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The Nation (3-10-99) No.4
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<font size=4><b>Headlines</font></b><font size=3> <br>
</font><font size=5><b>Drama ends well but sets a precedent<br>
</font></b><font size=3>AT one point it looked as if a romantic farewell
scene was being shot on the vast open field at the military preparatory
school. <br>
One hostage was weeping openly. Others pressed their hands against the
windows of the helicopter as they bade farewell to the five gunmen who
had taken them hostage 25 hours earlier. <br>
Every now and then they would turn to the hundreds of onlookers crowded
along the fence, shouting ''Freedom!'' and ''Democracy in Burma!'' while
holding up red headbands and a dissident flag given to them by their
captors, who called themselves the ''Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors''.
<br>
The seven foreigners were greeted with several rounds of applause from
hundreds of people who glued themselves to the fence along with reporters
and cameramen. <br>
''How did they treat you?'' a reporter shouted from the fence. <br>
''They treated us well,'' one yelled back as she gave two thumbs up to
express her appreciation. <br>
As the door slid shut, the hostages comforted each other with big hugs.
<br>
It was a moment of mixed feelings. They were sad to see their captors go
while at the same time aroused by the feelings that had driven their
captors to do what they had done just the day before, storm the Burmese
Embassy compound, demand the military junta in their home country free
all political prisoners and insist that the parliament democratically
elected back in 1990 be allowed to convene. <br>
It amazes many people how such a strong bond could have been established
in the last 25 hours. One hostage even got out of the van to help push it
out of the muddy football field as they were starting off to the cadet
school to board the helicopter. <br>
Though the ordeal had not been exactly a love affair for powerful
Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, he nevertheless insisted on
calling the hostage-takers ''students fighting for democracy'' instead of
''terrorists''. <br>
For the seven Westerners, the whole drama may have spiced up their visit
to the Kingdom, but for many others the stand-off between the police and
the hostage-takers is not exactly a pleasant memory. Some were released
shaken, though nobody was hurt. <br>
''It's as if we'd come back from the dead,'' said a Thai man who
identified himself as Prasert. <br>
There were indeed several tense moments throughout the day. Three rounds
fired from a rifle had police, reporters and curious onlookers on both
sides of Sathorn Road running for cover. <br>
The shots came in response to attempts by reporters and cameramen to
creep up to the embassy compound to get a better view as the escape vans
were getting ready to head to the helicopter landing pad. <br>
A hostage inside one of the two vans heading towards the school yard told
a local radio station by mobile telephone: ''They are still pointing the
guns at us. We need the helicopter now.'' <br>
But the whole ordeal ended with Sanan sounding apologetic to reporters
about why they had been kept in the dark most of the time. <br>
No blood has been spilt, but many questions remain unanswered. For the
coming weeks, the authorities will be nagged about the nation's security
apparatus. Many will wonder if the handling of yesterday's incident may
have set an unwanted precedent in the country. <br>
BY DON PATHAN <br>
Nation</font>
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