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Arrest of Students in bangkok







Press Release
May 29, 1996

Burmese students nabbed after their rally

	Twenty-to Burmese students including three female students and one
six-year old child were rounded up by the Thai policy on their way back
from the demonstration in front of the Burmese embassy on May 27, 1996.
the demonstration marked the sixth year anniversary of 1990 multi-party
general election in Burma. 
	About 200 students from different organizations joined the
demonstration on May 27 rally in Bangkok. Both plainclothes and uniform
Thai police were present but did not intervene during the rally. However,
a bus with 23 students from the "safe area" in Ratchaburi Province was
stopped by the Thai police and arrested them on their way back from the
rally. Only one Buddhist was released later, but all other 22 including
six-year- old child with his mother were detained at the Naung Khen police
station on that night.  They were transferred to Immigration Detention
Center (IDC) on the next day, on 28 May 1996, it is learnt.
	All of these 22 students are the residents of "Safe Area" in
Ratchaburi Province, run by the Thai Ministry of Interior. This camp is a
holding center for the Burmese students who fled after the 1988 bloody
coup to Thailand. All Burmese students had to register at the Thai MOI and
stay only in the designated "safe Area."  Beginning in June 1995, the
monthly allowance by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees has
been cut off and forced the students to enter into the "safe area." There
are currently about 700 students in the camp including their family
members. 
	These 22 students came to Bangkok on May 27, to join the
demonstration with their fellow students in Bangkok.
	Joint Committee from five different student organization in
Thailand who organized the daily demonstration between 23-29 May released
an open letter to Thai Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa requesting him
to release all these 22 students and send them back to the "safe area."
The letter said " we are greatly concerned their plight and request the
Thai authorities not to send them back to Burma, but transfer to the safe
area."  Thai students from Student Federation of Thialnd also ask their
government to transfer their Burmese fellow to safe area today. 


ABSDF News Agency
ABSDF (DAWN GWIN)

List of th students arrested on May 27, 1996

1. Saw Thet Oo 2. Ma Htwe (female) 3. Aung Myint 4. Maung Win 5. Khine Soe
Myint 6. Mu Mu (female) 7. Win Min Htun 8. U Tin Pe 9. Htun Shwe 10. Than
Hteik 11. Win San 12. Saw Lu 13. Myint Zaw (a) Gwa Tho 14. Saw Khike 15.
Sanny 16. Moe Pyan 17. Thein Thein Oo (Female) 18. Chit Oo lu
(six-year-old son of Thein Thein Oo) 19. Win Shwe 20. Saw Thar War 21. Ah
Bai Gyi 22. Maung Maung Win (They all are right now in IDC. Not charge or
sentence yet.) Please take any any that would help their release. e.g. 
writing to PM, MOI and UNHCR.