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AFP-Thai authorities deny police sh

Subject: AFP-Thai authorities deny police shot Myanmar exile

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Wednesday, November 17 7:36 PM SGT=20

Thai authorities deny police shot Myanmar exile
BANGKOK, Nov 17 (AFP) -=20
Thai authorities Wednesday denied an exiled Myanmar student was shot by =
security forces when tension boiled over at a tightly-guarded border =
camp.

Myanmar exiles in the Maneeloy camp, who are waiting to go abroad under =
a Thai resettlement program, said a student was shot in the leg and =
another suffered a blow to the head in a clash Tuesday.

But Komes Deangthongdee, governor of western Ratchaburi Province, =
rejected the claims.

"I can reassure you that all shots were fired into the air, and we can =
prove that the student was not shot by one of our guns," he told AFP.

Komes admitted that a student was taken to hospital with a gunshot would =
on Tuesday but said he was not involved in a night-time clash between =
authorities and a large group of students.

The injured man was discovered before the demonstration when a Thai =
security officer tried to search an inmate he suspected of carrying a =
gun, he said.

The student slapped the guard's face before running away. Moments later =
a second student then appeared with an injury to the leg, Komes added. =
An investigation is underway to find out when the student was shot.

Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said the incident occurred as the =
students were not yet used to strict new security measures imposed at =
the camp.

"These students are not accustomed to it as they used to do whatever =
they wanted," he said.

In the wake of Tuesday's clash, Interior Ministry officials said some =
student leaders would be moved from the border camp to Bangkok's police =
academy.

Komes said the student protest broke out Tuesday after a villager near =
the camp shot at four inmates on Monday. The villager was released on =
police bail after he claimed the students had been trying to steal his =
ducks.

Thai foreign ministry spokesman Don Pramudwinai said Tuesday's clash and =
a recent string of disputes at the camp had sullied the students' =
reputation.

He conceded this could deter countries which were considering accepting =
the exiles for resettlement.

Thailand ordered the resettlement in third countries of more than 1,000 =
students at Maneeloy after five gunmen, some former camp residents, =
seized the Myanmar embassy here along with 38 hostages last month.

The incident sent Bangkok's relations with Yangon into a nosedive after =
officials here allowed the gunmen to escape to the Myanmar border in a =
helicopter in a deal which ended the 24-hour siege.

The camp has been tense for weeks. In one incident last month students =
locked up UN refugee workers at the camp in a dispute over allowances.

Thailand warned exiles after that episode that they should not abuse its =
hospitality after fleeing the jurisdiction of Myanmar's military =
government.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has stressed =
resettlement is voluntary and that it has already helped to resettle =
2,000 Myanmar refugees who fled to Thailand.


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV>Wednesday, November 17 7:36 PM SGT </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Thai authorities deny police shot Myanmar exile<BR>BANGKOK, Nov 17 =
(AFP) -=20
<BR>Thai authorities Wednesday denied an exiled Myanmar student was shot =
by=20
security forces when tension boiled over at a tightly-guarded border =
camp.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Myanmar exiles in the Maneeloy camp, who are waiting to go abroad =
under a=20
Thai resettlement program, said a student was shot in the leg and =
another=20
suffered a blow to the head in a clash Tuesday.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>But Komes Deangthongdee, governor of western Ratchaburi Province, =
rejected=20
the claims.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>"I can reassure you that all shots were fired into the air, and we =
can=20
prove that the student was not shot by one of our guns," he told =
AFP.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Komes admitted that a student was taken to hospital with a gunshot =
would on=20
Tuesday but said he was not involved in a night-time clash between =
authorities=20
and a large group of students.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The injured man was discovered before the demonstration when a Thai =

security officer tried to search an inmate he suspected of carrying a =
gun, he=20
said.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The student slapped the guard's face before running away. Moments =
later a=20
second student then appeared with an injury to the leg, Komes added. An=20
investigation is underway to find out when the student was shot.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said the incident occurred as the =

students were not yet used to strict new security measures imposed at =
the=20
camp.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>"These students are not accustomed to it as they used to do =
whatever they=20
wanted," he said.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>In the wake of Tuesday's clash, Interior Ministry officials said =
some=20
student leaders would be moved from the border camp to Bangkok's police=20
academy.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Komes said the student protest broke out Tuesday after a villager =
near the=20
camp shot at four inmates on Monday. The villager was released on police =
bail=20
after he claimed the students had been trying to steal his ducks.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Thai foreign ministry spokesman Don Pramudwinai said Tuesday's =
clash and a=20
recent string of disputes at the camp had sullied the students'=20
reputation.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>He conceded this could deter countries which were considering =
accepting the=20
exiles for resettlement.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Thailand ordered the resettlement in third countries of more than =
1,000=20
students at Maneeloy after five gunmen, some former camp residents, =
seized the=20
Myanmar embassy here along with 38 hostages last month.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The incident sent Bangkok's relations with Yangon into a nosedive =
after=20
officials here allowed the gunmen to escape to the Myanmar border in a=20
helicopter in a deal which ended the 24-hour siege.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The camp has been tense for weeks. In one incident last month =
students=20
locked up UN refugee workers at the camp in a dispute over =
allowances.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Thailand warned exiles after that episode that they should not =
abuse its=20
hospitality after fleeing the jurisdiction of Myanmar's military=20
government.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has stressed =
resettlement=20
is voluntary and that it has already helped to resettle 2,000 Myanmar =
refugees=20
who fled to Thailand.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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