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<font face="ARIAL" color="#800000"><b>BURMESE EMBASSY SIEGE<br>
</font><font size=7 color="#000000">Armed students issue demands<br>
</font></b><font size=5><i>Foreign nationals among 37 hostages<br>
</i><b>T</font></b><font size=3>welve armed men raided the Burmese
embassy yesterday and took 37 hostages, including 13 Burmese officials
and several foreign nationals.<br>
Hla Maung, the Burmese ambassador, and six other diplomats were outside
the premises when the attack came around 11.45am.<br>
The dissidents, calling themselves Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors,
were armed with assault rifles and hand grenades, and declared they were
"ready to die in action".<br>
But one, who identified himself as Johnny, told a radio station they did
not intend to harm any of the hostages, and only wanted to remind the
world community of the problems in Burma.<br>
Three of the raiders-two of them each carrying a guitar case believed to
conceal weapons-walked into the visa section of the embassy by a side
entrance on Pan road. They were followed shortly afterward by more men,
riding in a song thaew minibus. Soon after, the Burmese flag was lowered
from the embassy flagpole and replaced by the fighting peacock of the
anti-Rangoon dissidents.<br>
Three people, including a Thai gardener and a security officer, managed
to escape the embassy grounds.<br>
The hostage-takers, who said the attack had been planned some time ago,
claimed they had no links to any other opposition groups in Burma.<br>
In a statement yesterday afternoon, the hostage-takers called on the
ruling State Peace and Development Council to:uImmediately release all
political prisoners in Burma.<br>
uEnter into a "meaningful dialogue" with representatives of the
People's Parliament set up by the pro-democracy opposition a year
ago.<br>
uAllow the formation of a democratic government based on the results of
the 1990 general election.<br>
The dissidents said Burma's ruling junta would be "fully responsible
for all consequences" if it failed to meet the demands. They later
dropped the demands, asking instead for a helicopter to fly them early
today to Mae Sot, Tak, with seven or eight hostages.<br>
But Pol Lt-Gen Wannarat Kocharak, the city police chief, said late
yesterday that authorities had not responded to the demand.<br>
Late last night, Thai negotiators demanded the release of some hostages
in exchange for food.<br>
The dissidents initially agreed to free four hostages but later refused,
officials said.<br>
More than 300 police, including marksmen and members of a hostage rescue
unit, were deployed around the embassy.<br>
During the day, gunfire was heard periodically inside the embassy but the
dissidents and people who had left the embassy said no one had been
hurt.<br>
A temporary police headquarters was set up at the Bayer Co building, next
to the embassy, to co-ordinate the rescue effort. Prime Minister Chuan
Leekpai, who arrived at the headquarters late last night, said every
effort would be made to end the siege peacefully.<br>
Soe Aung of the All Burma Students Democratic Front, was brought to the
embassy gates in a fire truck to negotiate with the dissidents through a
loudspeaker, but was taken away when gunshots rang out.<br>
Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart said negotiations had been
hampered because telephone lines in the embassy had been cut.<br>
Officials believe they know the identity of one of the dissidents, said
Weerachai Newboonnian, deputy permanent secretary for interior. One of
the hostage-takers was believed to be Aung Kyi, who was thought to have
entered Thailand through a border checkpoint at Mae Sot since Wednesday
with three other Burmese nationals, he said.<br>
The four told immigration they wanted to travel to Bangkok to contact the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said Mr Weerachai.<br>
Sukhumbhand Paribatra, deputy foreign minister, said two task forces
would work around the clock at the embassy and at the ministry.<br>
The main goal would be the safe release of hostages, especially the
foreign nationals, "because they are our guests," he added.
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