• Text size  | | |
• Email this document
• Printable version

Myanmar: Protests in Rangoon between October and December 1996

Several reports state that student demonstrations took place in Rangoon (or Yangon) after police allegedly beat three students at the Rangoon Institute of Technology on 20 October 1996 (AP 22 Oct. 1996; The Christian Science Monitor 31 Oct. 1996; IPS    28 Oct. 1996). AP and IPS reported that the situation took a turn for the worse when police intervened in a dispute between the students and a restaurant owner. Other students at the school staged demonstrations on 21 and 22 October to protest against police brutality (IPS 28 Oct. 1996).

IPS also reported that Kyi Maung, deputy chairman of the National League for Democracy (NLD), was arrested for his alleged involvement in instigating a student protest on 23 October. The Christian Science Monitor reported that Maung was detained and charged with "colluding with the students to foment unrest," but he was subsequently released. In the report, NLD denied any involvement in the student protests and said that the students were fighting for their own cause (31 Oct. 1996).

According to AP and Reuters, about 500 students participated in the October protests (2 Dec. 1996; 2 Dec. 1996). AFP reported in December 1996 that two policemen involved in the October incident had been dismissed and imprisoned (4 Dec. 1996).

In early December, between 1,000 and 1,500 students from Rangoon University and the Rangoon Institute of Technology participated in protests denouncing the police brutality of the October protests and advocating for human rights (AP 2 Dec. 1996; Reuters 2 Dec. 1996). AP stated that following the march to Rangoon University, students staged a sit-in protest on University Avenue, the street of Nobel laureate, [Aung San] Suu Kyi. As a result of the road blockade by students, Suu Kyi was not able to leave her home (AFP 4 Dec. 1996). According to AFP, some analysts had described this protest as "the most defiant student protest since the pro-democracy clampdown by the military in 1988 when the ruling junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) came to power" (ibid.). A total of 609 demonstrators were detained by police following the march through Rangoon, but most were subsequently released (ibid.). A student leader stated in the report that the protests were not linked to Suu Kyi, but were meant to raise awareness on student's rights.

On 7 December 1996, 264 protestors were detained by police after refusing to abide by police orders to disperse during a demonstration near the Rangoon University (Reuters 7 Dec. 1996). According to the report, most protestors were released later that day. During the police raid, police officers used water cannon and batons to disperse the protestors after 11 hours. The student protestors were demanding the right to form student unions and freedom for 80 jailed student leaders.

AFP reported another student protest taking place on 8 December 1996 at Rangoon's main university campus' again demanding the right to establish a union (8 Dec. 1996). Although soldiers were present, the protest ended peacefully.

Despite denials by Suu Kyi that her NLD party had no links to the student movement, SLORC officials continued to blame her and her party for instigating the student protests in early December (DPA 31 Dec. 1996). Consequently, the Burmese authorities arrested 34 Communist Party members and 13 NLD members for their alleged involvement in the protests (ibid.). However, NLD officials stated in an AFP report that 64 of its members had been detained following the student protests in early December (31 Dec. 1996).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 31 December 1996. "Burmese Junta Announces Arrests of 47 People Following Student Unrest." (NEXIS)

_____. 8 December 1996. "Isolated Student Protest Outside Rangoon University." (NEXIS)

_____. 4 December 1996. "Burma Authorities Say All 609 Demonstrators Released." (NEXIS)

The Associated Press (AP). 2 December 1996. "1,000 Burmese Students Stage Protest." (NEXIS)

_____. 22 October 1996. "Burmese Students End Largest Demonstration in Years." (NEXIS)

The Christian Science Monitor [Boston]. 31 October 1996. Daniel Pruzin. "Is Burma Poised on the Edge of '88-Style Army Crackdown?" (NEXIS)

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA). 31 December 1996. "Burmese Military Acknowledges 47 Arrests, Bomb Blasts." (NEXIS)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 28 October 1996. Simrin Singh. "Burma-Human Rights: Days Before his Arrest, Kyi Maung Was Upbeat." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 2 December 1996. Vithoon Amorn. "Burma Students Stage Second Protest in Six Weeks." (NEXIS)

_____. 7 December 1996. Vithoon Amorn. "Burma Says Most Protesters Freed After Demonstration.". (NEXIS)

Topics: Freedom of assembly,