Mizzima: Thai Govt. urged to make t

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Merit-making ceremony in New Delhi for 10 Burma gunmen slain in Thailand



By Our reporter, Mizzima News Group
New Delhi, February 1, 2000


Burma pro-democracy activists in India today performed a merit-making
ceremony for 10 gunmen who were killed by Thai commandos last week. The
ceremony, held at a Buddhist monastery in New Delhi, was presided over
by Sayadaw U Pyinnyawara, Chairman of All Burma Young Monks' Union
(ABYMU)-India. The activists gathered at the monastery at 10 A.M and
offered alms to the Buddhist monks and their merit went to the ten
gunmen who were killed. Multi-faith prayers for the souls of ten men
were held according to Buddhism, Christian and Islam.

The activists also sent a letter to Thailand Prime Minister Chuan
Leekpai and demanded to form an independent committee, comprising
members from civil society in Thailand, to investigate the circumstances
surrounding the re-taking of Ratchburi Hospital by Thai commandos on
January 25. Some media reports in Thailand, quoting some witness and
hospital staff, suggested that most of the gunmen were executed by Thai
commandos after surrendering.

Ten armed men belonging to a splinter Karen rebel group namely God's
Army and a radical Burmese student group Vigorous Burmese Student
Warriors (VBSW) took over a hospital in Thailand on January 24. Their
demands included Thai Government stop shelling to their base camps
inside Burma and to allow free movement and medical treatment for
wounded Karen refugees and rebels who were trapped between Burmese
government's offensive and Thai army's shelling in Thai-Burma border.