The Nation -Manhunt for 'Warriors' leader
TIN KYI
Headlines
Manhunt for 'Warriors' leader
LEADER of the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors, Ye Thi Ha, alias San Naing,
is now wanted as he is believed to have masterminded both the hostage
situations at the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok last year and at the Ratchaburi
Hospital recently, a senior intelligence source said yesterday.
Orders have been issued to security officials, both civilian and uniformed,
to hunt for Ha, believed to be in the country after being freed from jail in
1992, the source said.
"After investigating both cases, at the Burmese embassy and at the
Ratchaburi Hospital, we believed that Ha is behind both incidents as he is a
respected leader of the Vigorous Burmese Students Warriors," the source
said.
On Oct 6, 1989, Ha and another Burmese student, Ye Yint, hijacked a Burmese
domestic flight from Mergui bound for Burma's capital of Rangoon. They
forced the plane to land at U-Tapao Naval Air Base in Chon Buri province.
After 11 hours of negotiation, the duo released all 82 passengers and four
crew members on board the Fokker F-28 unharmed and surrendered to the
authorities. The hijackers later admitted they had used a fake bomb. They
were sentenced to six years in jail.
Both were released on Aug 13, 1992, for good behaviour after spending three
years in prison. The source said Ye Yint is now in the United States and Ha
is believed to have remained in the Kingdom after his release.
Ha is believed to have been behind the scenes when the Vigorous Burmese
students Warriors raided the Burmese embassy in Bangkok on Oct 1.
They took about 38 hostages including 13 Burmese diplomats. They were
eventually released at the border in Ratchaburi province in exchange for the
freedom of the hostages.
The Burmese students then ganged up with God's Army whose stronghold is
close to Ratchaburi province and stormed Ratchaburi Hospital last week. The
siege ended bloodily with all 10 assailants killed and all hostages freed.
San Naing, however, was not among them.
"We have already informed our security officials to look for Ha everywhere.
In case some officials are keeping him as a source, they are told to hand
him over to the authorities," the same intelligence source said.
Meanwhile, another security source said seven of the 10 Burmese assailants
killed at Ratchaburi Hospital were soldiers of God's Army while the rest
were Burmese students from Maneeloy Holding Centre who had taken part in the
siege of the Burmese Embassy last year.
The source said a Burmese student from the Maneeloy Holding Centre, Toe Toe,
has identified five of the 10.
BY MARISA CHIMPRABHA
The Nation