Narinjara News

Opposition voice on the 15^th Anniversary of the Burmese Democracy Uprising

Dhaka, 8^th August 03: A number of Burmese democratic opposition groups have expressed their views on the 15^th anniversary of the Burmese Democracy Uprising.  On the eighth August 1988 people across Burma spontaneously took to the streets demanding the end to the military dictatorship and establishment of democracy. 

The National Council of the Union of Burma in a statement remarked that today (the 8^th August 03) marks the historical 15^th anniversary of the great 8-8-88 uprising when the people of Burma including all the indigenous peoples laid down their lives in thousands to drive out the Burmese Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) junta.

The message of the nationwide democracy uprising is total dismantling of military dictatorship, establishment of true democracy that guarantees the basic human rights of the people, and the equality and self-determination of the indigenous peoples.  The aspirations of the people that reflect the above views were once again evident from the results of the 1990 general elections.

The results of the 1990 general elections are the continuation of the unfinished struggle of the Democracy Uprising.  It was a signal of the people’s aspirations for the establishment of a democratic Burma. 

The implementation of the results of the 1990 general elections, convening people’s parliament, and formation of a democratic government are the tasks that have to be carried out to fulfil the political aspirations of the great democracy uprising martyrs.    The people’s struggle to resist the organized attack by the SPDC junta aimed at annihilating the 1990 general elections winner National League for Democracy led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is a historical responsibility of the people of Burma, it concluded.

Meanwhile the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (Foreign Affairs Committee), All Burma Students Democratic Front, Democratic Party for a New Society and Network for Democracy and Development in a joint statement said that on the historical 8^th August 1988 people from all walks of life joined the uprising in an attempt to end military dictatorship.  Though the military crackdown left thousands dead across the country the people’s aspiration remained, never to be destroyed.

The results of the May 1990 general elections reflected the spirit of the 8-8-88 movements, and even under the present military repressions the spirit of that day remains as high as ever.

The Burmese military regime, notorious for its human rights violations, including the recent May 30, 2003 ‘Depayin Massacre’, is raising premeditated campaigns aimed at revitalizing the so-called National Convention in order to hold to the grip of power.  The Burmese SPDC junta’s claim of ‘Disciplined Democracy’ is in fact a trick for ensuring the army’s control over the future political power of Burma.

The statement also added that the present situation in Burma is undergoing a period of critical juncture when the junta is facing increasing pressure at home and from the international community.  By committing the Depayin Massacre the junta got to crush the political democratic opposition and this calls for the people to be more vigilant. 

In conclusion the political parties vowed to continue the struggle to establish democracy in Burma.  #