Burmese demand independent investigation

Issue 

Burmese demand independent investigation

By Andrew Hall

CANBERRA — Sixty members of the Burmese community marched and rallied outside the Thai and Burmese embassies on February 11. They were demanding an independent investigation into the execution of members of the Burmese rebel group God's Army.

God's Army guerillas seized the Ratchaburi hospital near the Thai-Burma border on January 24 in an act of desperation. They demanded that the Burmese and Thai armies stop shelling their positions and that medical aid be provided to God's Army soldiers and civilians.

Eyewitness accounts from hostages confirm that, as the Thai army stormed the hospital, the rebels surrendered and were summarily executed. A photo reproduced in the Thai newspaper Current News on January 28 shows one rebel, his hands tied behind his back, with wounds which suggest an execution-style killing.

The vibrant and militant rally here heard a number of speakers from the Burmese community, who demanded freedom for Burma and a forensic investigation into the Ratchaburi hospital executions. James Vassilopoulos from the Democratic Socialist Party also spoke, demanding that the Australian government support the call for an investigation. The government should also enact legislation to stop all trade which benefits the Burmese dictatorship, he said.

The Burmese activists have launched a petition calling for an investigation. Copies can be obtained from <myint@hotmail.com>.

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