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Hostage says All the Students are B



Subject: Hostage says All the Students are Brave...

Captives voice support for captors
Hostage says all the students are brave
Anucha Charoenpo

Hostages released from the Burmese embassy yesterday expressed their support 
for the cause of their captors, the "Vigorous Burmese Students Warriors."One 
unnamed captive said all the students were brave men who had made a 
sacrifice for their compatriots suffering from the oppression of Burma's 
military regime.

Another added that it was good to see student dissidents doing the "right 
thing for their country and people and supporting democracy in Burma."The 
hostages were released after the students flew off in a helicopter from the 
Armed Forces Academy Preparatory School. They were then taken away by 
authorities in two vans, depriving reporters of a chance to hold proper 
interviews.

>From brief comments gained as they were driven away, they said they wanted 
to see gradual political change in Burma. Some added that the international 
community should pay more attention to political problems and human rights 
issues in that country. The 26 hostages in the van included 12 Thais and 14 
Westerners.

M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra, deputy foreign minister, and Chaiyapruek 
Sawaengcharoen, a former director of the Maneeloy camp for Burmese students 
in Ratchaburi province, took the place of the hostages and flew away with 
the dissidents.

In all there were 38 hostages of various nationalities held when the 
students raided the Burmese embassy on Friday. Twelve of them were left at 
the embassy when the students left for the helicopter. Another 51 people hid 
themselves in various rooms of the embassy compound during the ordeal. A 
total 89 people were inside the embassy during the siege. The 26 hostages 
taken to the Armed Forces Academy Preparatory School wore red headbands with 
the logo of the dissident group emblazoned upon it.

The hostages waved to the students and onlookers cheered loudly and 
applauded them when the helicopter took off. Several hostages cried.

The released captives also praised the Thai authority's decision to let the 
dissidents go.

One Western female hostage said she sympathised with the dissidents' 
political movement.

"They talked to us about their reasons for doing this thing. They didn't 
fear death. I really appreciate them and praise them as heroes of my heart 
forever," she added.

Another male foreign hostage made a thumbs up sign. He said the students 
needed to see change in their country.

" I'm very concerned about this and want to see a bright political future in 
Burma." The captives were then taken hurriedly into the Bayer building, 
which was turned into a command centre, for medical check-ups. A medical 
staff member said most of them were weak, but said there were no traces of 
physical abuse on their bodies. Ms Wannarat Udomsamutr, 25, the first 
hostage to be released early yesterday morning said she is four months 
pregnant. She said she was worried about her child and asked the dissidents 
to release her in the morning. She said: "I feel sympathy for them and I am 
concerned about the political future of Burma," she added.

Pon Netrnimit, 50, another hostage said that he was busy filling in 
documents for a visa at the embassy when the students broke in and one 
turned an AK assault rifle on him.

"I was frightened. I saw one student point a gun at the head of a Special 
Branch policeman guarding the embassy. The policeman was bleeding from his 
eyebrow. He was probably hit with the gun," Mr Pon said. He said that he 
also saw an M16 assault rifle being thrown over the wall into the embassy 
and one of the student ran to get it.

"The dissidents honoured the Thai hostages a lot. They treated us well and 
allowed us to call home on our mobile phones. But the three Burmese embassy 
officials were threatened all the time. The dissidents said they would be 
the first to be killed if their demands were not met," Mr Pon said.

He said that the dissidents were very tense the night before because they 
lost contact with the Thai authorities.

The food and cigarettes for them arrived very late at about 2am. In addition 
a fax was sent in threatening to kill the students, who then got mad and 
broke some windows.

He said the scariest time was at the Bangkok Christian School football field 
where the helicopter was supposed to land at first but did not turn up. 
"They were really mad then and fired several shots into the air," Mr Pon 
said.


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Last Modified: Sun, Oct 3, 1999
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