BUNCHAR FROM A BANGKOK UNIVERSITY HOLDS A BANNER IN BANGKOK, 1999-03-17 (photo)

Vice-president for academic affairs at Bangkok Assumption university, Bunchar Sanghirun (front, 2nd L) leads his colleagues to the North Korean embassy in Bangkok March 17. Twenty teachers from the university delivered a petition to the North Korean Ambassador asking for the release of Hong Won-Myong, the son of a North Korean diplomat. Police say North Korean agents abducted Hong Sun-gyong, the former science and technology counsellor at the North Korean embassy, his wife and his son, from a residence on the outskirts of Bangkok last week and attempted to smuggle them back to the North Korean capital Pyongyang via Laos. Hong and his wife escaped but the son remained in the hands of North Korean agents. PDN/JIR