Correspondence to the Prime Minister of Thailand
after the hostage crisis

The Prime Minister of Thailand
c/o Royal Thai Embassy
111 Empire CCT
Yarralumla 2600
Canberra, ACT
Australia.

5 October 1999.
Your Excellency,

The Committee for Democracy in Burma, Sydney, Australia congratulates and thanks you and your government immensely for your diplomatic skills and sense of justice that enabled you to resolve nobly and peacefully the recent hostage crisis at the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok.

Edmund Burke wrote, " The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing". Those words of profound wisdom can be appropriately altered to read " The only thing necessary for the triumph of the evil regime in Burma is for its good neighbor Thailand and the ASEAN countries to sit back and do nothing." The "wake up call", "the alarm bells", "the writing on the wall" cannot be ignored any longer. We implore you to take the initiative and use every means to help bring about the release of the 46 millions in Burma who are being held hostages in their own country by the regime of evil strong men and terrorists.

You have shown the world how to diffuse what on the surface appeared to be a violent incident with patience and peace. You assessed the situation with a true understanding of the tragedy that is unfolding in Burma and spilling out into your country. Above all you have shown compassion. We cannot thank you enough.