MYANMAR PROTEST IN CITY

[burmamtk@xxxxxxxxxxx]

MYANMAR PROTEST IN CITY
19th September, Pretoria News Newspaper
Caiphus Kgosana, Staff Reporter

A handful of protesters yesterday gathered outside the Myanmar (formerly
Burma) embassy calling for an end to military rule in that country. The
protest forms part of a world-wide "Free Burma Campaign" and coincides with
the anniversary of the country's worst uprisings.
On August 8 1988 there was a spontaneous uprising in Burma led by a
pro-democracy group known as the 8-8-88 movement. The military, which had
changed the country's name to Myanmar, responded with a crackdown that left
more than 10,000 people dead, many of them students.
In 1990, elections were held with the pro-democracy movement contesting
under the banner National League for Democracy (NLD).
They won the elections with an overwhelming 82% majority under the
leadership of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, but the military
junta refused to allow the NLD to form a government and placed the leader of
the opposition under house arrest.
The embassy, which refused to accept the memorandum, later responded with a
statement by saying the demonstration was illegal according to the South
African Constitution.

NOTE: This news mentioned big photo of demonstration with ASSK pictures. If
you want to see please do not hesitate to ask me. I will send it by e-mail.
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(Thein Win)