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3. BURMESE EMBASSY SEIGE



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THE NATION - October 2, 1999

Headline

Chronology Of The Siege

* 11 am: A group of 12 armed men enter the Burmese Embassy compound =
carrying
large bags concealing automatic rifles and take control of one section =
of
the embassy where only one Thai policeman is on duty while two others =
are on
lunch break. They take hostage 13 Burmese staff and a number of Thai =
staff
and foreigners waiting to get visas.

* 11.30 am: Thai Police surround the embassy area, close off the two =
roads
in front and at the side of the embassy and set up a command post in the
Bayer building next to the embassy.

* 12 pm: Police Gen Pracha Promnok and Metropolitan Police Chief =
Wannarak
Kocharat arrive at the scene and order police to move all onlookers and
reporters away from the embassy.

* 1 pm: Swat teams arrive on the scene. Snipers take positions on =
rooftops
around the embassy compound.

* 1.50 pm: The armed group lowers the Burmese flag and hoists a red one
emblazoned with a yellow fighting peacock in its place. They fire eight
rounds immediately after the new flag is raised.

* 2.30 pm: The armed group demands to see Soe Aung, a Burmese refugee =
leader
being held at a centre in Ratchaburi. They later reveal their identity =
as
the ''Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors'', faxing their conditions for
freeing the hostages to news agencies.

* 2.45 pm: Thai police detain two Burmese student outside the embassy =
for
questioning. They have reportedly been protesting in front of the =
embassy in
recent weeks.

* 3.30 pm: Soe Aung arrives at the scene to help police negotiate with =
the
armed group. He is accompanied by Aung Moe, a fellow refugee.

* 4.30 pm: Standing on a light truck and using a loudspeaker, Soe Aung =
reads
a statement in Burmese. About six minutes later the armed men fire three
rounds into the air, effectively silencing him.

* 5 pm: One of the armed students, named Johnny, demands a helicopter to
take the group and hostages to the Thai-Burmese border.

* 5.40 pm: Two Thais walk out of the embassy followed by a Burmese =
national.
These men were not in the section held by the armed men.

* 7.30 pm: Pol Gen Wannarak briefs reporters on negotiations with the =
armed
group, who have demanded food. The request is granted provided that they
release more hostages.

* 7.45 pm: Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai arrives at the scene.

The Nation

*************************************************************************=
***
THE NATION - October 2, 1999

Headline

Drawing Attention

Three major incidents staged by exiled Burmese dissidents to draw
international attention to their cause:

* Oct 6, 1989: Two Burmese students, Ye Yint and Ye Thi Ha, hijack a =
Burmese
domestic flight from Mergui bound for Rangoon. They force the plane to =
land
at Thailand's U-Tapao Naval Air Base in the east-coast province of =
Chonburi.
After 11 hours of negotiations, the duo release all 82 passengers and =
four
crew members on board the Fokker F-28 unharmed and peacefully surrender =
to
the authorities. The hijackers later admit that they used a fake bomb =
made
of fertiliser. They are arrested and sentenced to six years in jail.

The two are released on Aug 13, 1992, for good behaviour after three =
years
in prison.

* Nov 10, 1990: Calling themselves ''The Justice and Liberation =
Warriors'',
two Burmese students hijack a Thai International Airways jetliner with =
203
passengers and 16 crew members on a Bangkok-Rangoon flight, diverting =
the
aircraft and forcing it to land in Calcutta. Hours after landing, the
hijackers release some of the passengers who have fallen ill. Shortly =
after
midnight, the two youths, who used a fake bomb made of soap and wire,
release the remaining hostages and surrender to Indian security forces.

The Indian government refuses to hand over to Burma the two hijackers, =
who
requested political asylum.

