DATE=1/27/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=THAI / KAREN (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-258476
BYLINE=GARY THOMAS
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Bomb threats have been reported in the western Thai
town where a splinter faction of Karen ethnic Burmese
insurgents occupied a hospital earlier this week. At the
same time, as VOA Correspondent Gary Thomas reports from
Bangkok, the head of the main Karen insurgent group has
been replaced.
TEXT: Two days after Thai commandos abruptly ended the
Ratchaburi hospital siege, the town was shaken by bomb
threats.
Unknown callers claimed bombs had been placed inside a
department store and a school. The Robinson Department
Store and the Ratchaburi Elementary School were evacuated
to allow demolition experts to search the buildings, but no
explosives were found. As a precaution, provincial
authorities closed 10 other schools.
A group of 10 ethnic Karen insurgents, identified by
authorities as members of the self-styled "God's Army,"
took over a hospital Monday and held doctors, patients and
staff for nearly 24 hours. Thai commandos stormed the
hospital Tuesday morning, freeing some 700 hostages and
killing all the hostage takers.
The group is a breakaway splinter faction of the Karen
National Union, or K-N-U. "God's Army" is allied with
another group calling itself the "Vigorous Burmese Student
Warriors," which took over the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok
in October.
The K-N-U has been fighting for autonomy from Rangoon for
more than 50 years and is one of the last remaining ethnic
insurgencies that has not signed a peace treaty with
Burma's military rulers.
The K-N-U has disavowed any connection with the Ratchaburi
terrorists. Nevertheless, analysts say the Ratchaburi
incident is bound to have an impact on public sympathy for
the Karen movement as a whole in Thailand. Thousands of
Karen have been allowed to take refuge in Thailand and the
K-N-U has used Thai territory to stash arms for raids on
Burmese government forces.
On Thursday the K-N-U announced that its longtime leader,
Bo Mya, has been demoted. The 73-year-old leader, who had
been president of the K-N-U for 24 years, was replaced by
the current secretary-general, Ba Thein. The 63-year-old
Ba Thein was chosen by the group's governing executive.
K-N-U officers say the change has nothing to do with the
events in Ratchaburi.
It is not known if Bo Mya's ouster is a signal that the K-
N-U is prepared to reopen peace talks with the Rangoon
government. (Signed)
NEB/GPT/FC/KL
27-Jan-2000 06:49 AM EDT (27-Jan-2000 1149 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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