A dozen young rebels, armed with assault rifles and hand grenades, yesterday held diplomats and foreigners inside the Myanmar Embassy as hostages while demanding the release of all political prisoners in their military-ruled homeland, police and the group said.
Three of the hostages, including a Thai guard, a Thai woman and a Myanmar Embassy gardener, were later released.
The rebels reportedly asked for a helicopter to fly them and some hostages to the Thai-Myanmar frontier, where the Myanmar rebel movement is based.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Calling themselves the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors, the unknown group also demanded the convening of an elected Parliament and dialogue between Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the military.
There were reportedly three Canadians, three Frenchmen, one American, one German and a small number of Malaysians, Singaporeans and Thais were among the hostages, according to AsiaWorks, a local media group which contacted one of the foreigners inside the embassy by telephone.
The foreigners, who were all reported safe, were probably at the embassy to obtain visas.
"If the [military] would not follow our demands it is fully responsible for the consequences of this action," the English-language statement said.
Chettha Thanajaro, an interior ministry advisor, said he believed the group had seized about 30 hostages inside the embassy. Police surrounding the area dove for cover as shots periodically rang out from within the walled compound.
Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart and General Pornsak Durongkavibul, deputy head of the national police, were negotiating with the hostage-takers as more than 100 policemen, including SWAT teams and police dogs, surrounded the embassy compound.
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