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Students rallies in Bangkok



About 30 Burmese students held a demonstration in front of the Burmese
embassy today at noon. Students from Overseas national Students
Organization of Burma, All Burma Basic Education Students' Union
(Thailand), Burmese Students Association (Safe Area), All Burma Students'
Democratic Front and Federation of Trade Unions, Burma participated the
demonstration called for the release of all NLD's Mps and supporters under
arrest. They chanted the slogan asking their demands and the demonstration
finished successfully. Thai police monitored the whole event, but no
harassment.  The rally got many media's attention. About 15 reporters and
journalists from different news agency shown up to cover the event. the
following is the joint statement of the students in Thailand on the
Slorc's crackdown on the NLD. 
 
Joint Statement Regarding the Arrest of Elected  Representatives 
>From the National League Democracy

May 23, 1996

We strongly condemn the military-run State Law and Order Restoration
Council for arresting without any legal justification over 90 People's
Assembly representatives who were about to attend the National League for
Democracy conference scheduled for May 26-29.  Forty-four of them were
arrested between May 19 and 21, and 39 more, including NLD spokesman U Win
Htain, were detained on May 22. 

The fact that SLORC until today has refused to hand over the power to the
NLD even though the party won 82 percent of the vote in the May 1990
general elections and that it continues to arrest elected representatives
from the NLD, shows that the SLORC ignores the true wish of the people. 
Instead, it has been holding a sham national convention to legitimize
military rule in Burma.  The NLD has boycotted that national convention. 

The NLD in the meantime has called on the SLORC to hold talks aimed at
resolving the problems of the country through peaceful means. The offer
however is still being ignored by the SLORC.  Since the objective of the
NLD conference of May 26-28 is to deliberate on ways to resolve political
and socio-economic problems as well as the question of democracy in the
country, we fully support and warmly welcome the NLD conference. 

Since the NLD is a legally registered political party, it has the right to
call for a convention.  To arrest the people's representatives who are
bound for that convention tantamounts to obstructing the path of democracy
that is due to emerge in Burma.  We therefore condemn the SLORC for
choosing a dangerous path that would obstruct the progress of
democratization in Burma, and call on the generals to meet the following
demands: 

1) Release immediately all NLD representatives now under detention. 2)
Halt all illegal arrests 3) Hold talks with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the
leader of the democracy movement so that a tripartite political dialogue
aimed at achieving political reforms can begin. 

In conclusion, we call on the international community to take strong and
effective action to send a clear signal to the SLORC that the world is
watching and that criminal acts against its own people will not be
tolerated. 

  Overseas National Student Organization of Burma
  All Burma Basic Education Students' Union (Thailand)  
  Burmese Students Association (Safe Area)
  All Burma Students' Democratic Front
  Federation of Trade Unions, Burma