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AP-Thais Adamant On Myanmar Rebels'

Subject: AP-Thais Adamant On Myanmar Rebels' Unconditional Surrender

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Friday, November 26 6:59 PM SGT=20
Thais Adamant On Myanmar Rebels' Unconditional Surrender
BANGKOK (AP)--Thailand's army is still trying to arrest the rebels who =
stormed the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok two months ago, but won't give in =
to their surrender demands, an army spokesman said Friday.=20
The five fugitives from the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors contacted =
army officers in Ratchaburi province at the Thai-Myanmar border at the =
start of November, but demanded they be tried in an international =
tribunal.=20

"The condition is impossible," said Col. Pairoj Thongma-Eng, deputy =
chief of the Surasee Army Base which oversees that section of the =
border.=20

Thailand is adamant the rebels would be dealt with under Thai law, but =
has said they wouldn't be deported to military-run Myanmar - where they =
would likely face a harsh penalty.=20

The rebels stormed the embassy in broad daylight Oct. 1 demanding =
democracy in their homeland. They held hostages at gunpoint for 25 =
hours, only releasing them after they were given safe passage to the =
border at Ratchaburi. The incident badly frayed Thai-Myanmar relations.=20

Yangon's ruling military regime closed its over 2,000 kilometer border =
with Thailand until Wednesday, after Thai Foreign Minister Surin =
Pitsuwan flew to Myanmar to mend ties.=20

The Thai army believes the five dissidents are staying with "God's =
Army," a tiny armed rebel group of ethnic Karens led by a pair of boy =
twins who are said to inspire their fighters through mystical powers.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Friday, November 26</B> 6:59 PM SGT=20
<H2><FONT size=3D4>Thais Adamant On Myanmar Rebels' Unconditional=20
Surrender</FONT></H2>BANGKOK (AP)--Thailand's army is still trying to =
arrest the=20
rebels who stormed the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok two months ago, but =
won't give=20
in to their surrender demands, an army spokesman said Friday.=20
<P>The five fugitives from the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors =
contacted army=20
officers in Ratchaburi province at the Thai-Myanmar border at the start =
of=20
November, but demanded they be tried in an international tribunal.=20
<P>"The condition is impossible," said Col. Pairoj Thongma-Eng, deputy =
chief of=20
the Surasee Army Base which oversees that section of the border.=20
<P>Thailand is adamant the rebels would be dealt with under Thai law, =
but has=20
said they wouldn't be deported to military-run Myanmar - where they =
would likely=20
face a harsh penalty.=20
<P>The rebels stormed the embassy in broad daylight Oct. 1 demanding =
democracy=20
in their homeland. They held hostages at gunpoint for 25 hours, only =
releasing=20
them after they were given safe passage to the border at Ratchaburi. The =

incident badly frayed Thai-Myanmar relations.=20
<P>Yangon's ruling military regime closed its over 2,000 kilometer =
border with=20
Thailand until Wednesday, after Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan =
flew to=20
Myanmar to mend ties.=20
<P>The Thai army believes the five dissidents are staying with "God's =
Army," a=20
tiny armed rebel group of ethnic Karens led by a pair of boy twins who =
are said=20
to inspire their fighters through mystical powers.=20
</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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