AFP-Real terrorists call for "iron

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Subject: AFP-Real terrorists call for "iron fist" against terrorism

Myanmar calls for "iron fist" against terrorism
BANGKOK, Oct 9 (AFP) - Myanmar called Saturday for Thailand to use an "iron
first" to wipe out terrorism, following last week's dramatic hostage crisis
at Yangon's embassy here.
The junta accused Bangkok of setting a dangerous precedent by supplying the
five gunmen with an escape helicopter, after they held 40 people hostage in
a dramatic 25-hour seige.

"The kid glove treatment of the terrorists by the authorities concerned
raises a lot of questions," said a copy of a statement by Myanmar's
Washington embassy received here by AFP.

"The international community needs to discard the kid glove in favour of the
iron first," it said.

Bangkok and Yangon have been engaged in an escalating war of words over the
crisis, with senior Thai ministers arguing the hostage-taking reinforced the
need for democratic change inside military-ruled Myanmar.

But Yangon has angrily denied responsibility, with official media
criticising Thailand's democratic credentials.

"The act of permitting prostitution is adequate as a mainfestation of a free
democratic state in Thailand," said a commentator in the New Light of
Myanmar Friday.

After the storming of the embassy, Thailand said it would increase security
at diplomatic missions and crack down on the estimated 2,000 exiled Myanmar
students in Thailand.

The junta statement also renewed accusations that some of the western
hostages, who wore headbands and shouted pro-democracy slogans on their
release, colluded with the five student gunmen.

"It is doubtful the terrorists conspired to do the job themselves judging by
the exuberance of some of the foreigners... it would not be farfetched to
assume the whole episode was orchestrated," it said.

Some of the hostages, such as Canadian Antoine Marcotte, 31, dismissed
allegations that they connived with the gunmen.

"The gesture when we were freed was a spontaneous gesture of relief and it
wasn't coerced or planned nor was it intended as a political statement,"
Marcotte said.

He said at the beginning of the seige the gunmen, calling themselves
"Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors" had handed out small phamplets stating
that they were fighting for democracy in Myanmar.

"Although things were tense and we did fear for our lives... we felt safe in
the knowledge that the students were not terorrists but activists for the
democracy cause in Burma," he said, adding that while he supported democracy
he did not agree with the use of violence.

Fellow hostage Greg Archer, 28, also from Canada said he hoped the
resolution of the seige would not encourage "copy-cats" and denied any links
to the gunmen.

"We were very elated to be free, when we held up the banners we were just
caught up in the moment," Archer said.