* Oct 1, 1999: Going by the name of ''Vigorous Burmese Student =
Warriors'', a
dozen heavily armed Burmese men make a daylight raid on the Burmese =
Embassy
in Bangkok, taking hostage some 30 people, including 13 Burmese =
diplomats.
The seemingly easy raid on the mission, which has been well guarded by
uniformed and plainclothes Thai policemen, shocks both the Thai =
government
and Thai and foreign campaigners for Burma.

*************************************************************************=
***
THE NATION - October 2, 1999

Headline

The hostages

13 Burmese Staff

* Nyang Lynn, Minister-Counsellor

* Daw Hla Myon Nwe, First Secretary

* Tun Myint,First Secretary

* Hlang Phone Myint, Second Secretary

* Aye Kyi, attache

* Sein Nyunt, attache

* Aung Thein, attache

* Daw Kyi Kyi Myint, attache

* Zaw Htut, attache

* Tunt Kyi, attache

* Thein Maung, attache

* Kyaw Win, attache

* Myo Thien, attache

There were reportedly 16 Thais held, 13 men and 3 women.

At least ten foreigners were also detained inside the embassy. They =
include
a German national, three French, a Canadian, two Malaysians, two
Singaporeans and one Japanese.

*************************************************************************=
***


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>THE NATION - October 2,=20
1999<BR><BR>Headline<BR><BR>Chronology Of The Siege<BR><BR>* 11 am: A =
group of=20
12 armed men enter the Burmese Embassy compound carrying<BR>large bags=20
concealing automatic rifles and take control of one section of<BR>the =
embassy=20
where only one Thai policeman is on duty while two others are =
on<BR>lunch break.=20
They take hostage 13 Burmese staff and a number of Thai staff<BR>and =
foreigners=20
waiting to get visas.<BR><BR>* 11.30 am: Thai Police surround the =
embassy area,=20
close off the two roads<BR>in front and at the side of the embassy and =
set up a=20
command post in the<BR>Bayer building next to the embassy.<BR><BR>* 12 =
pm:=20
Police Gen Pracha Promnok and Metropolitan Police Chief =
Wannarak<BR>Kocharat=20
arrive at the scene and order police to move all onlookers =
and<BR>reporters away=20
from the embassy.<BR><BR>* 1 pm: Swat teams arrive on the scene. Snipers =
take=20
positions on rooftops<BR>around the embassy compound.<BR><BR>* 1.50 pm: =
The=20
armed group lowers the Burmese flag and hoists a red one<BR>emblazoned =
with a=20
yellow fighting peacock in its place. They fire eight<BR>rounds =
immediately=20
after the new flag is raised.<BR><BR>* 2.30 pm: The armed group demands =
to see=20
Soe Aung, a Burmese refugee leader<BR>being held at a centre in =
Ratchaburi. They=20
later reveal their identity as<BR>the ''Vigorous Burmese Student =
Warriors'',=20
faxing their conditions for<BR>freeing the hostages to news =
agencies.<BR><BR>*=20
2.45 pm: Thai police detain two Burmese student outside the embassy=20
for<BR>questioning. They have reportedly been protesting in front of the =
embassy=20
in<BR>recent weeks.<BR><BR>* 3.30 pm: Soe Aung arrives at the scene to =
help=20
police negotiate with the<BR>armed group. He is accompanied by Aung Moe, =
a=20
fellow refugee.<BR><BR>* 4.30 pm: Standing on a light truck and using a=20
loudspeaker, Soe Aung reads<BR>a statement in Burmese. About six minutes =
later=20
the armed men fire three<BR>rounds into the air, effectively silencing=20
him.<BR><BR>* 5 pm: One of the armed students, named Johnny, demands a=20
helicopter to<BR>take the group and hostages to the Thai-Burmese=20
border.<BR><BR>* 5.40 pm: Two Thais walk out of the embassy followed by =
a=20
Burmese national.<BR>These men were not in the section held by the armed =

