STATEMENT OF THE ABSDF ON THE OCCAS

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Medial Release
Date: AUGUST 8, 1998

                                    
    STATEMENT OF THE ABSDF ON THE OCCASIONOF THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF
                        THE 8888 GENERAL UPRISING

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the nation-wide popular
upraising of the Burmese people against one-party dictatorial
rule and for a democratic change.  which ended by bloody military
suppression and which has brought up the ABSDF (All Burma
Students' Democratic Front) to continue unfinished democratic
struggle.

The ABSDF believes that the 1988 movement was not a coincidental
event and that it was the continuation of past students and
peoples' struggle to overthrow military dictatorship that had
existed since 1962. The 1988 popular upraising has been also
shown a light of hope to the Burmese people to the path of
freedom, justice and prosperous future. 8888 popular upraising
also stood as the largest chapter in the modern history of Burma
where they express their earnest desires of freedom from the
totalitarian military junta, their courage, sacrifice, commitment
and people power might.  

The present situation of Burma is under crisis of politically 
deadlocked, economically recessed and highly inflated, socially
isolated, oppressed and downgraded and with wide spread basic
high rights violation by the state authority and this combination
of social factors is more worsen than the situation before the
outbreak of 1988 General upraising. Today country crisis propel
to a general popular upraising in a near future by growing level
of frustration.

On this occasion the ABSDF would like to demand the SPDC, ruling
military junta to foster the process of democratization by
fulfilling;
(1) to recognize and convene the parliament by the people         
    representative of the 1990 General Election immediately,
(2) to release all political prisoners including prominent        
    student leader Min Ko Naing,
(3) to declare nation-wide wide cease-fire,
(4) to hold tripartite dialogue with democratic forces led by Daw 
    Aung San Suu kyi and ethnic forces.

Finally the ABSDF would like to appeal to the Burmese people to
show full support to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD and prevent her
from harm and to fulfill to convene parliament with the
representative of the 1990 General Election.

Central Committee
All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF)

For more information please call 01-654 4984, 01-253 9082