The Nation - NSC admits early warni

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The Nation - Oct 5, 1999.
NSC admits early warning failure

THE National Security Council yesterday prepared an intelligence assessment
on the Burmese embassy siege, acknowledging their failure to give an early
warning.

The assessment also insisted that the incident was an isolated case meant to
grab world attention and called for tighter supervision of Burmese students
in the Maneeloy holding centre at Ratchaburi.

Supreme Commander Gen Mongkol Ampornpisit revealed that Prime Minister Chuan
Leekpai had reprimanded the intelligence community for failing to detect the
preparations of the Burmese students.

The National Security Council will forward this report, intended as a basis
to review measures dealing with future terrorist incidents, to the National
Committee on Anti-international Terrorism. The committee is to convene a
meeting tomorrow which will be chaired by the prime minister.

According to the council report, the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors
group, which stormed into the embassy and took hostages on Friday, was a
splinter faction of the Burmese opposition. The hostage-takers, possibly
grouped together on an ad hoc basis, had a single mission -- to win
international attention to the domestic political dispute in Burma.

Thai intelligence authorities early on detected that the group was not
predisposed to the violent treatment of the hostages as they were focused
mainly on getting their messages out to the media.

The report went on to note that although the increased security at the
embassy had helped to defuse protest activities planned for Sept 9, known as
the 9.9.99 action plan, there was no early warning for the embassy
occupation.

Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Surayud Chulanont commented that although the
country had sheltered fleeing Burmese students and dissidents on
humanitarian grounds, these people had no right to abuse the host country
with their political activities.

Surayud said the military had stood ready to assist in resolving the embassy
siege but the police and the Interior Ministry had the situation under
control.

He voiced regret that there were no warnings even though the Burmese
students had hauled a large amount of war weapons into Bangkok.

He also noted that the Interior Ministry was responsible for intelligence
gathering related to the activities of Burmese students in the holding
centre.

The Army chief reasoned that the closure of border checkpoints by the
Burmese might have been aimed at preventing opposition members from crossing
into the country.

Gen Thammarak Issarangkul na Ayutthaya, former commander of the Armed Forces
Security Centre, warned that the embassy occupation indicated a lapse of
security.

Thammarak said the incident had ended well with the safety of all hostages,
though the handling of the incident was quite confusing and failed to follow
accepted procedures.

The country has a permanent body to resolve international terrorist
incidents but this body was not activated to tackle the hostage situation in
the Burmese embassy, he noted.

Special Branch deputy commissioner Yothin Mattayomchan revealed that his
office will review security measures provided for foreign embassies.

Yothin, conceding possible security flaws, argued that police guarding the
Burmese embassy had to balance between security concerns and the ready
access for visitors into the compound.

''The Burmese diplomats had never requested strict security screening [of
visitors] so we focused on guarding without obstructing the access,'' he
said.

The deputy commissioner stated that police intelligence would increase
coverage on the activities of Burmese students.

Mae Sai district chief Thavorn Cherdphan said the border crossing opposite
Burma's Tachilek remained closed yesterday, voicing concern about the impact
on border trade.

Kanchanaburi governor Jadet Insawang speculated that border contacts with
Burma would resume after Burmese authorities came to terms with the
situation.

Jadet said he had instructed all border districts to step up security
measures to prevent the infiltration of Burmese rebels to stage their
activities like the embassy occupation.

Thailand was still struggling yesterday to identify the five heavily-armed
Burmese militants who attacked Burma's embassy and took 89 hostages on
Friday, with intelligence and security agencies giving conflicting reports
on who they were.

Police said they will be issuing warrants soon for their arrest on charges
including violent detention, possession of unregistered weapons, discharging
firearms and armed robbery.

But at the same time, police admitted they are struggling to identify the
gunmen who were flown by helicopter to safety by the Thai government in
return for the release of all hostages.

Various government and armed forces agencies yesterday came up with a list
of names of the gunmen, but were still carrying out checks to establish
their identities.

