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ABSDF:"this unfortunate incident... (r)



Subject: Re: ABSDF:"this unfortunate incident....kind of terrorist act"

Dear Dawn Star,

While it may be easy at first glance to castigate the ABSDF and other democracy groups in Thailand for failure to approve the embassy takeover operation, this may be a somewhat short-sighted approach.

The ABSDF has been fighting the junta for the past decade on all fronts, in the streets of Rangoon and Mandalay, in the international press, in the halls of foreign governments, and in the battlefields of the villages and hills of eastern Burma.  They have lost many members to SPDC bullets and jail cells.  Almost every one of them lives far from their families in Burma, who at this very moment are being harassed by the SPDC because of their own political activities.  They have paid, and are paying, their dues.

I think that when the ABSDF and other groups condemn the embassy takeover, they are thinking not only of their own situation, but of the 10,000 illegal students, the 100,000 refugee villagers, and the 1,000,000 undocumented workers, who are currently hiding out in Thailand.  While the Thais have been, on the whole, rather patient with what amounts to an unarmed invasion of their territory by a foreign culture, they have not been consistently humane, and there are certainly no guarantees for the future.

The grudging welcome that these desperate people receive here could quickly vanish if Thai public opinion turned against them.  That it has not done so is due partly to Thai goodwill, and partly to Thai inertia.  To rouse the Thais against the Burmese immigrants is a recipe for further disaster.

I am sure that all the activists groups secretly applaud any action that will bring peace and freedom to their country.  They all desperately want to go home again.  

It is up to those of us who can speak freely on the subject, without fear of reprisal, to loudly call for international action, not just lip-service, on the Burma problem.

Nous pouvons continuer a conter sur vous a cet egard, n'est-ce pas, monsieur?

Yours, Indiana


At 07:58 PM 10/3/99 +0100, Dawn Star wrote:
>Dawn Star wrote:
> > 
> > Dawn Star wrote:
> > >
> > > These men are heroes, not terrorists. It is unfortunate that so many
> > > words unmitigated praise are showered on the Thai authorities, for doing
> > > their role in the only responisible and civilized way open to them, to
> > > protect the detained people inside the embassy, and that the ABSDF
> > > implies that these courageous freedom fighters were terrorists, though
> > > the ABSDF does not come out and say it openly or directly, in order to
> > > play it down and afraid of offending their host while forced out of the
> > > country of their ancestors.
> > >
> > > It is baffling why the ABSDF should call this "an unfortunate incident",
> > > and it deserves and explanation which would be most illuminating "by one
> > > of the key democratic groups".
> > >
> > > Let it be said recalled again, that
> > Interior Minister Sanan
> > Kachornprasart yesterday called the gunmen that seized the Burmese
> > Embassy and captured
> > dozens of hostages, ''students fighting for democracy'' not
> > international terrorists.
> > >
>Its understood the political acumen in condemning this operation at this
>time, yet it is outrageously irresponsible in an effort to distance the
>ABSDF organisation, to condemn ostracize these student revolutionaries
>from the civilised norms of self defense and survival, while bringing
>their message to hundreds of millions of people around the world,
>selflessly urderlining the objectives of the democratic struggle. 
>
>For the ABSDF to insinuate that these men were terrorists is utterly
>shameful and cowardly.
>
> > dawn star
> > 
> > > "Finally, as one of the key Burmese democratic groups, the ABSDF would
> > > like to express its sincere
> > > regrets and genuine apology to the government and the people of Thailand
> > > for any inconvenience
> > > caused by this unfortunate incident. We reaffirm that ABSDF has not and
> > > will never pursue any kind
> > > of terrorist act in our struggle."
> > >
> > > ABSDF wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Media Release 57/99
> > > > Date: 2 October 1999
> > > >
> > > > The ABSDF praises the government of Thailand for their peaceful
> > > > efforts in solving the crisis at the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok.
> > > >
> > > > The ABSDF is impressed that the Thai authorities took every possible
> > > > way to save the hostages through negotiation and dialogue with the
> > > > armed group. It clearly shows that the Thai government is capable of
> > > > solving the crisis with political maturity and dignity.
> > > >
> > > > The ABSDF also thanks the government of Thailand for their
> > > > understanding and not takingaction against the Burmese democratic
> > > > groups in Thailand.
> > > >
> > > > Dr. Naing Aung, chairperson of the ABSDF said: "The ABSDF believes
> > > > that the Thai government will not retract their understanding and
> > > > sympathy towards the Burmese democratic movement, especially to the
> > > > students movement. ABSDF hopes that punitive measures will not be
> > > > taken against the peaceful democratic and ethnic groups as consequence
> > > > of this recent crisis."
> > > >
> > > > Finally, as one of the key Burmese democratic groups, the ABSDF would
> > > > like to express its sincere regrets and genuine apology to the
> > > > government and the people of Thailand for any inconvenience caused by
> > > > this unfortunate incident. We reaffirm that ABSDF has not and will
> > > > never pursue any kind of terrorist act in our struggle.
> > > >
> > > > For further information, please call:
> > > > 01 961 6566
> > > > 01 951 9405
> > > > 01 441 7385
> > > >
> > > > -----------------------------------
> > > >
> > > > --------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF)
> > > > P.O. Box 42, Hua Mark P.O, Bangkapi, 10243, Bangkok
> > > > <caroline@xxxxxxxxxxxx> <lurie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>