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ABSDF STATEMENT ON THE 28TH ANNIVER



Subject: ABSDF STATEMENT ON THE 28TH ANNIVERSARY OF AKYAB RICE RIOTS

__________________________________________________________________________
                                  ABSDF
                  ALL BURMA STUDENTS' DEMOCRATIC FRONT
                              ARAKAN REGION
__________________________________________________________________________ 

              STATEMENT ON 28th ANNIVERSARY OF AKYAB RICE RIOTS
                                                                         
                                                    Date: August 13, 1995
     
August 13, 1995, this is the 28th anniversary of the day when the Arakanese people,
courageously fought against the military regime in Akyab(Sittwe), the capital of
Arakan State, and over a 300 Arakanese sacrificed their lives for the rice problem for
their people.  

In 1967, five years after the 1962 coup d' etat of the Burmese Army under the official
name of Revolutionary council, people throughout Burma were faced with very high
rice prices and shortage of rice in the markets, because the military government kept
the rice for export to foreign countries to earn foreign exchange. When the people
demanded the authorities to sell the rice from the stores which were under military
guards, the military government refused to do so. Eventually, in Araken State it led to
some people dying of hunger and the demonstration know as the "Akyab Rice Riots".
The junta responded by killing unarmed demonstrators and the uprising was brutally
crushed. 
(In order to divert the growing public unrest over the rice problem throughout the
country at that time, the Revolutionary Council provoked the "Anti-Chinese riots" in
Burma in October, 1967.)

On that bloody day, August 13th in 1967, all the Arakanese people showed their
heroic spirit to struggle against their suppression by the military regime in Burma.
Every year on that day, we respectfully honor all the Arakanese heroes who sacrificed
in action while fighting against the military regime.

At present, all the Arakanese people face unjust military laws and orders and 
suffering created by the Slorc military regime:

1. The ALD (Arakan League for Democracy Party) which was elected by the         
Arakanese people,  was dissolved by the military.

2..The peasants making of  70% of the populations in  Arakan State are allowed              
only 40 days for their own crops in every year, while the rest of the time they        
are forced to work for the military projects, for example the Rangoon-Minbu-         
Amm-Kyauk Pru-Mrauk Oo Road, as the military orders them to do so.

3.. The Slorc military regime has been unnecessarily increasing its army in Arakan          
State supported by the hard-earned money of Arakanese people.

4. Arakanese youths are forced to join the Slorc army and any who do not want to           
 join the Slorc army are not able to continue to live in Arakan state.

Therefore, we call on all Arakanese people to continue the struggle for democracy;
1. To topple military dictatorship by all means at hand.
2. To double the efforts for the freedom of people.
3. To achieve unity among the Arakanese people.

We, Arakanese students and youths vow our determination that we will continue out
struggle for the liberation of the entire people of Burma from the oppression of the
brutal military regime.

                       Long live the spirit of 13th August!

All Burma Students' Democratic Front 
Arakan Region

           For more information please contact: Mrat Kyaw_ In Charge of ABSDF(Arakan Region)
e,mail: lurie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx