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Reuters-Myanmar says student exiles

Subject: Reuters-Myanmar says student exiles welcome to return 

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Myanmar says student exiles welcome to return=20
04:09 a.m. Dec 06, 1999 Eastern=20
YANGON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Myanmar's intelligence chief said the military =
government is ``worried'' about students who fled the country to escape =
the bloody suppression of a pro-democracy uprising in 1988 and would =
welcome their return.=20

The official Myanma News Agency quoted the powerful Lieutenant-General =
Khin Nyunt as saying the students fled because of the ``instigation of =
destructive elements.''=20

``The government still welcomes them with open arms,'' he said at the =
conclusion of a refresher course for teachers in Yangon on Sunday. ``The =
government is worried that they will continue to fall prey to the =
temptations of destructive elements.''=20

Several thousand university age students fled to neighbouring Thailand =
after the military government killed thousands of people to crush a =
student-led pro-democracy uprising in 1988.=20

Khin Nyunt said it ``is now necessary to get rid of the national =
traitors, who, by relying on external elements, are trying to make the =
future of the state fade away by spiritually spoiling the youths.''=20

The military government uses the terms ``national traitors'' and =
``destructive elements'' to refer to opponents, including the National =
League for Democracy (NLD), the main opposition party, and armed ethnic =
minority groups battling for greater autonomy.=20

Since 1988, Myanmar student dissidents have been a persistent thorn in =
the side of the military, joining forces with ethnic rebel groups =
fighting the Yangon government and waging a propaganda war from Thailand =
against authoritarian rule.=20

While Thailand has tolerated their presence for the past 11 years, it =
called for the speeding up of their resettlement in third countries =
after a group of armed dissidents took over the Myanmar embassy in =
Bangkok in early October.=20

Thai-Myanmar ties were badly strained when Thai authorities allowed the =
five attackers to go free to a safe border area when they released 89 =
hostages held for 25 hours unharmed.=20

More than 2,000 dissidents who fled Myanmar to Thailand after the 1988 =
crackdown have already been resettled in the United States, Canada, =
Australia, England and Sweden. About another 2,000 still live in =
Thailand or in border areas.=20

Myanmar has kept universities and colleges closed for much of the past =
11 years to prevent a resurgence of student activism.=20

Last week the government said 75 percent of classes had already =
restarted and arrangements were underway to reopen those remaining when =
the new academic year restarted in April.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D+1><STRONG>Myanmar says =
student exiles=20
welcome to return</STRONG></FONT> <BR>04:09 a.m. Dec 06, 1999 Eastern=20
<P>YANGON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Myanmar's intelligence chief said the =
military=20
government is ``worried'' about students who fled the country to escape =
the=20
bloody suppression of a pro-democracy uprising in 1988 and would welcome =
their=20
return.=20
<P>The official Myanma News Agency quoted the powerful =
Lieutenant-General Khin=20
Nyunt as saying the students fled because of the ``instigation of =
destructive=20
elements.''=20
<P>``The government still welcomes them with open arms,'' he said at the =

conclusion of a refresher course for teachers in Yangon on Sunday. ``The =

government is worried that they will continue to fall prey to the =
temptations of=20
destructive elements.''=20
<P>Several thousand university age students fled to neighbouring =
Thailand after=20
the military government killed thousands of people to crush a =
student-led=20
pro-democracy uprising in 1988.=20
<P>Khin Nyunt said it ``is now necessary to get rid of the national =
traitors,=20
who, by relying on external elements, are trying to make the future of =
the state=20
fade away by spiritually spoiling the youths.''=20
<P>The military government uses the terms ``national traitors'' and=20
``destructive elements'' to refer to opponents, including the National =
League=20
for Democracy (NLD), the main opposition party, and armed ethnic =
minority groups=20
battling for greater autonomy.=20
<P>Since 1988, Myanmar student dissidents have been a persistent thorn =
in the=20
side of the military, joining forces with ethnic rebel groups fighting =
the=20
Yangon government and waging a propaganda war from Thailand against=20
authoritarian rule.=20
<P>While Thailand has tolerated their presence for the past 11 years, it =
called=20
for the speeding up of their resettlement in third countries after a =
group of=20
armed dissidents took over the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok in early =
October.=20
<P>Thai-Myanmar ties were badly strained when Thai authorities allowed =
the five=20
attackers to go free to a safe border area when they released 89 =
hostages held=20
for 25 hours unharmed.=20
<P>More than 2,000 dissidents who fled Myanmar to Thailand after the =
1988=20
crackdown have already been resettled in the United States, Canada, =
Australia,=20
England and Sweden. About another 2,000 still live in Thailand or in =
border=20
areas.=20
<P>Myanmar has kept universities and colleges closed for much of the =
past 11=20
years to prevent a resurgence of student activism.=20
<P>Last week the government said 75 percent of classes had already =
restarted and=20
arrangements were underway to reopen those remaining when the new =
academic year=20
restarted in April. </P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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