An ALP narration in the Bangkok Post daily
published in Thailand has given a profound insight into the death
of Johnny, a leading figure in the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors
(VBSW), and who led the siege on the State Peace and Development
Council (SPDC) ‘mission’ in Bangkok, Thailand, on October
1, 1999.
Johnny headed four other armed Burmese students
and seized the SPDC mission in Bangkok, for more than 24 hours,
in a show of defiance on the illegal ruling military junta in
Rangoon. He and his comrades successfully pulled down the hated
regime’s emblem and hoisted the glorious flag of the Burmese
student activists - the Fighting Peacock – and publicised
some vital demands on the ruling junta in Rangoon to affect political
reforms in Burma.
This was hailed worldwide as a glorious heroic
feat of the Burmese student warriors. And this greatly riled the
ruling SPDC clique in Rangoon to the point of seeking immediate
revenge on Johnny and his group.
As the result, the collateral damage was, one
time famous “God’s Army” headed by mystical 12-year
old Karen twins. The so-called God’s Army was brought to
heel by the Burma Army, thanks largely to the Thai Army (9th Division)
for giving supporting fire with heavy artillery from behind the
beleaguered God’s Army, as widely publicized in Thai news
and media of those days. Johnny and his boys were taking refuge
in the area under the jurisdiction of the God’s Army after
their success at the SPDC mission in Bangkok. We owed greatly
to then Thai Deputy Foreign Minister, for his far-sighted endeavours
and successful intervention in the standoff between Johnny and
the Thai authorities. We will always remember that.
According to a column in the Bangkok Post,
dated December 12, 2002, VBSW claimed that Johnny was captured
by the Thai Army and executed. The English daily published in
Thailand, also stated that Johnny was captured on the Burmese
border with the help of elements in an allied rebel group, the
KNU (Karen National Union) in July 2000.
The VBSW also, published a statement saying,
“If Johnny committed a crime, Thailand should have taken
action according to the law. Such activities, taking people into
custody without public knowledge and execution, violate human
rights by Thailand”. It added, “The truth of the incident
should be uncovered and those involved should be investigated
by Amnesty International”.
Further VBSW also cited that elements in the
Karen National Union (KNU) betrayed Johnny as a favour to the
Thai Army. In July 2000, Mahn Nyein Maung (Joint Secretary, KNU)
and Myint Thein (NLD – LA) met Johnny at God’s Army
camp and invited Johnny to move into safer territory under the
KNU control.
As invited Johnny left the following day for
KNU territory in the company of KNU forces. He was promptly delivered
into the hands of Thai soldiers. Later it was learned that Johnny
had been killed. According to Mahn Nyein Maung, “It is true
that I went to see Johnny – and we asked him to move into
territory under our control for his own safety”. And he added,
“But we were arrested by the Thai authorities on our return
from there. I also heard that Johnny was killed, but I don’t
know when or where”.
The Thai Army denied any knowledge of Johnny’s
capture or death, according to the daily. This was the picture
given in the Bangkok Post of December 12, 2002.
On careful scrutiny of the facts in the Bangkok
Post and the clarifications made by Mahn Nyein Maung as publicized
in the Internet, it is clear who killed Johnny in the first place.
Who betrayed Johnny and why, and when and where remained to be
investigated later, perhaps, after Burma regained its rightful
place among the nations on earth.
Also, Mahn Nyein Maung and his cohorts in the
KNU and the NLD –LA stand to do a lot of explaining relating
to Johnny’s death, specifically, as he knows all that has
occurred on that fateful day – how Johnny was handed over
to the Thai soldiers.
Johnny and his comrades are deemed as “heroes
and martyrs” by the Burmese student activists and their murders
will never go unanswered. This the Burmese students have vowed.
On January 24, 2002, ten young heavily armed
members of the famous God’s Army seized the Ratchaburi Provincial
Hospital. Bay Da (Be’-da) one of Johnny’s colleagues
led the siege.
The “Ten Young Lions” had to seize
the medical facility, as they needed medical staff and supplies
to save, what remained of the lot at God’s Army camp, after
being pounded by SPDC forces on the front and heavily shelled
by the Thai Ninth Division from the rear.
Note: The 9th Division Commander died a fitting end - in a helicopter
crash soon after.
The young Karen and Burmese student hostage-takers
had no intention of harming anyone at Ratchaburi. They had demanded
only medical staff and supplies to save their brethren shelled
by the Thai Army. They had not harmed or threatened anyone with
their hardware. No one stood witness to the fact that they had
abused or threatened anyone during the siege lasting more than
24 hours. And the continuous television footage showed the tranquil
and relax atmosphere all the while, until the unwarranted and
treacherous attack at dawn by the Thai commandos on the early
morning of January 25, 2000.
A meeting to take appropriate action took place
at Ratchaburi on the night of January 24, 2000. First, the Deputy
Foreign Minister famed for his handling of the siege at the SPDC
mission in Bangkok, left the scene, dejected and uneasy. At about
3:00 AM, on January 25, 2000, then Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai
left with a stern face and refused to answer the media people.
Then the Thai Army Chief, General Surayud Chulanont took command
of the operation.
