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Reuters-Myanmar dissidents vow to c (r)



Subject: Re: Reuters-Myanmar dissidents vow to continue campaign

Dear ABSDF  information dept:BKK


I absulutely agree that we must carry on trying to topple these the military of
Burma is vital to the problems.The struggle goes on.


Keep in touch

Cheers


panyoma,syd




TIN KYI wrote:

> Myanmar dissidents vow to continue campaign
> 06:14 a.m. Sep 10, 1999 Eastern
> BANGKOK, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Myanmar dissidents in exile vowed to keep up
> their struggle for democracy on Friday even though an uprising they forecast
> this week failed to materialise.
>
> ``Although the particularly tight security measures imposed by the military
> at this time create additional challenges, the democracy movement vows to
> continue our struggle against the illegitimate regime,'' the All Burma
> Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) said in a statement.
>
> ``We will...continue to launch actions until the emergence of a countrywide
> popular democracy movement.''
>
> Myanmar's ruling military instituted a nationwide security clampdown to
> prevent the uprising dissidents called for the numerically significant
> ``four-nines day'' -- Thursday, September 9, 1999.
>
> A government spokesman told Reuters on Thursday that the whole country was
> ``peaceful and stable.''
>
> He hoped that a lack of incidents would make the opposition realise that
> ``the overwhelming majority of people in Myanmar want peace, stability and
> development, not chaos and anarchy.''
>
> The ABSDF said small-scale protests occurred throughout the country, but the
> government said the whole country was quiet.
>
> The dissidents had hoped for a repeat of a nationwide uprising for democracy
> in 1988 which saw millions take to the street to demand an end to
> authoritarian rule.
>
> Troops killed thousands to crush that uprising, creating a climate of fear
> that survives today and which has prevented unrest despite widespread
> anti-government sentiment.
>
> Nine is considered a lucky number by some in Myanmar as well as in other
> countries in Asia and the convergence of nines especially auspicious.
>
> Dissidents chose the date after 8-8-88, which saw the start of a nationwide
> pro-democracy uprising 11 years ago.
>
> Nine it is also known to be the lucky number of Myanmar's ageing and
> officially retired military strongman Ne Win and dissidents had been hoping
> to turn it against him and his successors.
>
> The ABSDF said the four-nines campaign had achieved a ``pre-emptive victory
> because the authorities have been forced to react nervously to the actions
> of our people.''
>
> It said the fact so many people had been arrested recently showed the extent
> of the anti-government mood.
>
> The ABSDF says 500 people have been arrested in connection with the
> four-nines movement. Diplomats estimate at least 100 have been held in
> Yangon and others in the provinces while the government has said there were
> fewer than 40 arrests.
>
> While there was no confirmation of protests inside Myanmar on Thursday,
> dissidents staged noisy demonstrations in several cities abroad, including
> Canberra, where a group broke into the Myanmar embassy compound and tried to
> haul down the national flag.