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Friday, January 21 4:03 PM SGT
Thai Army On Lookout For Myanmar Embassy Siege StudentsBANGKOK (AP)--Thailand will immediately arrest the five student radicals wanted for October's armed siege of the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok if they escape to the Thai border from fighting in Myanmar, Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai told reporters Friday.Thai troops and border police are closely monitoring a troublesome stretch of its long western frontier with Myanmar, opposite ongoing clashes between Myanmar government forces and ethnic Karen rebels, the Thai army spokesman Col. Somkuan Sangpattaranetr said. After the embassy siege the students found refuge with a Karen guerrilla group known as God's Army, led by two 12-year old boys believed by followers to have mystical powers. "We will arrest them (the students) if we eye them crossing to Thai soil because there are arrest warrants out for them for criminal charges in Thailand," said Somkuan. Thai troops have fired warning artillery shots in recent days to keep fighting off Thai soil, but Wednesday some 100 Karen fighters intruded over the border. Four Thai troops were killed by a land mine explosion as they chased them back towards Myanmar. Somkuan said God's Army - a group of about 200 fighters based close to the border - has been under attack for about one week. Clashes were taking place about five-seven kilometers inside Myanmar. Thailand has said that if it arrests the students, who call themselves the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors, they will be punished under Thai law and not extradited to Myanmar. Thailand's set the students free at the border to secure the safe release of the dozens of hostages from the embassy in Bangkok, which was stormed by the students Oct. 1-2. |