According to one intelligence agency's list submitted to Prime Minister
Chuan Leekpai, the armed group which called itself the Vigorous Burmese
Student Warriors included Gyaw Ni or ''Johnny'' and Ye Thi Ha or ''Preeda'',
the two radical Burmese students who hijacked a domestic flight in Burma and
forced it to fly to Thailand in October 1989.

The three others were ethnic Karen, named Kyi Kyi, Pye Kha and Saw Bai.

Gyaw Ni, 30, and Ye Thi Ha were housed at the Maneeloy holding centre for
Burmese asylum-seekers in western Ratchaburi province after their release
from jail for the hijacking in August 1992.

After leaving the holding centre, they earned a living singing at various
cafes in Bangkok. They used their guitar cases to smuggle their AK-47
weapons in the embassy on Friday.

The police yesterday were still questioning Thai and foreign hostages for
clues to the identification and the arrest of their captors.

A group of seven Asian and Western hostages at the same time were cleared of
suspicion that they were ''collaborators'' of the gunmen, after the junta in
Rangoon claimed some of the foreign hostages of collaboration.

The seven were seen waving and shouting support as the armed group was about
to be flown by helicopter from the Armed Forces Academy's Preparatory School
in Bangkok to the Thai-Burmese border in Ratchaburi.

''Investigations revealed that some foreigners who were present at the visa
section when the armed terrorists seized the embassy, were there in guise of
visa applicants, with the prior arrangements with the terrorists,'' said an
official statement published in Burma's state-controlled newspapers. It did
not specify which foreigners.

No independent evidence has emerged to support the Burmese government's
assertion.

Thai authorities are still trying to where the gunmen went after being
dropped off near Kamaplaw in Burma, which is opposite Ratchaburi's Suan
Phung district. Two small armed groups -- the God Army and the Karen
National Union Youth Group -- are active in the area.

Intelligence officers were still trying to determine whether the two groups
were connected to the rai on the embassy or the gunmen.

A report given to Chuan from an emergency meeting of the National Security
Council yesterday said there were initially six militants, but one, Aung
Aung, had changed his mind before the raid.

He was arrested in front of the embassy and the police found a shoulder bag
and a handbag containing press statements from the group.

The police also found a large number of red head bands.

The security council meeting was attended by senior representatives of
various civil and military agencies and intelligence units, and the
16-member team which had been negotiating with the assailants.

Among the negotiating team were Chaiyapreuk, an NSC analyst Ekaphong
Rimcharoen, and Monreudee Ketuphant, an airport authority official who is a
close friend of both Gyaw Ni and Ye Thi Ha.

The team described the atmosphere of the negotiations as ''friendly'' but
that Gyaw Ni had turned ''very upset and aggressive'' after talking to
foreign and Thai journalists via embassy phones. He also cursed Aung Aung
for being a ''coward''.

The team noted that the hostage-takers, who declared their readiness ''to
die in action'', had never raised their original demands that the Burmese
junta release all political prisoners, hold talks with pro-democracy
politicians and convene the elected Burmese parliament. Instead, they only
asked for a helicopter flight and food.

Armed with AK-47, M-16 assault rifles and hand grenades, the attackers
wanted to seize the Burmese Ambassador U Hla Maung, but he was not in the
embassy at the time, negotiators said.

The group's invasion of the embassy at 11.45 am on Friday in broad daylight
and in the downtown area of Bangkok shocked the Thai government.

The government believed the group had plan the embassy siege for some time
and in collaboration with either Burmese or foreign political and financial
backers. It was also trying to establish how the group came into possession
of their assault weapons.

Chuan will call a meeting tomorrow to review national security strategy and
the country's anti-terrorism measures.

Although major exiled Burmese student groups have issued statements
condemning the siege, Thai authorities plan to launch a broad crackdown on
exiled Burmese dissidents' anti-government activities.

The junta's statement yesterday also hinted that foreign diplomats in
Thailand may also have played a role in supporting the hostage seizure.

It said ''senior foreign diplomats'' had met a number of anti-government
groups in Bangkok and at the Maneeloy centre.

