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Subject: Bkk post - Police heighten surveillance, security at Burma embassy 

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Bangkok post - Dec14, 1999.
Headlines=20

Police heighten surveillance, security at Burma embassy=20

THE Police have strengthened their surveillance and security protection =
for the Burmese embassy following a renewed threat by a militant Burmese =
group that seized the diplomatic compound in early October.=20

Pol Maj-Gen Somphop Sakuntawipat, commander of the Police Metropolitan =
Zone 6, said yesterday that he had instructed the Yannawa Police =
Station, which is responsible for the Burmese Embassy, to co-ordinate =
closely with all units of Thai police intelligence.=20

He said the surveillance, which had been in force since Dec 9, had =
worked well and so far there had been no indication of any violence =
against the diplomatic mission.=20

Somphop said it would be ''a miracle'' if the armed Burmese militants =
could attack and capture the embassy again. The seizure on Oct 1 was =
possible because the embassy had no proper screening of visitors, he =
added.=20

''Now the Burmese embassy has strengthened its security measures and =
imposed very strict checks of people going in and out of the compound =
including the installation of closed-circuit televisions and =
checkpoints,'' said the police general.=20

Moreover, security guards were patrolling the premises around the clock =
at all entry points inside and outside the compound, he added.=20

With or without a threat from the armed group, Somphop said Thai =
authorities had the responsibility to provide full security to foreign =
diplomatic missions in Thailand whether or not there was an official =
diplomatic request.=20

Such responsibility was part of the country's measure to oversee =
internal peace and stability, he added.=20

A group of five Burmese gunmen who called themselves Vigorous Burmese =
Student Warriors held over 80 Burmese and non-Burmese hostage at the =
embassy for 25 hours before releasing them unharmed in exchange for =
their flight to safety.=20

The leader of the group Johnny or Kyaw Ni told The Associated Press in =
an interview last week at a border hideout on the Thai-Burmese border =
that his group had planned to strike again.=20

However, he did not elaborate.=20

He also disclosed that his group had planned to kill the Burmese =
Ambassador U Hla Maung during October's raid, adding that the envoy was =
lucky to be alive as he had left the compound just five minutes before =
the seizure.=20

Johnny said his group was also prepared to kill four other Burmese =
citizens if they had to.=20

Meanwhile, Deputy Agriculture Minister Arkom Engchuan said yesterday =
that Thailand stood ready to hold talks with the Burmese junta on the =
reopening of the Burmese waters for Thailand's fishing fleet.=20

Rangoon closed its waters to Thai boats shortly after the embassy =
seizure and has since refused to resolve the problem.=20

Arkom said Burma was well aware that it was the only fishing source for =
Thai fishing industries and thus wanted to reform fishing contracts, =
rules and regulations for Thai fishing companies.=20

The Nation


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<DIV><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT size=3D+1><B>Bangkok post - Dec14,=20
1999.</B></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT size=3D+1><B>Headlines</B></FONT> =
<FONT=20
face=3Darial,Times><FONT size=3D+2></DIV>
<P>
<H2><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D4>Police heighten surveillance, =
security at Burma=20
embassy </FONT></H2></FONT><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT size=3D+.5>
<P>
<P>THE Police have strengthened their surveillance and security =
protection for=20
the Burmese embassy following a renewed threat by a militant Burmese =
group that=20
seized the diplomatic compound in early October.=20
<P>Pol Maj-Gen Somphop Sakuntawipat, commander of the Police =
Metropolitan Zone=20
6, said yesterday that he had instructed the Yannawa Police Station, =
which is=20
responsible for the Burmese Embassy, to co-ordinate closely with all =
units of=20
Thai police intelligence.=20
<P>He said the surveillance, which had been in force since Dec 9, had =
worked=20
well and so far there had been no indication of any violence against the =

diplomatic mission.=20
<P>Somphop said it would be ''a miracle'' if the armed Burmese militants =
could=20
attack and capture the embassy again. The seizure on Oct 1 was possible =
because=20
the embassy had no proper screening of visitors, he added.=20
<P>''Now the Burmese embassy has strengthened its security measures and =
imposed=20
very strict checks of people going in and out of the compound including =
the=20
installation of closed-circuit televisions and checkpoints,'' said the =
police=20
general.=20
<P>Moreover, security guards were patrolling the premises around the =
clock at=20
all entry points inside and outside the compound, he added.=20
<P>With or without a threat from the armed group, Somphop said Thai =
authorities=20
had the responsibility to provide full security to foreign diplomatic =
missions=20
in Thailand whether or not there was an official diplomatic request.=20
<P>Such responsibility was part of the country's measure to oversee =
internal=20
peace and stability, he added.=20
<P>A group of five Burmese gunmen who called themselves Vigorous Burmese =
Student=20
Warriors held over 80 Burmese and non-Burmese hostage at the embassy for =
25=20
hours before releasing them unharmed in exchange for their flight to =
safety.=20
<P>The leader of the group Johnny or Kyaw Ni told The Associated Press =
in an=20
interview last week at a border hideout on the Thai-Burmese border that =
his=20
group had planned to strike again.=20
<P>However, he did not elaborate.=20
<P>He also disclosed that his group had planned to kill the Burmese =
Ambassador U=20
Hla Maung during October's raid, adding that the envoy was lucky to be =
alive as=20
he had left the compound just five minutes before the seizure.=20
<P>Johnny said his group was also prepared to kill four other Burmese =
citizens=20
if they had to.=20
<P>Meanwhile, Deputy Agriculture Minister Arkom Engchuan said yesterday =
that=20
Thailand stood ready to hold talks with the Burmese junta on the =
reopening of=20
the Burmese waters for Thailand's fishing fleet.=20
<P>Rangoon closed its waters to Thai boats shortly after the embassy =
seizure and=20
has since refused to resolve the problem.=20
<P>Arkom said Burma was well aware that it was the only fishing source =
for Thai=20
fishing industries and thus wanted to reform fishing contracts, rules =
and=20
regulations for Thai fishing companies.=20
<P>The Nation</P></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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