men.<BR><BR>* 7.30 pm: Pol Gen Wannarak briefs reporters on negotiations =
with=20
the armed<BR>group, who have demanded food. The request is granted =
provided that=20
they<BR>release more hostages.<BR><BR>* 7.45 pm: Prime Minister Chuan =
Leekpai=20
arrives at the scene.<BR><BR>The=20
Nation<BR><BR>***********************************************************=
*****************<BR>THE=20
NATION - October 2, 1999<BR><BR>Headline<BR><BR>Drawing =
Attention<BR><BR>Three=20
major incidents staged by exiled Burmese dissidents to =
draw<BR>international=20
attention to their cause:<BR><BR>* Oct 6, 1989: Two Burmese students, Ye =
Yint=20
and Ye Thi Ha, hijack a Burmese<BR>domestic flight from Mergui bound for =

Rangoon. They force the plane to land<BR>at Thailand's U-Tapao Naval Air =
Base in=20
the east-coast province of Chonburi.<BR>After 11 hours of negotiations, =
the duo=20
release all 82 passengers and four<BR>crew members on board the Fokker =
F-28=20
unharmed and peacefully surrender to<BR>the authorities. The hijackers =
later=20
admit that they used a fake bomb made<BR>of fertiliser. They are =
arrested and=20
sentenced to six years in jail.<BR><BR>The two are released on Aug 13, =
1992, for=20
good behaviour after three years<BR>in prison.<BR><BR>* Nov 10, 1990: =
Calling=20
themselves ''The Justice and Liberation Warriors'',<BR>two Burmese =
students=20
hijack a Thai International Airways jetliner with 203<BR>passengers and =
16 crew=20
members on a Bangkok-Rangoon flight, diverting the<BR>aircraft and =
forcing it to=20
land in Calcutta. Hours after landing, the<BR>hijackers release some of =
the=20
passengers who have fallen ill. Shortly after<BR>midnight, the two =
youths, who=20
used a fake bomb made of soap and wire,<BR>release the remaining =
hostages and=20
surrender to Indian security forces.<BR><BR>The Indian government =
refuses to=20
hand over to Burma the two hijackers, who<BR>requested political=20
asylum.<BR><BR>* Oct 1, 1999: Going by the name of ''Vigorous Burmese =
Student=20
Warriors'', a<BR>dozen heavily armed Burmese men make a daylight raid on =
the=20
Burmese Embassy<BR>in Bangkok, taking hostage some 30 people, including =
13=20
Burmese diplomats.<BR>The seemingly easy raid on the mission, which has =
been=20
well guarded by<BR>uniformed and plainclothes Thai policemen, shocks =
both the=20
Thai government<BR>and Thai and foreign campaigners for=20
Burma.<BR><BR>***********************************************************=
*****************<BR>THE=20
NATION - October 2, 1999<BR><BR>Headline<BR><BR>The hostages<BR><BR>13 =
Burmese=20
Staff<BR><BR>* Nyang Lynn, Minister-Counsellor<BR><BR>* Daw Hla Myon =
Nwe, First=20
Secretary<BR><BR>* Tun Myint,First Secretary<BR><BR>* Hlang Phone Myint, =
Second=20
Secretary<BR><BR>* Aye Kyi, attache<BR><BR>* Sein Nyunt, =
attache<BR><BR>* Aung=20
Thein, attache<BR><BR>* Daw Kyi Kyi Myint, attache<BR><BR>* Zaw Htut,=20
attache<BR><BR>* Tunt Kyi, attache<BR><BR>* Thein Maung, =
attache<BR><BR>* Kyaw=20
Win, attache<BR><BR>* Myo Thien, attache<BR><BR>There were reportedly 16 =
Thais=20
held, 13 men and 3 women.<BR><BR>At least ten foreigners were also =
detained=20
inside the embassy. They include<BR>a German national, three French, a =
Canadian,=20
two Malaysians, two<BR>Singaporeans and one=20
Japanese.<BR><BR>********************************************************=
********************<BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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