Skip to main content

Asia

August 8,2013

Burma marks 1988 pro-democracy uprising anniversary

Thousands of veterans have returned to Rangoon to mark the anniversary

Public commemorations are taking place in Burma to mark the 25th anniversary of the uprisings which launched the country's pro-democracy movement.

 

It is the first time the anniversary has been openly commemorated in Rangoon, also known as Yangon.
Hundreds of thousands took part in the protests, which began on 8 August 1988.
But six weeks later at least 3,000 protesters were dead, thousands more were jailed and the military was firmly back in control.
During the 1988 protests, Aung San Suu Kyi emerged as the leader of the pro-democracy movement in Burma, also known as Myanmar.
Ms Suu Kyi, who is now the opposition leader, was expected to give a speech as part of the commemorations.
'Tacit approval'

Photo exhibitions and performances in mock prison cells have been organised to depict events during the uprising and the crackdown that followed.
On Thursday, a small group of activists marched through Rangoon and laid wreaths to honour those who died in the protests, ignoring police orders that they stop.
The marchers did not have official permission to demonstrate in the streets, but police allowed them to continue, taking pictures of those involved, AFP news agency reported.
Win Min, a former student protestor, told AFP that the crackdown was "the worst and most unforgettable [scene] of my life".
"We want to show our sorrow for the dead today and to show them we are moving forward to the goal of democracy... we promised them we would continue," he said.
A ceremony attended by several thousand people, including political leaders, was due to be held at a convention centre in Rangoon.

Members of Burma's prominent 88 generation students group hold wreaths during a march to mark the 25th anniversary of Burma's pro-democracy uprising in Rangoon, Burma, on 8 August 2013

Activists held wreaths to commemorate those who died
The current reformist government has tacitly approved this memorial, even though some of the former generals serving in it are implicated in the violence, the BBC's Jonathan Head reports from Rangoon.
A nominally civilian government took power in Burma after elections in November 2010 that ended military rule.
The new administration, led by President Thein Sein, has introduced a series of political and economic reforms, including the release of many political prisoners and the easing of media censorship.
Most sanctions against Burma have now been relaxed in response to the changes.
Commenting on the anniversary, UK foreign office minister Hugo Swire said: "This anniversary is a chance to remember all those who have struggled for greater democracy in Burma, in particular the many who lost their lives in 1988 or spent years in prison because of their beliefs."


 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Inside Africa

August 20,2013 Divided Egyptians united in grief Many people across Egypt have been burying their dead following the violence of recent weeks The recent violence in Egypt has claimed the lives of people on both sides of the country's political divide. But while the bloodshed is polarising the country further, grief is one thing uniting them, says the BBC's Ahmed Maher. Here in Alexandria, Egypt's second largest city, it was a tragedy that left the family of Ahmed Qadri devastated. Mr Qadri was shot twice in his chest and abdomen as security forces launched a brutal crackdown on the Brotherhood supporters camping outside Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in Cairo on 14 August. A senior Muslim Brotherhood leader in his hometown, Mr Qadri is survived by a wife and three children. His 22-year-old eldest son, Fidaa, says he will not get over the death of his father for the rest of his life. Fighting back tears, Fidaa said he mad...
Post a Comment
Read more

News

August 19, 2013 We heard fire victims cry for help –Residents   Ekene   Neighbours of a family that perished in an inferno in a building located in Shagari Estate, Lagos State, said they heard the victims’ cries for help. PUNCH Metro had reported last week Thursday that a family of five lost their lives after  fire engulfed their three-bedroom apartment in the early hours of Wednesday. The victims of the fire were the mother, Mrs Anwuzia, the children, Ekene 16, and Emeka 17, an aunt, identified only as Philomena, and another yet-to-be- identified man. It was learnt that the father was not at home when the incident occurred. A friend of the children, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said he was talking to one of the victims when the incident happened. He said, “Around 11.30pm that day, I was chatting with Ekene on the telephone and after sometime, she stopped responding. I was later told by another fr...
Post a Comment
Read more
My Level Has Changed. Ace comic actor, Hafiz Oyetoro spoke with GBENRO ADESINA about the challenges he faced before his breakthrough. How far have you gone with your Ph.D programme at the University of Ibadan (UI)? I am still on it. This is my second year. I am currently doing some field work. I hope to round off the field work by the end of this year. Afterwards, I will start writing. How are you combining it with your tight schedule? Everybody knows what he wants in life. You have to create time to do all the things you want to do and that is why everyone must be good in managing his or her time. Definitely, scale of preference will come in. No one has time to combine many necessary and important things but one has to create time to achieve one’s dream. You did an advert for Etisalat and all of a sudden, you switched over to MTN. Why did you switch from Etisalat to MTN? I will not want to say anything about that for now. Please, do not let us go there. It is no go ...
Post a Comment
Read more