''It is learned that the terrorists had connived beforehand with some of the
foreigners who had come for visas on that day,'' an official report in the
Burmese-language Mirror daily said. The newspaper did not elaborate on how
the Westerners assisted the gunmen.

It also said the five attackers had stolen cash and documents from the
embassy offices.

The junta on Monday reserved special venom for Interior Minister Sanan
Kachornprasart's comments that the attackers were ''student activists''.

''One wonders at any point during the entire siege of the embassy, if the
trigger-happy gunmen's . . . activity resulted in death of not only the
embassy staff but families including children, can they still be regarded as
'not terrorists, but students who are fighting for democracy', '' the
statement said.

''It is still of grave concern to the diplomatic community around the world
to realise that armed terrorism, if carried out under the pretext of a
certain disguise is acceptable . . . There will be no effective way of
preventing terrorist activities being repeated and spawned.''

The junta, meanwhile, beefed up security around foreign embassies in
Rangoon.

 ..................

Hostages recall fears during embassy crisis

BEING in the wrong place at the wrong time meant the fate of 38 people held
hostage in the Burmese embassy hung in the balance under the guns of their
captors for 25 hours, during which they feared they might never get out
alive.

At the height of the crisis, their chances of survival depended precariously
on the mercy of the group's leader, whose temperament constantly fluctuated
in the volatile situation.

One of the Thai hostages, however, became quietly convinced that he and the
others would survive when he heard something one of the captors said.

''He told me he was sorry for scaring us. He said the group would not harm
Thai hostages because 'we have the same father, His Majesty the King''',
recalled Chaiya Lohayanajaree, an employee of Thai Airways International.

Chaiya was among 38 people who were taken hostage when a group of armed
Burmese students raided Rangoon's embassy in central Bangkok in broad
daylight last Friday. Another 51 people had hidden in the compound, too
frightened to leave before the gunmen left and the drama had ended.

He said he had not been sure about his safety until he heard what one of the
captors, who used the Thai name ''Preeda'', told him about his group sharing
with the Thai people a high respect for the King.

Chaiya and three other hostages -- Prasert Leung-aramvej, Noppadol
Saengsurat and Babi Tin, a Burmese woman -- yesterday recounted their ordeal
to ''The Nation News Talk'' TV programme.

Chaiya described Preeda as a young man with a good humour, who liked to say
funny things and tease his friends.

''He seemed to be No 2 after the group leader, Johnny,'' he said.

Chaiya said the situation was initially tense with the captors obviously
stressed and nervous. The tension gradually eased after some conversations
between the group and the hostages, he said.

On the night of the hostage drama, hand grenades carried by Johnny and
Preeda accidentally dropped on the carpeted floor several times, leaving all
the captives frightened, Chaiya recounted.

''We were badly scared, fearing the grenades would go off. Fortunately, they
didn't and Preeda once told us that they would not explode,'' he said.

Chaiya added that the captors and the hostages they held in one of the
embassy buildings had not been aware that there were many other people
hiding in other buildings in the compound.

''They only learned that there were many other people in the embassy when
they were leaving the next morning and they saw them coming out,'' he said.

Prasert, manager of Shinta Trading 1971 Co Ltd, said five armed men had held
him and other people hostage at the embassy, but the captors told them that
they were part of a group of 12.

The captors later said there were only five of them when they agreed to free
the hostages in exchange for a helicopter flight to the Thai-Burmese border.

''Some of us first thought of persuading other hostages to overpower the
five and flee, but we didn't do that since we feared the other seven they
claimed could be downstairs,'' Prasert recounted.

Prasert, who helped liaise between the captors and the Thai authorities,
described Johnny as having a mercurial temperament and being in full command
of the group.

''He seemed to be the only one in the group with weaponry skills. His temper
changed quickly and he became irritated and moody easily,'' he said.

In the embassy building that night, the situation became tense when somebody
faxed a note written in Thai threatening to kill the group of students
instead of capturing them alive. One of the students tried to reach the
sender by calling the number showed on the copy but failed to make contact,
Prasert said.

