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Why you should help to Free Burma?(By 88 Generation Students in Exile)

1. Democratically elected government of Burma was forced to cease by a military

coup on March 2, 1962. Military dictatorship was established and all forms of

political and social freedom no longer valid for Burmese people.2. Students are the one who first against the military dictatorship. On July 7th 1962.

Rangoon University students protested against the military rule and more than

100 peaceful protesters were brutally shot to death. The next day the Student

Union building which was a historical land mark for the anti-colonial rulewas

dynamited and blown up into pieces while some student leaders were holding a

meeting. This kind of extreme measure indicates that students and intellectuals

are seen as Enemy of the State because students are the ones who have abilityto criticize the government and educate the people what is right and wrong.

3. The military regime drew its own constitution in 1974 which allowed only one

party system. They set up a Burmese Socialist Programm Party which the coup

leader General Ne Win as the party boss. Under the new constitution General NeWin became the President Ne Win.

4. Workers strike occurred in 1974 June and was crushed with brutal force resulted16 dead. Worker leaders were sentenced to 12 years to life.

5. Students strike emerged after six months in December 5th, 1974. More than

100,000 students and people joined the demonstration in Rangoon Arts andScience University compound for four days demanding establishment of the

Student Unions and appropriate burial site for the late UN Secretary General U

Thant. After four days demonstration was forced to cease. More than 3000

protestors and activists are captured.6. Student strike again occurred in June 1975 demanded freedom and formation of

the independent student unions. Many students were rounded up and sentencedfrom six to life.7. Student leader Tin Mg Oo who led the U Thant strike in 1974 and June strike in

1975 was captured one day before Thakin Kodaw Hmines Memorial Day on

March 26, 1976. Hmine was the well known nationalist poet and known as fatherof peace in Burma. The next day students marched to the Hmines tomb and

demonstrated against the regime. Many students were captured including Tin Mg

Oo younger sister, brother and his parents.

8. Tin Mg Oo who was the sophomore in Rangoon Arts and Science University,majoring in zoology, received death sentenced for leading two demonstrations.

His sister and brother who were high school students at that time got 9 and 6 years

prison terms. His parents got 5 years prison terms for being his parents. Withinthree months Tin Mg Oo was secretly hang in the notorious prison called Insein

Prison; he was 23 years old at that time of execution. The government never

admitted the hanging and refused to gave an explanation to his parents after theirjail term were served.

9. In March 1988 engineering students from Rangoon Institute of Technology (RIT)

quarreled with the local party bosss son. The quarrel spread to a studentdemonstration inside the RIT compound. The riot guards shot and killed six

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students in the university compound which shocked the country on March 13,

1988.

10. Pockets of student demonstrations emerged in the capital Rangoon. On March 18,students and people joined together and march in the down town area was blocked

by the security forces. More that 500 demonstrators including 12 years old kids

were put into prison vans like sardines, when the vans arrived at the prisons 40people were found dead of suffocation.

11. On August 8, 1988 nation wide demonstrations erupted in every towns and cities.

Millions joined the demonstrations and demanded for freedom and democracy. Itwas called four eights movement (8.8.88).

12. After one and half months long demonstrations through out the country, the army

stepped in and killed at least 3000 unarmed demonstrators, including high school

kids. The army announced to call an election on May 27, 1990 and allowed theformation of political parties after 26 years of misruled.

13. On May 27, 1990 National League for Democracy (NLD) party won the election

with 82% of the parliamentary seats but the regime refused to handover the

political powerarguing that the country had no appropriate constitution.14. The regime hand pick people were allowed to attend the so called National

Convention and drawing a new constitution took 15 years from 1993 to 2008.NLD party walked out from the convention because there was no freedom of

discussion in the conference. The new 2008 constitution favored the military

dominant rule.

15. On May 30th 2003, Aung San Suu Kyis upper Burma trip was ambushed in theDepeyins township by the government sponsored thugs who brutally killed more

than 100 of her followers. It was known as Depeyin Massacre. Aung San Suu

Kyi luckily escaped from been murdered. No one was captured for the massacreAung San Suu Kyi was under house arrest and some of her followers who were

injured were thrown into prisons. No attackers were captured or punished but the

victims were severely punished.16. A deadliest cyclone named Nargis land fall in Burma on May 2, 2008 which

killed 138,000 and destroyed the delta region. Instead of helping its own citizens,

the regime blocked the international aid for the surviving 500,000 victims. TheUS and French war ships offered their service to help victims who houses were

under water or living in flooded land. But the regime turned down the offer

fearing to loose political power. Many continue to die without appropriate help

and medicine.17. The regime ignored the disaster and pushed for referendum for its new 2008

constitution and announced that 93% approved it.

18. The new constitution allowed military to take 25% of the parliamentary seatswithout people vote. Military chief of staff will be the defense minister. The

Defense minister has the right to take over political power if he feels there is

threat to a nation. The military administration will be independent from thegovernment. National Security Council has 11 members and 6 are from the

military. In addition, the President must have military experience which barred

civilians to become a President.

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19. For 55 million people only four newspapers are circulating in Burma.

Newspapers are owned by the government and using as its propagating tools to

brain wash people. Television and Radio stations are also run by the government.20. Opposition political parties are allowed to form but do not allowed organizing

people. Potential opposition party leaders have been serving long prison terms.

Ethnic cleansing, rape as a weapon to women, forced labor, forced relocation,forced recruiting child soldiers are still happening today in Burma.

21.Nuclear ambition of the Burmese generals emerged in 2009 July. The Generals

are seeking nuclear technology from Russia and North Korea. Their targeted datefor producing nuclear bomb is 2025. It became a threat not only to regional but

also become global

These are the 21 facts that Burmese people need your help to free Burma.

88 Generation Students (Exile)

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