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<font face="ARIAL" color="#800000"><b>BURMESE EMBASSY SIEGE<br>
</font><font size=7 color="#000000">A 'wake-up call' to the whole
world<br>
</font><font size=3>Wasant Techawongtham<br>
</font><font size=5>T</font></b><font size=3>he seizure of the Burmese
embassy was a "wake-up call" for the international community to
work harder to bring about reform in Burma to prevent future violence, a
Burmese dissident support group said.<br>
Debbie Stothard, co-ordinator of the Alternative Asean Network on Burma,
said all the Burmese exile groups in Thailand were dismayed by the turn
of events, which she believed were the work of a fringe group.<br>
"We are concerned that this will adversely affect the main groups
who have been conducting their activities non-violently," she
said.<br>
The hostage-takers did not belong to any of the non-government
organisations working to restore democracy in Burma.<br>
"They work on their own. They must have been frustrated and
disillusioned by the lack of results through non-violent means by the
mainstream groups," Ms Stothard said.<br>
While all exile groups in Thailand were committed to non-violence, she
warned that the resolve of some people within the movement to remain
non-violent might be wavering.<br>
"This is a wake-up call for all of us. The international community
needs to deliver some results through non-violence, or more people will
think about this kind of action," she said.<br>
Asean governments "should take responsibility to make something
happen in Burma", Ms Stothard said.<br>
Thailand, which had the chair of the regional grouping this year, should
co-ordinate the effort.<br>
"There must be a political will to tell Burmese leaders to reform.
Asean leaders are too polite. This must change. The case of East Timor
should open up something," she said.<br>
A Karen refugee, who asked not to be named, said a sense of desperation
and frustration was prevalent among dissident groups, and in Burma as
well.<br>
"There has been a lot of pressure in different areas by the Burmese
government, and there are a lot of difficulties in both rural and urban
areas, such as food shortages," he added. <br>
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