The most critical moment of the entire drama, Prasert said, was when the
hostage-takers were anxiously waiting for the helicopter to pick them up at
the embassy. The landing place was first changed to the nearby Bangkok
Christian College, and finally to the Armed Forces Preparatory School at
Sathorn Intersection after the chopper was unable to land at the embassy.

''The students were so nervous, thinking they had been tricked to come out
in the open. Johnny then pulled out the safety pin of a hand grenade and
said he was ready for a gun battle,'' Prasert continued.

In a fit of anger, Johnny punched and broke a glass window in the embassy
building. However, this crucial moment passed without any further incident
after the helicopter pilot hovered over the embassy lawn to show the
hijackers that the space was too small for landing, according to Prasert.

He said he had once asked Preeda whether he feared for his life in defying
the Thai authorities and seizing the embassy. The man said he was prepared
to die fighting for democracy in Burma.

''He said his real target was Burmese diplomats, not other hostages. And
some of the hostages later became sympathetic with the students,'' Prasert
said.

Prasert said he and the other captives had spent a sleepless night at the
embassy as they feared that police commandos would storm the compound.

''That means both sides would have exchanged fire and some hostages could
have been killed. Fortunately, it did not happen,'' he said.

 ...................

Burmese hail Thai handling of crisis

BURMESE Foreign Minister U Win Aung yesterday praised Thailand for bringing
the 25-hour hostage crisis at the Burmese embassy in Bangkok to a peaceful
conclusion, but requested more and tighter security for his embassy to
prevent reoccurrences.

Win Aung met Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan after touring the embassy on
Sathorn Road, which is still under tight police guard. The Burmese minister
was en route to Rangoon from the UN General Assembly in New York.

Accompanying him to the embassy and the meeting with Surin was Burma's
Ambassador in Bangkok, U Hla Maung, who was not in the embassy when the five
gunmen stormed the compound on Friday.

Win Aung told reporters he was happy the saga ended without casualties, but
said such an incident should not happen in Bangkok, the City of Angels.

He also regretted the intimidation of women and children who were among the
hostages.

The Burmese minister stressed that the five dissidents who took over the
embassy did not have peaceful intentions. ''You know, they came to kill our
ambassador, U Hla Maung,'' he said.

He also said the group came from a camp inside Thailand.

It is up to the Thai government to decide what to do next, Win Aung said.

The minister also referred to the closing of a Thai-Burma checkpoint linking
Mae Sot district of Tak province with Burma's Myawaddy border town shortly
after the embassy was occupied.

He stressed that the closure was a natural reaction and not meant as
retaliation. It will remain closed while Burma assesses the situation.

Meanwhile, Surin said that during the meeting, the countries reaffirmed
their excellent relationship.

''Both sides agree that the siege is a good lesson for them and will help
them if other incidents happen,'' the minister said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Don Pramudwinai said Win Aung paid a courtesy
call on Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and deputy premier Bhichai Rattakul.

Don said after the hostages were released on Saturday, Burma's director
general for political affairs, U Nyunt Maung Shein, told Thai Ambassador to
Rangoon Pensak Chalarak of his appreciation for Thailand's handling of the
situation and its peaceful end.

Rangoon also assigned more security for the Thai embassy in Rangoon out of
concern that it could be a target of attack.

Don said although the five students had committed terrorist acts, they were
not terrorists.

''The siege was a terrorist act, but they were Burmese students fighting for
democracy. Considering all the circumstances, we would not call them
terrorists,'' Don said.

He added that although the siege ended peacefully with hostages and captors
being released, nothing can guarantee that Thailand would handle similar
situations this way every time.

 .....................

Police probe under way, arrest warrants to come

POLICE are collecting evidence against the five gunmen involved in the
embassy attack and arrest warrants are likely to be issued within a week,
senior officers said yesterday.

Police Maj Gen Chakthip Kunchorn na Ayutthaya, deputy commissioner of the
Metropolitan Police, said investigators had charged the gunmen with
possessing war weapons, illegal detention and theft (for taking the pistol
of a police officer).

