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NEWS - Amnesty Urges Myanmar to Rel



"Thousands of Myanmar exiles across the world are expected to light
 candles on Saturday to mark the day when Myanmar soldiers fired into
 a crowd of pro-democracy demonstrators on the steps of city hall in
 the capital Yangon. "



Amnesty Urges Myanmar to Release Prisoners

            Reuters
            06-AUG-98

            BANGKOK, Aug 7 (Reuters)- Human rights group Amnesty
            International demanded on Friday that Myanmar release
political
            prisoners to mark the 10th anniversary of a bloody crackdown
on
            pro-democracy activists. 

            Amnesty said the military government should release
``prisoners of
            conscience'' to show it was serious about improving the
countrys
            human rights record and build public confidence. 

            ``August 8 marks 10 years of oppression in Myanmar by a
military
            government which killed thousands of civilians in seizing
power and
            has since tortured, raped, imprisoned and forcibly relocated
hundreds
            of thousands of Burmese people,'' Amnesty said in a
statement. 

            ``Tomorrows anniversary marks not just 10 years of suffering
for
            Burmas (Myanmars) people-- it marks a decade of struggle
against all
            odds for basic human rights and fundamental freedoms,'' it
said. 

            Thousands of Myanmar exiles across the world are expected to
light
            candles on Saturday to mark the day when Myanmar soldiers
fired into
            a crowd of pro-democracy demonstrators on the steps of city
hall in
            the capital Yangon. 

            ``Four eights day''-- the eighth day of the eighth month
1988-- marked
            start of a bloody crackdown across Myanmar, then known as
Burma,
            as the military rounded up hostile factions from the
universities,
            Buddhist temples and political parties. 

            The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) government
says
            35 police, 15 demonstrators and ``a few dozen rioters'' were
killed in
            the disturbances that followed the crackdown. 

            Myanmar exiles put the death toll at well over 1,000. 

            Amnesty said it was time for the international community to
recommit
            itself to supporting the people of Myanmar and their cause
for
            democracy. 

            It said the policy of constructive engagement with Myanmar,
which has
            been pursued by the Association of South East Asian Nations
            (ASEAN) and some other neighbouring countries, had not
improved
            the situation in the country. 

            ``Myanmar has continued to receive comfort from China, from
its
            ASEAN partners, and from companies and investors willing to
keep
            their mouths shut while doing business there,'' it said. 

            ``The time has come for other governments to make this an
issue with
            each other, not just with generals in Yangon. Genuine
concerted action
            by all parts of the international community could turn this
situation
            around,'' it said. 

            The London-based group accused the SPDC of forcing entire
village
            populations from their homes at short notice for the land
and
            massacring rural people who return to their land. 

            ``The governments treatment of ethnic minorities is having
disastrous
            repercussions for neighbouring countries,'' it said. 

            ``At least 80,000 Shan and 100,000 Karen are in refugee
camps
            along the Thai border. Thousands of Chin refugees are now in
western
            India and at least 20,000 Rohingyas in Bangladesh.'' 

            Amnesty highlighted 10 individuals who it said warranted
special
            humanitarian consideration, one of whom, Ohn Myint, was
            81-years-old. 

            ``Some of these men and women have spent almost 10 years in
            prison for no more than writing letters and handing out
leaflets,'' it said.