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

Bkk Post -Soft siege highlights jun



Reply-To: "TIN KYI" <tinkyi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Bkk Post -Soft siege highlights junta's hard line 

Bangkok Post - Oct 10, 1999.
Commentary

Soft siege highlights junta's hard line
Thongbai Thongpao


Last week's siege of the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok made headlines all over
the world. Armed with rifles and grenades, five dissidents calling
themselves "Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors" stormed the embassy about 11
a.m. on Friday, October 1, and took 89 hostages.

They pulled down the Burmese flag and raised a red standard emblazoned with
a fighting peacock-the symbol of the pro-democracy movement in Burma.

Pressure mounted amid concerns that the incident might escalate into violent
bloodshed when hundreds of policemen surrounded the walled embassy compound
with sharpshooters taking up positions in nearby tall buildings.

The frenzy heightened when one local TV channel reported that the siege was
committed by "terrorists" and flashed back to a similar hostage crisis in
Peru which ended in a bloodbath when soldiers took the hostage-takers by
surprise and killed them all.

The public was concerned about the safety of innocent hostages. A loss of
life would also tarnish the image of Thailand.

Luckily, the event ended peacefully, because Thai authorities were careful
while the dissidents had no intention to kill anyone. In a statement sent to
news media, the dissidents demanded the release of all political prisoners
in their military-ruled homeland, a dialogue between Burma's pro-democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the military, and the convening of an elected
parliament.

None of the demands sounded serious. The dissidents seemed to be well aware
that the Thai government was in no position to oblige and there was little
chance to get what they had asked for.

Finally, all they asked of the Thai authorities was to take them to the
Thai-Burmese border. The 25-hour incident ended smoothly when a helicopter
flew the dissidents, accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Sukhumbhand
Paribatra, to the border in Ratchaburi.

The Thai government was praised by many countries for its handling of the
crisis, which ended without a single drop of blood.

It was Thailand's second embassy siege.

Looking back, it is debatable whether the dissidents achieved their goals.
The students succeeded in that they seized the Burmese Embassy and replaced
the Burmese flag with that of the pro-democracy movement. They also
succeeded in announcing to the world community their ideology and unwavering
stance. Attention was focused again on the Burmese military junta and its
violation of human rights and democratic rule.

The dissidents achieved all this with minimal resources and risks. The ploy
proved effective as news about the siege and their announcements was
broadcast around the world. What they did reiterates the preamble of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The third paragraph of the preamble reads: "... Whereas it is essential, if
man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion
against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the
rule of law,.. now, therefore, the General Assembly proclaims this Universal
Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all
peoples and all nations.."Burmese people have been forced to rebel against
tyrants who disrespect the laws and human rights. The one to blame,
therefore, is the military junta of Burma, not the Burmese students or the
people.

The siege also cast doubts over the constructive engagement policy
maintained by Thailand and other Asean members. It proves that Asean's
policy to open the door to Burma to join the regional community has failed
to change the attitude of the military junta.

Is it high time that the policy be revised?