He said the probe team would seek further information about the perpetrators
from Special Branch police.

Chakthip said the five men are believed to be hiding at the Thai-Burmese
border. Metropolitan Police chief Wannarat Kocharak said yesterday warrants
for their arrest would be forwarded to the Border Police bases in those
areas.

Following their 25-hour seizure of the embassy, which began just before noon
last Friday, the gunmen were flown by helicopter to the western border in
Ratchaburi. Their safety was guaranteed in exchange for the release of more
than 30 hostages they had held inside the compound.

Chakthip yesterday chaired an hour-long meeting of the investigation team at
the Yan Nawa police station. He sai later that 18 witnesses had been
questioned, including police stationed at the embassy, embassy staff and
some hostages.

Evidence collected from inside the embassy included guitar cases the gunmen
used to conceal assault rifles, three spent casings and one live round of
ammunition.

 ...................

'Bangkok Syndrome' to fore

IN the aftermath of the Hollywood-styled action thriller at the Burmese
embassy in Bangkok last weekend, a new term was coined that might find its
way into the lexicon of psychologists and negotiators around the world:
''Bangkok Syndrome.''

''Bangkok Syndrome'', according to critics perplexed by the Thai
government's handling of the hostage crisis, can be defined as a particular
situation where not only the hostages but also the authorities charged with
negotiating eventually become empathetic with the hostage-takers.

Formerly, there was only the ''Stockholm Syndrome'' which refers to a
particular situation in which over a period of ordeal hostages come to
sympathise with their captors.

During 25-hours of intense negotiations and horse-trading, the whole saga
came to a peaceful end without bloodshed. The five Burmese students flew in
a helicopter to the Thai-Burmese border with Deputy Foreign Minister
Sukhumbhand Paribatra acting as a surrogate for the hostages.

This unique Thai way of resolving the crisis quickly and peacefully earned
much international praise. But critics said the desire to cut a quick deal
regardless of long-term consequences was no cause for celebration. Using
Sukhumbhand in exchange for the hostages further confounded the critics.

Wrote a Nation reader, Tai Guard: ''Exchanging one hostage for another or
for the whole group is usually regarded as a no-no unless the person
exchanged is a security asset, that is, a trained security personnel who
would be useful in the event of the use of force. If Thai politicians rush
to be 'exchanged' in order to become heroes, then Bangkok could become the
hostage-taking capital of the world.''

 ....................

Govt plans security crackdown at Maneeloy

THAILAND plans to issue drastic security reinforcement measures for the
Maneeloy holding centre for Burmese asylum-seekers in light of seizure of
the Burmese embassy by five heavily-armed students, some of whom are
believed to come from the site.

The message was conveyed yesterday by Interior Ministry Deputy Permanent
Secretary Veerachai Naewboonnean who led a team of high-ranking officials to
visit the centre. The group, which included Ratchaburi Governor Gomet
Daengthongdee, held a meeting there to review the overall security measures.

Veerachai disclosed that a more severe code of conduct would be laid down
along with new disciplinary measures since existing rules were not being
respected by the Burmese students.

According to Gomet, Maneeloy was an open centre and therefore it was hard to
impose any strict rules.

Until now, the compound had been fenced with barbed-wire which was easily
breached. But in the near future, inmates would be forced to enter and leave
through one entrance, Gomet added.

''I admit that in the past officials have not been strict enough with the
students' entry and exit procedure. We will also issue new identity cards
since some of the students still don't have them,'' Gomet said.

''The camp chief will also have the authority to grant inmates a maximum of
two days leave. Absence for more than two days will only be allowed after
the provincial governor granted permission,'' he said.

Under existing regulations, the camp chief has the authority to permit
students to leave the site for as long as seven days.

According to one of the camp residents, the new rule was acceptable should
it not be too strict and coercive.

Maneeloy centre is situated in Ratchaburi Province and is the main refuge
for many Burmese dissident students who fled the bloody military crackdown.

BY JEERAWAT NA THALANG

The Nation