Burma’s fresh arrests of students may reverse the reform course | Asia News – Politics, Media, Education | Asian Correspondent

Burma’s fresh arrests of students may reverse the reform course | Asia News – Politics, Media, Education | Asian Correspondent
Zin Linn Jul 07, 2012

In keeping with media reports, on 3 July, Burmese government released some 46 prisoners as a result of President Thein Sein’s decree. Yet, hundreds more are obviously still in prison.

According to the UN News Centre, Tomas Ojea Quintana, a United Nations independent human rights expert welcomed President Thein Sein’s decree in granting amnesty to a number of prisoners of conscience, while reiterating his call for the release of all such prisoners.

“I am encouraged by the momentum of reform and the gradual steps taken by the Government towards national reconciliation,” said Tomas Ojea Quintana, in a news release.

The Special Rapporteur, who has repeatedly called for the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience, had said he was disturbed about discrepancies in the numbers of remaining prisoners, and urged that a “comprehensive and thorough investigation be undertaken to clarify records and determine accurate numbers.”

However, in the meantime, over 20 student- activists were detained in Burma before an intended memorial ceremony of the 50th anniversary of 7^th July cruel military onslaught on Rangoon University students, the 88-Generation student- activists said at Friday press conference.

Min Ko Naing, a leader of the 1988 democracy uprising who spent over a decade in prison, told Radio Free Asia (Burmese Service), “In such a time of democratic reform, government must allow peaceful events held inside buildings. Authorities’ banning on peaceful in-house ceremonies means pushing the students to take the street unnecessarily. ”

Although the President frequently honors reform, the current detentions of students were evidence that the government remains oppressive. Kyaw Ko Ko, leader of the All Burma Federation of Students Union (ABFSU), said 23 people were arrested in the manhunt started Friday night.

On 7th July 1962, Burmese university students were slaughtered in the university campus while they were launching a peaceful demonstration due to unfair restrictions of the then military junta. Rangoon University Students’ Union building was also blew up where student-protesters were still sheltering.

Under the name of the Revolutionary Council, the late General Ne Win seized power on 2 March 1962.  He saw students as his opponents and forced down the students’ activities by tightening the university rules and regulations that caused widespread revulsion among the students. The University Act and the University Council were eradicated by Ne Win. As a result, Rangoon University students launched protest against the unfair rules and regulations of the then junta based in the Rangoon University Students’ Union building.

Military took action by arresting the student leaders and oppressing the students’ protest by using gun power and consecutively declared martial law after bloodbath.

The next morning of 8 July, the momentous Rangoon University Students’ Union building was flattened down by using explosives. According to some eyewitnesses, as many as three hundred students in the Union Building were killed due to dynamite. From that time on, the brutal crackdown was turned out to be “the 7 July Students’ mass execution”.

As today is the 50th Anniversary of 7^th July Memorial Day, current students’ generation together with 1962 and 1988 generation students have planned to hold the historic ceremony. However, the government has vetoed the commemoration event using the old oppressive method of the previous junta.

Those detained in the latest crackdown included four activists from Yangon, four from Mandalay, four from Shwebo, seven from Myingyan, three from Lashio and one from Sagaing, ABSFU leader Kyaw Ko Ko told The Associated Press.

“Whether they were taken for just a day or an hour, this must be regarded as an arrest,” Min Ko Naing, another 1988 activist, told a crowd of nearly 300 people gathered at the Yangon office of the 88 Generation Students group. “The authorities cannot deny that they are re-arresting the students.”

It was the practice of the previous military junta that often detained dissidents and thrown them into prison under the Draconian legislation, such as ‘The State Protection Law of 1975’ which enables imposition of wide-ranging restrictions on individuals. Acts like this make sure the continuation of military ruling. It is widely known that the consecutive military regimes use this 1975 Law to invalidate the principles of basic human rights in Burma.

The latest arrests of the students may damage President Thein Sein government’s ongoing reform process. If the authorities did not release the student detainees, it could spark further wide-ranging instability.

In May this year, intolerant for electricity-power shortages, demonstrators have taken to the streets in several towns in Burma, including former capital Rangoon and ancient capital Mandalay, as citizens test the limit of democratic changes. Some active protesters were temporarily held for questioning, but released promptly without taking action.

Now, people are watching the government’s move concerning the students’ affairs as another test for change whether it may reverse the reform path.