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Bkk Post (3-10-99) No. 5



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<font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=6><b>Minister relates trip of
terror<br>
</font></b><font size=5><i>Sukhumbhand accompanies dissidents<br>
</i><b>D</font></b><font size=3>eputy Foreign Minister Sukhumbhand
Paribatra was held at gunpoint by one of the five Burmese dissidents
during the early stage of the helicopter ride from Bangkok to the Burmese
border yesterday.<br>
M.R. Sukhumbhand offered himself as security in exchange for the release
of all the hostages, but admitted he became rather nervous when one of
the students put a gun barrel to his head.<br>
He later told the student to put down the gun because it might
accidentally go off.<br>
The deputy minister was given a hero's welcome by Prime Minister Chuan
Leekpai, Pol Gen Pracha Promnok, the national police chief, and his
father, Prince Sukhumarnpinand, upon his return from the brief journey to
the border as a hostage.<br>
Recalling the experience, the deputy foreign minister said all five
dissidents-two armed with AK-47 assault rifles, one holding a pistol and
the last with a hand grenade-appeared nervous. The two rifles were
trained on his head and the pilot's.<br>
It seemed a long, long while before the students at last relaxed, he
added.<br>
M.R. Sukhumbhand said he felt it his duty to offer to trade places with
the hostages, and had not stopped to think too much about it
beforehand.<br>
The idea was floated by the task force handling the embassy siege.<br>
The deputy foreign minister also insisted that the government did not
help the dissidents' cause by allowing them to go free. &quot;Our
intentions were to help the hostages,&quot; he said. </font>
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