A Siege - of Sorts

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ASIAWEEK

OCTOBER 15, 1999 VOL. 25 NO. 41

A Siege - of Sorts

Behind the drama at Myanmar's embassy=20

By ROGER MITTON Bangkok=20

Thailand is home to thousands of Myanmar exiles who have fled the =
military regime back home. Among diplomats at the Myanmar embassy in =
Bangkok are several with a military background, including ambassador Hla =
Maung. Security at the mission is notoriously lax and the Myanmar side =
has long complained to the Thais in vain. The single - often dozing - =
Thai policeman inside the unlocked main gate would wave visitors through =
without even a cursory check, despite the embassy being a high-risk one =
and the fact that most disaffected Myanmar exiles live in border camps =
where weapons are easily available. Putting these factors together, it =
is surprising that the armed takeover of the embassy on Oct. 1 did not =
occur earlier.=20

When it did happen, it was with evident ease. Five masked youths =
brandishing automatic rifles and grenades stormed a side-entrance and =
occupied the compound within minutes, taking diplomats and visa =
applicants as hostages. What followed was a wild and wacky 24-hour siege =
that fortuitously ended without bloodshed. As both terrorists and =
hostages made and received phone calls from outside, the Thai =
authorities belatedly scrambled into action. An adjacent office building =
was taken over as a command center and the street outside was shut to =
normal traffic - though journalists and curious onlookers, including =
tourists, had no difficulty getting close to the scene.=20

Conflicting reports filtered out about the number of terrorists and =
their demands. No one seemed sure what was going on. But the Thais =
continued with their haphazard and laidback negotiation. Surprisingly, =
it worked. A day later, the terrorists exchanged their hostages for Thai =
Deputy Foreign Minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra and another official and =
then were flown by helicopter to the Thai-Myanmar border where they were =
released to melt into the jungle - presumably to celebrate a successful =
mission. But there was plenty of criticism. Says political scientist =
Chayachoke Chulasiriwongs of Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University: "The =
government has been letting these people run around. How could you let =
somebody take machine guns and grenades into the center of Bangkok? =
Really incredible. Ridiculous."=20

Myanmar's junta agrees. Says Brig.-Gen. Zaw Tun, deputy national =
planning minister in Yangon: "They got away so easily. If that had =
happened in Myanmar, they would have been punished." Still, it was =
evident the gunmen were exasperated rebel students rather than clinical =
killers. That said, there were reports - since denied by Thai officials =
quoted locally - that the group's leader was involved in hijacking a =
Myanmar civilian aircraft 10 years ago. Says Soe Aung of the =
Bangkok-based All Burma Students' Democratic Front: "These actions are =
the indications of the people's desperation; they can't be tolerant any =
more."=20

Officially, all sides publicly condemned the assault, including Western =
governments, mainstream Myanmar exile groups and even the National =
League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Sukhumbhand, a =
former academic who has been having a torrid time as a first-term MP, =
emerged an unlikely hero. Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and Interior =
Minister Sanan Kachornprasart were also praised for their hands-on role =
in bringing a peaceful end to the incident, though Sanan blotted his =
copybook by saying: "We don't consider them to be terrorists. They are =
student activists who fight for democracy."=20

A group of six or seven hostages felt the same way. Rather than praise =
the Thais who had faciliated their release, they burst into wildly =
demonstrative scenes of support for their former captors. They cheered, =
donned revolutionary headbands and waved NLD and pro-democracy flags. =
This performance and filmed scenes of some of them hugging their =
abductors lent credence to allegations made by Yangon that collusion had =
occurred. But Arthur Shwe of the National Council of the Union of Burma =
dismisses this. Says he: "The hostages had nothing to do with it."=20

Yes or no, security at the embassy - and at other foreign missions in =
Bangkok - is likely to be upgraded. And PM Chuan said the situation =
regarding Myanmar exiles living in Thailand may need to be reviewed. =
Says Chayachoke: "By us treating the students very leniently, it looks =
to the Myanmar government that we are giving them support." But few =
expect draconian action. As for relations between Bangkok and Yangon, =
bilateral ties had been improving after the regime's leaders visited =
Bangkok in March and then Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan went to =
Yangon and Mandalay where he praised his counterpart Win Aung for =
teaching him "a lot about history." He notably did not call on Suu Kyi. =
Now there could be a chill. Says Zaw Tun: "We are a little bit angry."=20

Sanan's comment will not help. Even the exiles do not share this view. =
Says Shwe: "It is natural they be branded terrorists. Their motive was =
good but [not] their action." There is a fear of repeat acts and even a =
sense that perhaps the five gunmen have shown the democracy activists =
the way of the future. The NLD's non-violent credo has got it nowhere, =
and it may be hard for the movement to convince young hotheads not to =
heed a call to arms.=20

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<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT =
size=3D4><STRONG><U>ASIAWEEK</U></STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT size=3D4><STRONG>OCTOBER 15, 1999 VOL. 25 NO. =

