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AP-Myanmar Opposition Calls For Reo



Subject: AP-Myanmar Opposition Calls For Reopening Of Universities

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Thursday, December 2 8:35 PM SGT=20
Myanmar Opposition Calls For Reopening Of Universities
YANGON, Myanmar (AP)--The opposition National League for Democracy on =
Thursday marked the anniversary of a famous anti-colonial protest by =
calling on Myanmar's ruling junta to reopen all universities and =
colleges as soon as possible.=20
The NLD, in a seven-page statement marking National Day, also called for =
the reestablishment of the Student Union, which has been banned since =
1962, when the military first seized power.=20

The statement was read out by NLD Vice Chairman Tin U at a ceremony at =
party headquarters commemorating the anniversary of a student boycott =
against British colonial rule 79 years ago. More than 300 NLD members, =
including some veteran politicians, attended the event.=20

Universities and colleges have been largely closed for the past three =
years and open for only about 30 months since the current regime came to =
power in 1988.=20

In December 1996 student unrest arose over incidents of police brutality =
and virtually all universities and colleges were shut down by the =
government.=20

"As politics and education are inseparable, so are democracy and student =
affairs. The closure of universities and colleges since 1996 was an =
immense national loss. The government should resolve the students' =
affairs through dialogue and negotiations," said the NLD statement.=20

Historically, students have been in the vanguard of change in Myanmar, =
and the government is quick to try to smother any activism.=20

National Day marks the anniversary of a 1920 student boycott against the =
introduction of a measure by the British which students saw as a =
deliberate move to limit higher education to a privileged few. The =
boycott gave impetus to the struggle for national independence, attained =
in 1948.=20

Speaking to visiting Japanese reporters Thursday morning, Brig. Gen. =
David Abel said that 76% of the classes at universities and colleges =
have resumed and all universities and colleges could be reopened by May =
next year.=20

"We have been opening our universities component by component," he said. =
"Medical and dental institutes and technical colleges are open and =
diploma classes, master courses and doctorate courses open regularly at =
universities," said Abel, a member of the ruling junta.=20

Some classes of the medical institutes were reopened early this year. =
Students attending the Yangon Institute of Technology, a focal point of =
the 1996 trouble, have recently received letters informing them that =
classes would resume this month.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Thursday, December 2</B> 8:35 PM SGT =

<H2><FONT color=3D#ff0000 size=3D4>Myanmar Opposition Calls For =
Reopening Of=20
Universities</FONT></H2>YANGON, Myanmar (AP)--The opposition National =
League for=20
Democracy on Thursday marked the anniversary of a famous anti-colonial =
protest=20
by calling on Myanmar's ruling junta to reopen all universities and =
colleges as=20
soon as possible.=20
<P>The NLD, in a seven-page statement marking National Day, also called =
for the=20
reestablishment of the Student Union, which has been banned since 1962, =
when the=20
military first seized power.=20
<P>The statement was read out by NLD Vice Chairman Tin U at a ceremony =
at party=20
headquarters commemorating the anniversary of a student boycott against =
British=20
colonial rule 79 years ago. More than 300 NLD members, including some =
veteran=20
politicians, attended the event.=20
<P>Universities and colleges have been largely closed for the past three =
years=20
and open for only about 30 months since the current regime came to power =
in=20
1988.=20
<P>In December 1996 student unrest arose over incidents of police =
brutality and=20
virtually all universities and colleges were shut down by the =
government.=20
<P>"As politics and education are inseparable, so are democracy and =
student=20
affairs. The closure of universities and colleges since 1996 was an =
immense=20
national loss. The government should resolve the students' affairs =
through=20
dialogue and negotiations," said the NLD statement.=20
<P>Historically, students have been in the vanguard of change in =
Myanmar, and=20
the government is quick to try to smother any activism.=20
<P>National Day marks the anniversary of a 1920 student boycott against =
the=20
introduction of a measure by the British which students saw as a =
deliberate move=20
to limit higher education to a privileged few. The boycott gave impetus =
to the=20
struggle for national independence, attained in 1948.=20
<P>Speaking to visiting Japanese reporters Thursday morning, Brig. Gen. =
David=20
Abel said that 76% of the classes at universities and colleges have =
resumed and=20
all universities and colleges could be reopened by May next year.=20
<P>"We have been opening our universities component by component," he =
said.=20
"Medical and dental institutes and technical colleges are open and =
diploma=20
classes, master courses and doctorate courses open regularly at =
universities,"=20
said Abel, a member of the ruling junta.=20
<P>Some classes of the medical institutes were reopened early this year. =

Students attending the Yangon Institute of Technology, a focal point of =
the 1996=20
trouble, have recently received letters informing them that classes =
would resume=20
this month. </P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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