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NEWS - Myanmar gunmen threaten to k



Subject: NEWS - Myanmar gunmen threaten to kill hostages - BBC

Myanmar gunmen threaten to kill hostages - BBC

  
BANGKOK, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Gunmen holding at least 30 hostages in the
Myanmar embassy in Bangkok have threatened to shoot one hostage every
half hour, starting on Saturday, if their demand for an escape
helicopter is not met, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported. 

The BBC quoted a man, who gave his name only as Johnny and who was
identified as the leader of the gunmen, as saying in a telephone
interview that they would start shooting the Myanmar hostages at the
embassy at 8 a.m. (0100 GMT). 

13:24 10-01-99  
Students Warriors,'' issued a faxed statement demanding Myanmar's
military government free political prisoners, start a dialogue with the
opposition and convene a democratic parliament. 

The BBC quoted the source, who spoke in the Myanmar language, as saying
the gunmen would cut down trees and the flagpole in the embassy compound
to make way for a helicopter which they have demanded to fly them to the
Thai-Myanmar border. Earlier, a Thai radio station quoted Thai police
sources as saying a helicopter could not land in the embassy grounds as
they were too small. 

The BBC quoted Johnny as saying ``30 plus'' hostages were being held in
the embassy including nine foreigners. He said that if the helicopter
were provided, the gunmen would take with them five Myanmar embassy
staff -- one from France, one from Canada, one from Germany, one from
Singapore and one from Japan. 

He said he did not want to harm any hostages, and that there was no
immediate threat to the international hostages. But he warned that if
the Thai authorities started to shoot, he did not know what would
happen, the BBC said. 

13:48 10-01-99