[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

PM acts to combat terrorism



<html>
<font face="ARIAL" color="#800000"><b><div align="center">
BURMESE EMBASSY SIEGE<br>
</font><font size=7 color="#FF0000"></div>
PM acts to combat terrorism<br>
</font><font size=5 color="#000000"><i>Top officials will reassess
security<br>
<br>
</font></i><font size=3>Post Reporters <br>
</font><font size=5>P</font></b><font size=3>rime Minister Chuan Leekpai
has summoned a meeting of the anti-international terrorism committee at
Government House on Wednesday to review the Burmese embassy siege and to
reassess the existing security system.<br>
The committee, chaired by the prime minister, met on Sunday in the wake
of the siege. Sources said the National Security Council, the National
Intelligence Agency, military and police intelligence officers will take
part in Wednesday's meeting.<br>
Among the points to be discussed would be how the five dissident students
got into the country, how they brought in war weapons, who were giving
them assistance in Thailand, and who were calling into the embassy during
the siege on Friday.<br>
Sources said security agencies will bring up for consideration what
should be done with the 3,000 Burmese students taking asylum in Thailand,
as well as the 250,000 illegal immigrants from Burma who work in
factories in provinces bordering Burma.<br>
Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, who personally handled the
negotiating process during the hostage drama, said yesterday he didn't
expect any problem from Rangoon regarding the way the Thai government
handled the situation. He said Rangoon had been regularly briefed about
the situation.<br>
Meanwhile, an informed army source said the five Burmese dissident
students who seized the Burmese embassy had intended to hold the Burmese
ambassador hostage but they narrowly missed him.<br>
The source said yesterday that Ambassador Hla Maung and his wife had been
on their way to the embassy and were about five minutes away when they
heard of the embassy siege.They immediately took refuge at Yan Nawa
police station, the source said.<br>
Thirteen embassy officials, including U Nyan Lynn, the minister, were
among the 38 people held hostage by the students, who called themselves
Vigorous Burmese Students Warriors.<br>
The source said the army had confirmed that one of the five
hostage-takers was San Naing or Ye Thiha, one of the two hardline
students arrested and jailed for the hijacking of a Burmese airliner from
Burma to U-tapao in 1989.<br>
At that time the Burmese junta sought his repatriation to serve his
sentence in Burma. But the request was turned down by the Thai government
for fear his repatriation would provoke international condemnation, the
source said.<br>
During Friday's hostage drama, Gen Chettha Thanajaro, an adviser to the
prime minister who is known to have cultivated good personal relations
with the Burmese military leadership, was in regular contact with Rangoon
via Lt-Col Kyaw Han, the Burmese military attache in Bangkok.<br>
General Chettha, the source said, informed Maj-Gen Kyaw Win-a close aide
of Gen Khin Nyunt, the Burmese military strongman-of the three demands
put forth by the hostage-takers.<br>
The Burmese regime gave full authority to the Thai government to solve
the hostage situation and deal with the armed students.<br>
The National Council of the Union of Burma, an umbrella organisation of
Burmese minority groups, yesterday called on the United Nations to solve
the Burmese problem. The council's general secretary Maung Maung Aye
blamed the embassy siege on the military junta's disregard for the
political aspirations of the Burmese people. He thanked the Thai
government for the peaceful end to the drama.<br>
Meanwhile, Pol Maj-Gen Chakthip Kunchorn Na Ayutthaya, the deputy
commissioner of city police, has ordered Division 6 of the Metropolitan
Police to set up an investigation team and gather the testimonies of all
the hostages and embassy staff. Foreign hostages should also testify, but
were free to leave the country if they so chose, he said.<br>
Pol Maj-Gen Chakthip said police would also seek the testimony of M. R.
Sukhumbhand Paribatra, the deputy foreign minister.<br>
<br>
<br>
Bkk-post 4,oct.99</font>
<BR>
</html>