[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

Commentary from the Myanmar Embassy



Subject: Commentary from the Myanmar Embassy, Washington DC regarding  the terrorist attack in Bangkok

>From:Thuriya@xxxxxxx
Following is the commentary from the Myanmar Embassy, Washington DC regarding 
the terrorist attack in Bangkok:

Terrorist Attack On The Myanmar Embassy In Bangkok :
Implications For The International Community

        Now that dust has settled over the terrorist attack on the Myanmar 
Embassy in Bangkok last week-end, it is time to review the situation and 
consider the wider implications of that occurrence for the international 
community. The denouement of the situation begs the question whether the 
right message has been sent to those who may be planning to perpetrate 
similar crimes.

        A careful study of the situation reveals that the attack was not 
launched on the spur of the moment by some misguided youths but planned and 
carried out by hard-nosed terrorists belonging to the All Burma Students 
Democratic Front (ABSDF) and the Kayin insurgent groups. It is clear that 
they were not only able to move without let or  hindrance between the 
Maneeloy refugee camp and Bangkok but were able to acquire assault rifles, 
pistols, grenades and substantial rounds of ammunition without difficulty. It 
is also evident that the security guards posted at the Embassy offered little 
or no resistance to the 5 terrorists when they approached the main entrance 
with suspiciously large guitar cases. Had they bothered to search the guitar 
cases, they could have easily foiled the attempt to siege the Embassy. It  is 
also doubtful that the terrorists conspired to do the job by themselves. 
Judging from the exuberance displayed by some of the foreigners "taken  
hostage" and released and the fact that those hostages came out of the 
Embassy wearing the red head band supplied by the terrorists, it would not be 
farfetched to assume that the whole episode was orchestrated. When 
journalists saw that the hostages had bonded with  their  captors, they 
described it as bizarre.  In reality it may be more accurate to say that 
there was  "espirit de corps " among terrorists and co-conspirators.

        Thai authorities led by Deputy Prime Minister, Vichai Ratanakul, 
General Chetta Thanajaro and Interior Minister, Sanan Kachornprasart worked 
professionally to end the hostage situation without bloodshed. Much to their 
credit they were able to persuade the terrorists to give up their threat to 
execute one hostage at a time until all their demands were met. Deputy 
Foreign Minister Sukhumband Paribata displayed uncommon courage by offering 
himself as a hostage in place of the others and agreeing to take the 
helicopter trip with the 5 armed men to the Myanmar border where they were 
freed. However, notwithstanding the relief felt by everyone that the siege of 
the Embassy was ended without the loss of a single life, the kid glove 
treatment of the terrorists by the authorities concerned raises a lot of 
questions, particularly in the light of statements alleged to have been made 
by a senior official that the perpetrators are "not terrorists. They are 
students who fight for democracy. We have given them safe passage to their 
own country. We don't consider them to be terrorists. They are student 
activists". Such irresponsible statements will only encourage terrorists to 
strike again and erode the international community's efforts to decisively 
meet the challenge posed by them. Terrorism is a scourge and a terrorist is a 
terrorist by any name. No one who takes up arms, forcibly enters diplomatic 
premises and hold diplomats and innocent men, women and children hostage 
should be allowed to hide behind the banner of student activism. The 
international community can ill afford to be ambiguous when it comes to 
meeting the challenge posed by terrorists.

        It is also pertinent to note that peoples of all nations from ancient 
times have recognized that diplomats must be granted proper status to ensure 
the efficient performance of their duties. For this reason the state parties 
to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations have agreed that the person 
of a diplomatic agent as well as the premises of diplomatic missions shall be 
inviolable. The receiving state is under a special duty to take all 
appropriate steps to prevent any attack on diplomatic agents and to protect 
the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage.

        Countries like the United States which are engaged in a long-term 
struggle against terrorism acknowledge the importance of dealing firmly with 
terrorists. Thus the US was quick to condemn, in no uncertain terms, the 
terrorist attack on the Myanmar Embassy and the taking of hostages in spite 
of the claims of the terrorists that they were acting on behalf of those 
aspiring for democracy.

        At this important juncture when we stand on the threshold of a new 
millennium, the international community should avoid giving the impression 
that nations can condone terrorism if they consider a cause worthy enough. In 
fact countries should be bolstering their counter-terrorism policy by making 
it abundantly clear that no deals will be struck and that there will be no 
concessions to terrorists.

        When it concerns terrorism, the international community needs to 
discard the kid glove in favour of the iron fist.

End of Document