41</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><STRONG><FONT size=3D5>A Siege - of =
Sorts</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><BR><FONT size=3D3>Behind the drama at Myanmar's =
embassy=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT size=3D3><BR>By ROGER MITTON Bangkok =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT size=3D3>Thailand is home to thousands of =
Myanmar exiles=20
who have fled the military regime back home. Among diplomats at the =
Myanmar=20
embassy in Bangkok are several with a military background, including =
ambassador=20
Hla Maung. Security at the mission is notoriously lax and the Myanmar =
side has=20
long complained to the Thais in vain. The single - often dozing - Thai =
policeman=20
inside the unlocked main gate would wave visitors through without even a =
cursory=20
check, despite the embassy being a high-risk one and the fact that most=20
disaffected Myanmar exiles live in border camps where weapons are easily =

available. Putting these factors together, it is surprising that the =
armed=20
takeover of the embassy on Oct. 1 did not occur earlier. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT size=3D3>When it did happen, it was with =
evident ease.=20
Five masked youths brandishing automatic rifles and grenades stormed a=20
side-entrance and occupied the compound within minutes, taking diplomats =
and=20
visa applicants as hostages. What followed was a wild and wacky 24-hour =
siege=20
that fortuitously ended without bloodshed. As both terrorists and =
hostages made=20
and received phone calls from outside, the Thai authorities belatedly =
scrambled=20
into action. An adjacent office building was taken over as a command =
center and=20
the street outside was shut to normal traffic - though journalists and =
curious=20
onlookers, including tourists, had no difficulty getting close to the =
scene.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT size=3D3>Conflicting reports filtered out =
about the=20
number of terrorists and their demands. No one seemed sure what was =
going on.=20
But the Thais continued with their haphazard and laidback negotiation.=20
Surprisingly, it worked. A day later, the terrorists exchanged their =
hostages=20
for Thai Deputy Foreign Minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra and another =
official and=20
then were flown by helicopter to the Thai-Myanmar border where they were =

released to melt into the jungle - presumably to celebrate a successful =
mission.=20
But there was plenty of criticism. Says political scientist Chayachoke=20
Chulasiriwongs of Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University: "The government =
has been=20
letting these people run around. How could you let somebody take machine =
guns=20
and grenades into the center of Bangkok? Really incredible. Ridiculous." =

</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT size=3D3>Myanmar's junta agrees. Says =
Brig.-Gen. Zaw Tun,=20
deputy national planning minister in Yangon: "They got away so easily. =
If that=20
had happened in Myanmar, they would have been punished." Still, it was =
evident=20
the gunmen were exasperated rebel students rather than clinical killers. =
That=20
said, there were reports - since denied by Thai officials quoted locally =
- that=20
the group's leader was involved in hijacking a Myanmar civilian aircraft =
10=20
years ago. Says Soe Aung of the Bangkok-based All Burma Students' =
Democratic=20
Front: "These actions are the indications of the people's desperation; =
they=20
can't be tolerant any more." </FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT size=3D3>Officially, all sides publicly =
condemned the=20
assault, including Western governments, mainstream Myanmar exile groups =
and even=20
the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Suu Kyi. =
Sukhumbhand, a=20
former academic who has been having a torrid time as a first-term MP, =
emerged an=20
unlikely hero. Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and Interior Minister Sanan=20
Kachornprasart were also praised for their hands-on role in bringing a =
peaceful=20
end to the incident, though Sanan blotted his copybook by saying: "We =
don't=20
consider them to be terrorists. They are student activists who fight for =

democracy." </FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT size=3D3>A group of six or seven hostages =
felt the same=20
way. Rather than praise the Thais who had faciliated their release, they =
burst=20
into wildly demonstrative scenes of support for their former captors. =
They=20
cheered, donned revolutionary headbands and waved NLD and pro-democracy =
flags.=20
This performance and filmed scenes of some of them hugging their =
abductors lent=20
credence to allegations made by Yangon that collusion had occurred. But =
Arthur=20
Shwe of the National Council of the Union of Burma dismisses this. Says =
he: "The=20
hostages had nothing to do with it." </FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT size=3D3>Yes or no, security at the embassy - =
and at=20
other foreign missions in Bangkok - is likely to be upgraded. And PM =
Chuan said=20
the situation regarding Myanmar exiles living in Thailand may need to be =

reviewed. Says Chayachoke: "By us treating the students very leniently, =
it looks=20
to the Myanmar government that we are giving them support." But few =
expect=20
draconian action. As for relations between Bangkok and Yangon, bilateral =
ties=20
had been improving after the regime's leaders visited Bangkok in March =
and then=20
Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan went to Yangon and Mandalay where =
he=20
praised his counterpart Win Aung for teaching him "a lot about history." =
He=20
notably did not call on Suu Kyi. Now there could be a chill. Says Zaw =
Tun: "We=20
are a little bit angry." </FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT size=3D3>Sanan's comment will not help. Even =
the exiles=20
do not share this view. Says Shwe: "It is natural they be branded =
terrorists.=20
Their motive was good but [not] their action." There is a fear of repeat =
acts=20
and even a sense that perhaps the five gunmen have shown the democracy =
activists=20
the way of the future. The NLD's non-violent credo has got it nowhere, =
and it=20
may be hard for the movement to convince young hotheads not to heed a =
call to=20
arms. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT=20
size=3D3>--------------------------------------------<BR></DIV></FONT></F=
ONT></BODY></HTML>

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