KALADAN NEWS

Date: Sunday, August 8, 2004

Rohingyas Observe the 16^th Anniversary of 8888 Pro-Democracy Movement in Burma

Chittaogong, August 8: Rohingya organizations observe the 16^th anniversary of 8888 anniversary of people democracy movement in Burma today. 

Today, 8^th August 2004, the Rohingya Youth Development Forum (RYDF), Arakan Human Rights Organization (AHRO) and many other Rohingyas in exile gathered in a discussion meeting in Chittagong to remark the 16^th anniversary of 8888 democracy movement of Burma. Various leaders and elderly Rohingya delivered speeches at the meeting, said a participant of the meeting.

There are more than 40 Rohingya participated at the meeting organized by a Celebration Committee of 8888 Memorial Day. This meeting was begun at 3:00 pm and closed at 4:30 pm while the participants heartily salute the day, remembering to the thousands of martyrs who sacrificed their lives, blood and sweat for their country democracy in 1988, he further said.

The participants expressed to reiterate their commitments to continue the struggle for the democracy in Burma, hand in hand with other ethnic nationalities and democratic forces of the country and condemned the recent SPDC road map based on militarism and fake national convention held with handpicked persons have resulted in total collapse, another participant said. 

The participants demand for unconditional release of all the political prisoners including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, U Tin Oo and Min Ko Naing. They also demand to stop human rights abuses in ethnic nationalities areas, especially Rohingya area in northern Arakan, he added. 

In a press statement of the Arakan Rohingya National Organization (ARNO) dated 8-8-2004, urge upon the neighboring countries, particularly ASEAN countries to review its policies towards military ruled Burma, to disqualify Burma from chairing ASEAN in 2006 and to help establish a genuine federal union of Burma through a meaningful dialogue among SPDC, democratic oppositions and ethnic nationalities. It also urge upon the international community to exert more pressure on SPDC to yield to the will of the Burmese people. # # 

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