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URGENT MEDIA RELEASE: OVER 400 BURM



Subject: URGENT MEDIA RELEASE: OVER 400 BURMESE ON HUNGER STRIKE

Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma

URGENT MEDIA RELEASE!

400 Burmese Students on Hunger Strike at the Burmese Students Area, Ban
Maneeloi, Ratchburi Province, Thailand.

23rd July, 1997.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Over 400 Burmese students will commence a hunger strike inside the Ministry
of the Interior (MOI) - run "Safe Area for Burmese Students" in Ratchburi
Province today. The action is held in parallel with ASEAN's welcoming
ceremony for Burma's ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)
in Kuala Lumpur, amid similar protest actions throughout the region.

The action comes in response to ASEAN's blatant disregard of repeated calls
for policy review concerning relations with Burma's military regime. The
students, in a statement read inside the compound this morning, stated that
"ASEAN is fully aware of the current social, economic and political
situation inside Burma", and that "...by recognizing SLORC as a new member
of the ASEAN grouping, regional government heads have done a grave injustice
to the Burmese people". 

The students demand that ASEAN abandon its constructive engagement policy
immediately and show due respect for the Burmese people's will and the
wishes of ASEAN citizens by taken more time to consider the issues raised by
Burma's union with the regional grouping. They further demand that ASEAN
recognize the 1990 general election results in Burma by engaging with the
democratic opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD).

The protesters have dubbed themselves the 'Leading Action Committee'. The
group is comprised of representatives of the All Burma Basic Education
Students Union (ABBESU), All Burma Students League (ABSL), Burmese Students
Association (BSA), New Blood Comrades Union of Burma (NBCUB), Overseas Karen
Refugee Students Organization (OKRSO) and the Overseas Mon National Students
Organization (OMNSO).

Police vans have been stationed outside of the safe area compound for over
two days as local authorities anticipated protest action to coincide with
the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur. The MOI have placed restrictions on the
activities on Burmese students since the establishment of the Safe Area in
1993. Regulations for the safe area forbid students in engaging in anything
deemed a 'political activity'. Today's protest is a great show of courage in
the face of such adversity. 

The hunger strike will continue indefinitely.

For further information please contact TACDB in Bangkok on (+662) 216 4463.
email: <carol@xxxxxxxxxx>
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Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB),
328 Phayathai Road,
Rajthevee,
Bangkok 10400,
THAILAND.

tel/fax:  (+662) 216 4463
email:	  carol@xxxxxxxxxx
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