"Ten years ago, on Aug 8, 1988, known to Burmese as 8/8/88, Rangoon streets were filled with demonstrators. They chanted: ?We want Democracy—Down with Ne Win dictatorship.? They gathered in front of the City Hall in Rangoon. Later, troops arrived on the scene and sprayed bullets into the crowd. Although still there has been no confirmation of how many were slaughtered in 1988, independent sources suggest that at least 3,000 demonstrators were killed throughout the nation. The 1988 democracy movement was born out of mismanagement by the 26-year-old socialist government led by Gen Ne Win. Sadly, ten years later, as Burmese in exile commemmorated the ?8/8/88 movement,? democracy and peace for this ill-fated country are still a long way off. As the stubborn generals continue to grip onto their power and refuse to sit down with the 1990 election winners, the country?s future looks bleak..."