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2 – 8 August: 8.8.88 – A Day of Unity that Must Live On

By Burma Partnership  •  August 9, 2010

Twenty-two years ago on 8 August, Burma’s army brutally massacred as many as 3,000 peaceful pro-democracy demonstrators marching against increasing poverty and oppression, and calling for an end to the military dictatorship. The serious human rights violations and economic mismanagement that led to the national uprising in 1988 have continued to worsen under the current regime.

On Sunday 8 August, 2010, several hundred activists, students, and members of civil society gathered at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the 8.8.88 uprising in Burma. The event in Bangkok also marked the beginning of a new photo petition calling for a commission of inquiry into serious international crimes in Burma, including crimes against humanity and war crimes. It was only one of many commemorative events happening in various cities around the world this weekend, including Seoul, Chiang Mai, Mae Sot, Melbourne, Berkeley and Washington D.C.

Burma Partnership coordinator, Khin Ohmar, remarked how it is truly amazing how the spirit of 1988 has not died. “It has been 22 years, but still people are not giving up in the fight for democracy and freedom in Burma. 1988 was a significant moment in Burma’s history because it planted the seed of change in the hearts of millions of people of Burma, which has grown so much over the years.” Every year, 8.8.88 anniversaries highlight the vibrancy of the movement, and the commitment of the new generation of Burmese democracy activists to continue to push for the change that captured the hearts of thousands of demonstrators all those years ago.

8.8.88 marked a moment of nationwide unity in the Burmese democracy movement. The demonstrations were held in a “spirit of unity, sacrifice and setting aside differences – be they political beliefs, ideology, ethnicity, religion, or gender,” Khin Ohmar reflected, “From the 8.8.88 uprising, we were able to bring down a 26 year old military dictatorship because we were united as a country. It was so pure, that spirit of unity. We were able to transcend our differences for our common unified vision of justice and democracy for all. My greatest wish is for us to retain that same spirit of unity that captured the nation’s imagination over twenty-two years ago, as that cohesiveness is our only chance for genuine national reconciliation and democracy in our country.”

This year’s 8.8.88 anniversary is a particularly significant occasion; with the 2010 elections looming, the fundamentally undemocratic and divisive lead-up to the elections is an affront to the spirit of democracy, hope, unity and change that spread through the country in August 1988. The international community must nourish the spirit of 8.8.88 in honor of the all those brave demonstrators who banded together twenty-two years ago in the vision of a just and democratic Burma.

News Highlights

Union Democratic Party Chairman resigns in protest of the junta’s restrictive pre-election conditions

Numerous Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) soldiers defect to the Karen National Liberation Army in a refusal to join the junta’s Border Guard Force; junta reacts with orders to capture deserters, bribery of the renegade DKBA commander, seizure of DKBA’s Thai-Burma border gate operated by Brigade 999 and demanding a hand-over of all weapons from Brigade 999

Inside Burma

Senior General Than Shwe briefly hospitalized in Rangoon

NLD travels around country to visit grassroots members in over 200 townships and families of ethnic political prisoners

Bombing in Thai-Burma border town of Myawaddy kills two and injures four

Karen National Liberation Army attacks military convoy in alleged assassination attempt of military general responsible for negotiating the Border Guard Force plan

Union Election Commission chairman plans to visit Kachin State next week to meet leaders of state based political parties

Union Solidarity and Development Party issues low-interest loans to party organizers in recent electioneering efforts

Junta mouthpiece warns “subversives” that disruptions of the election process are in violation of laws that could result in a 20-year jail sentence

Political parties’ candidates say they are reluctant to publicize their policies and intentions in the media

The United Wa State Army plans to ban political party campaigns in areas under its control

Two leaders of the Kutkai Kachin militia group in Shan State are missing after being summoned to Naypyitaw nearly a month ago

UN World Food Programme predicts worsening famine in central dry zone in Burma

Rangoon authorities ban rice shipments to Arakan State and Tenasserim Division

Regional

Thai-Burma border to reopen as Thailand meets Burmese construction demands

Thai PM finally receives response from SPDC authorities on his official visit, which will begin on Friday

Canadian mining company Ivanhoe uses Singapore banks to evade sanctions against Burma

International

New UK government pledges to be more supportive of Burma than the previous administration

British ambassador to Burma delivers 120 pages of birthday messages to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s representatives

At seminar this week in Bangkok, academic Dr. Maung Zarni reports that Russia has trained over 4,000 military officers from Burma in nuclear science

Australia increases Burma aid budget to nearly $50 million; pledges to continue targeted sanctions until significant change occurs

UN under fire after leaked internal document criticizes the secretariat for its inaction under Ban Ki-Moon’s leadership, particularly on issues in Burma

Latest from the Blog

Philippines rally commemorating 8.8.88
By Burma Partnership

Action

Free Burma Coalition-Philippines commemorates 8.8.88
By Free Burma Coalition – Philippines

Opinion

Opportunity slipping away on Burma
By U Win Tin
The Australian

A Day of Unity that Must Live On
By Khin Ohmar
The Irrawaddy

Amartya Sen reminds India, appeasing tyrants has a price
By B. K. Sen
Mizzima News

Don’t Expect Much from Burma’s Election
By Pavin Chachavalpongpun
The Irrawaddy

No sign Burma’s coming election will be free, fair
Manila Times

A Beautiful Feeling: In Myanmar, where good things happen to bad people, most things are going the junta’s way
The Economist

India should use Burma trade as barter
By Gayatri Lakshmibai
Democratic Voice of Burma

Statements and Press Releases

Philippine government urged to support probe on Myanmar junta’s ‘crimes against humanity’
By Free Burma Coalition – Philippines

U.S. Senators Demand U.S. Support for UN Commission of Inquiry in Burma
By US Campaign for Burma

“Let’s Oppose 2010 Elections Resolutely”
By 88 Generation Students, All Burma Federation of Student Unions, All Burma Monks’ Alliance

Karenni people oppose new Salween dam plans by SPDC and Chinese investors
By Karenni Development Research Group

Reports

Week 21: 2010 Election Watch (27 July – 2 August)
By Altsean-Burma

July 2010 Burma Bulletin
By Altsean-Burma

Weekly Political Events Regarding the SPDC’s Election (028/2010)(in Burmese)
By Network for Democracy and Development

“U Win Tin and Interviews’’ (in Burmese)
By Moemaka Media

From Coup d’état to ‘Disciplined Democracy’: The Burmese Regime’s Claims to Legitimacy
By Griffith Asia Institute, Stephen McCarthy

Civil-Military Relations in Burma: Portents, Predictions and Possibilities
By Griffith Asia Institute, Andrew Selth

Tags: 8888 Anniversary, Burma Partnership

This post is in: Weekly Highlights

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