THE FIRST COLLISSION BETWEEN THE STUDENTS AND THE MILITARY JUNTA IN BURMA
JULY 7, 1962.
Military junta was established on March 2, 1962 by Chief of Staff General Ne Win through coup d’etat in Burma, and, since then dictatorial governance, void of accountability has ensured until the present day.
The first collission between the students of the Rangoon University and the junta took place on July 7, 1962, on the Rangoon University Campus right infront of the Rangoon University Students’ Union.
The crux of the matter was quite simple and solvable non-violently. The junta decreed new Hostle Rules for the Rangoon University Hostles, and one of the reules stipulated: “all students must be in their hostel rooms by 21:00”. Students, like in any other country, being a pressure group, protested. The gathering was infront of the Rangoon University Students’ Union [RUSU], a historic building that produced leaders for the independence struggle for Burma from the British yoke.
The demonstration was quelled violently. The Burma Broadcast Station [BBS] announced: “about 15 rounds were fired and 17 ‘people’ died”. The announcement was followed by General Ne Win’s short speech that he would meet: “sword for sword and spear for spear”.
Historically speaking RUSU was the bastion of the Burma Communist Party [BCP] for quite sometimes and was under the leadership of hard core “Red Tinted Student Leadership”.
On the other hand Burma Army was under the leadership of the Socialist Party [SP] and the two, BCP and SP, had been on head on collision course since the independent struggle. Ne Win, once a member of the SP, the speech was meant for the BCP.
On July 8 in the wee hour the RUSU building was dynamited by the junta. Until now no one took responsibility for such action but all facts had indicated that it was Brigadier Aung Gyi, the then Vice Chief of Staff for Army, was responsible for this action.
Since then, the students and the junta have been on the head on collision course unendingly until now. No-matter-what the students will never ever accept any form of military regime or any form of governance whatsoever that sprang out of militarism. National Reconciliation will not be complete if there is no program to accommodate reconciliation between the students and the armed forces.
JULY 7, 1962.
Military junta was established on March 2, 1962 by Chief of Staff General Ne Win through coup d’etat in Burma, and, since then dictatorial governance, void of accountability has ensured until the present day.
The first collission between the students of the Rangoon University and the junta took place on July 7, 1962, on the Rangoon University Campus right infront of the Rangoon University Students’ Union.
The crux of the matter was quite simple and solvable non-violently. The junta decreed new Hostle Rules for the Rangoon University Hostles, and one of the reules stipulated: “all students must be in their hostel rooms by 21:00”. Students, like in any other country, being a pressure group, protested. The gathering was infront of the Rangoon University Students’ Union [RUSU], a historic building that produced leaders for the independence struggle for Burma from the British yoke.
The demonstration was quelled violently. The Burma Broadcast Station [BBS] announced: “about 15 rounds were fired and 17 ‘people’ died”. The announcement was followed by General Ne Win’s short speech that he would meet: “sword for sword and spear for spear”.
Historically speaking RUSU was the bastion of the Burma Communist Party [BCP] for quite sometimes and was under the leadership of hard core “Red Tinted Student Leadership”.
On the other hand Burma Army was under the leadership of the Socialist Party [SP] and the two, BCP and SP, had been on head on collision course since the independent struggle. Ne Win, once a member of the SP, the speech was meant for the BCP.
On July 8 in the wee hour the RUSU building was dynamited by the junta. Until now no one took responsibility for such action but all facts had indicated that it was Brigadier Aung Gyi, the then Vice Chief of Staff for Army, was responsible for this action.
Since then, the students and the junta have been on the head on collision course unendingly until now. No-matter-what the students will never ever accept any form of military regime or any form of governance whatsoever that sprang out of militarism. National Reconciliation will not be complete if there is no program to accommodate reconciliation between the students and the armed forces.
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Aung 7/7/08
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