The Nation-Thailand to eject Burma

[hlaing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

The Nation
August 23,1998
Thailand to eject Burma protesters


THAILAND plans to remove the group of Burmese dissidents who have been
protesting outside their embassy in Bangkok since Aug 3, to avoid being
accused of violating an international convention, a senior foreign ministry
official said yesterday. 

Spokesman Kobsak Chutikul said the Thai authorities will discuss tomorrow
what action should be taken if the group do not voluntarily move away from
the embassy on Sathorn Road. 

''We have been lenient and flexible in accommodating their [the dissidents]
plight and cause, but we are bound by the principle of giving protection to
the embassy,'' he said, adding that the protesters could move across the
road. 

He said that Burmese officials had complained that the demonstrators had
sometimes thrown objects into the embassy premises and that their
round-the-clock presence outside the main gates was impeding access and
obstructing the normal functioning of the embassy. 

Thailand, as party to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,
is obliged to take action or face violation of the convention's Article 22
which states that it has a special duty to take appropriate steps to
protect the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage and
prevent any disturbance of the peace at the mission or impairment of its
dignity. 

Kobsak said Thailand was also committed to providing protection to the
embassy in accordance with the country's 1984 diplomatic priviledge and
immunity. 

He acknowledged that the decision by the students' group on Friday to begin
an indefinite demonstration called for closer consultations between the
Thai authorities including the foreign ministry, special branch police and
the metropolitan police. 

The Thai authorities were hoping that the students would end their
demonstration after the August 21 deadline which they demanded for the
convening of parliament. 

However, with no response from the military government and no improvement
in the political situation, the dissidents decided to continue the protest
indefinitely. 

Yesterday, 26 of the dissidents began a hunger strike to press their
country's military government to allow the convening of a democratic
parliament and a hand over of power. 

"'We have set no timeframe for the hunger strike, we will only call it off
after the political situation in Burma improves,'' said Zaw Wint, a
spokesman representing four groups of students. 

The 26 were among about 100 Burmese dissidents who have been camped in
front of the Burmese embassy in Bangkok since earlier this month. 

Most of the dissidents have been in Thailand since fleeing a bloody
crackdown on Burma's pro-democracy movement in 1988. 

On Friday, Burma's opposition National League for Democracy, led by Nobel
Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, made its most defiant challenge to
military rule yet by saying it would shortly call a ''People's
Parliament''. (AFP)