Honoring Win Maw Oo and Commemoration of the Gallantry Heroes

By Burmese pro-democracy movement in India • September 19, 2010

Burmese protest against the “2010 Military Selection”

Today, 19th September is the 22nd death anniversary of Ms Win Maw Oo and gallantry heroes of Burma in their defiance against the brutal military regime. We, democracy activists of Burma, commemorate today as “Win Maw Oo Day” by honoring her exemplary courage.

On 19th September 1988, one day after the Burmese army staged the coup with military brute, hundreds of peaceful demonstrators including young high school students were gunned down on the streets of the country.

Win Maw Oo, who was a 16-years old high school student, is one of the many hundreds killed by the soldiers on 19 September 1988. She was shot dead along with her colleagues from the Students’ Union in cold-blood by the soldiers on the street in Rangoon.

Thousands of Burmese peoples, like Win Maw Oo, from all walks of life took to the streets in 1988 to demand the end of the one party dictatorial rule and restore democracy in the country. The military however brutally cracked down the nation-wide uprising with military force.

The ruling military junta “State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has announced to hold a new election in the country on 7th November this year, while it failed to honor the result of 1990 elections in which the National League for Democracy (NLD) party led by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi won a landslide victory. More than 2,100 political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi, ethnic leader Khun Tun Oo and student leader Min Ko Naing, are currently serving their long-term imprisonment. The regime had abolished the 1990 election winning party the NLD.

With the upcoming military’s stage-managed November election, which is based on the 2008 military-enforced constitution (in which 25 percent of parliamentary seats are reserved for the military), the Burmese military is legitimizing its prolonged-military rule. Unfair electoral laws announced by the military hand-picked Election Commission will make sure that the Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP), whose candidates include junta-backed businessmen, recently retired generals, and “ministers” of the SPDC, to get the majority seats in parliament along with 25% of seats already taken away by the military.

We, Burmese democracy activists in India, cannot accept this upcoming “military selection” (not election). Political prisoners must be released immediately and all stake holders including ethnic leaders must be allowed to participate in any democratic political process of Burma.

Burmese democracy movement in India

Contact: Ms. Thin Thin Aung, Women’s League of Burma at 9891252316,

Mr. Tun Tun , Burma Centre Delhi at 9891280954

Tags: 1988 Uprising, 2010 Elections, Burmese pro-democracy movement in India, India

This post is in: Press Release

Honoring Win Maw Oo and Commemoration of the Gallantry Heroes

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