"[Burma] has nothing to do with this, there is no need to send them to
[Burma]," he said.

"The Thai Government must take responsibility because the incident happened
in Thailand," he said.

The ambassador said the border closure was not permanent and that the two
countries' foreign ministers were still trying to resolve differences
following the embassy hostage drama.

Rangoon has reinforced its troop commitment along the 1,400km border with
Thailand. Thai military sources cited intelligence messages supplied by
rebels opposed to the military regime in Rangoon as saying Burma's troop
deployment was almost complete.

The Thai military is on high alert to rebuff any intrusion by Burmese
forces.

"We don't rule out anything - we're dealing with a livid bunch of people.
They may want to make some kind of big bold statement," said a senior Thai
security official.

Meanwhile, the United States offered to help resettle more exiled Burmese
students living in Thailand.

The offer came just days after Bangkok said it would round up exiled
students and send them to a third country, in response to the embassy
seizure.