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NEWS - Thousands of Myanmar student



Thousands of Myanmar students protest as political tensions escalate

       Wed 02 Sep 98 - 12:24 GMT 

       YANGON, Sept 2 (AFP) - Thousands of students protested against
the Myanmar here Wednesday in the biggest such
       demonstrations in nearly two years as political tensions boiled
over on the campuses.

       "End the military government," chanted up to 800 students at the
Yangon Institute of Technology (YIT), as riot police cordoned off a
       one mile perimeter around the campus, witnesses said.

       Another 3,000 students rallied at the Hlaing campus in the city,
where many of the institution's students live, diplomats and witnesses
       added.

       At least six trucks of riot police, carrying some 50 officers
each, were seen arriving at Hlaing and up to 200 more were deployed
       around the main YIT campus, diplomats and witnesses said.

       The Hlaing campus, which was also sealed off by security forces,
also hosts a college for students preparing to enter YIT. The riot
       police had shields and batons but no firearms were seen.

       The protest was initially triggered by student anger at
arrangements for examinations over the last two weeks, the first since
       universities were closed following unrest in December 1996,
diplomats said.

       But the demonstrations were the biggest since the 1996 unrest and
came after riot police broke up a smaller protest outside Yangon
       University on August 25, arresting dozens of people, according to
witnesses.

       Another protest was staged later that day at Yangon Institute of
Technology, during which rocks were thrown and riot police
       mobilised.

       "One little thing can spark a big demonstration which gets out of
control," said one diplomat.

       "This could escalate or it could simmer down. There is no clear
indication at this stage and there isn't likely to be because we can't
       get near the area to check."

       A senior Asian diplomat said he was optimistic the protest would
end peacefully but expressed fear that violence could erupt.

       "They know if they allow it to go on there will be problems. I am
sure if they can't stop (the protest), the military troops will come."

       The diplomat said neighbouring countries were avoiding
involvement with the protests, in line with the regional
non-interventionist
       policy.

       One European diplomat saw the absence of firearms among the riot
police as a positive sign.

       "If there were guns, I would be more worried, but I think this
one will be resolved somehow for the time being."

       Political tensions are rising following an opposition decision to
convene the parliament elected in 1990 after the junta ignored earlier
       requests to do so.

       The opposition, led by the National League for Democracy (NLD) of
Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, won the 1990 polls by
       a landslide but the junta has refused to relinquish power.

       The junta, meanwhile, stepped up a verbal offensive against the
opposition, saying its vow to convene parliament was an
       unacceptable threat to national security and promising stern
action if the plan went ahead.

       The military also repeated allegations that foreign governments
were supporting the NLD and using sanctions to hinder progress
       toward democracy. Such attacks are usually interpreted as being
directed at the United States.

       "The NLD's decision to hold a national parliament on their own
comes up as a threat to Myanmar's national security," the junta said in
       a statement.

       "In this scenario, the government will be left with no choice but
to take necessary legal action in safeguarding its national security."

       The junta said it was unfortunate foreign powers were "blatantly
encouraging (the) NLD to take the confrontational and provocative
       path which will derail Myanmar's national unity, peace and
stability."

       It also railed against sanctions imposed by some Western nations
which have alleged grave violations of human rights and curbs on
       political freedoms by the junta.