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11/8/98 Statement



ALL BURMA FEDERATION OF STUDENT UNIONS
(FOREIGN AFFAIRS)
11th August, 1998:

If we review the political history of Burma, student, we find that student
as a strong and united body, played a major role and stood at the spearhead
in its fight for freedom. Students' movement was not mere demonstration nor
were they goal-less struggles.

First, we fought for the abolition of colonial education and struggled to
get the country free from under the yoke of British colonial rule. We had
demanded freedom of education. We had requested National Independence. We
had fought for democracy. We had aimed at bringing about an end to civil
war. We had also worked for national reconciliation. We had aimed for the
destruction of military dictatorship. 

Hence, students' movements are not only mere students' affairs, but each
movement is part of the people's struggles. Students will always stand for
truth and for the entire nation. So our movements have been the wings of
the Burmese people's struggles for freedom.

Currently, the political, economical and social affairs of the entire
nation are controlled by the military regime without the consent of our
people. So there are economic crisis, social upheaval and political
deadlock. But the military regime has crushed our movement and peoples'
struggle inside Burma by means of violent methods. Many politicians, monks,
students and patriotic people have been arrested and tortured. Most have
been intimidated and harassed.

Apart from ignoring the result of the people's desire, they have arrested,
have force and suppress them the representatives of the people who were
elected as the Member of Parliament in 1990. Then they have tended to
trivial the democracy struggle by their mass media. Presently, they
proclaim that they have to crush every demonstration and movement, threaten
with their forces showing the tanks and arms at the downtown in Rangoon.
And the military group insulted Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of our
National Leader and the leader of the National League for Democracy.

So we cannot endure this situation of our country and people understand
that this is a peak time of change. We, All Burma Federation of Student
Unions, have demanded the SPDC to solve the political problems by political
means, not to use violence and to call for open dialogue with the
revolutionary forces, political forces and ethnic groups. We, ABFSU, also
support the demand of NLD party to convene the parliament by 21st Aug: 1998. 

We also compliment and support the demonstration of the students in front
of the SPDC embassy at Bangkok. We, ABFSU, have pledged to unite and to
march to achieve the aim according to the five principals of ABFSU.


Foreign affairs' committee
All Burma Federation of Student Unions.
11th August, 1998