FBC-SA

Free Burma Campaign, South Africa

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Student Leaders

 

 

Min Ko Naing

 

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

 

 

Min Ko Naing ("conqueror of kings") is the President of Universities Student Union. He is one of the most well-known political dissidents in Burma.

 

Student unions at that time, as now, were illegal in Burma; however he and other students formed secret study groups in anticipation of protests against the worsening economic conditions in Burma. As the first signs of serious public unrest in Burma began to appear in 1985, the year Ne Win's Burma Socialist Programme Party demonetized the 100-kyat note, Min Ko Naing and his close colleagues secretly established an underground student union in anticipation of a political uprising.

 

 

 

 

 

Min Ko Naing formed and organized the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), a nationwide student union to oppose decades of illegitimate military rule. The student union has largely contributed to the 8888 Uprising, during which millions of people marched on the streets, protesting against the dictatorship ruling the country and calling for democracy. Unfortunately, the military regime, now known as the State Peace and Development Council, responded to the uprising with brutal force, gunning down up to 10,000 persons.

 

Min Ko Naing has been forced to go "underground", continuing his organizing work while being forced to hide and to move from house to house every night, in order to avoid arrest. After several months, however, he has been captured along with other students and sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment, under Section 5(j) of the 1950 Emergency Provisions Act, vaguely-worded legislation which is frequently used to imprison political prisoners, for instigating, according to the military regime, "disturbances to the detriment of law and order, peace and tranquillity". His sentence was commuted to 10 years under a general amnesty in January 1993.He has been considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, which intensively campaigned for his release.

 

According to Amnesty International, Min Ko Naing has been severely tortured and ill-treated during the early stages of his detention and his health suffered as a consequence. During his interrogation he was reportedly forced to stand in water for two weeks until he collapsed, and as a result, his left foot became totally numb. In 19 November 2004, he has been released from prison, after being imprisoned for 15 years.

 

However, after almost two years of his release in 2004, Min Ko Naing, along with other four leading student leaders, was rearrested in late September of 2006. The other four arrested student leaders were Ko Ko Gyi, who was freed from prison in 2005, Htay Kywe, Min Zeya and Pyone Cho. Despite the military regime's insistence that it was just taking these student leaders into detention for questioning, the authorities later confirmed the arrest of Min Ko Naing, as well as the other student leaders, stating that the five student leaders were held as a precaution against what the regime called internal commotion, instability and terrorism.

 

After heavy criticism about the arrests and demands for his immediate release, the authorities released Min Ko Naing on January 11, 2006.

 

Min Ko Naing has won international awards for his efforts, such as the Civil Courage Prize 2005, the Homo Homini Award by People in Need Foundation and the John Humphrey Freedom Award in 1999.

 

Reference:

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_League_for_Democracy

Flag of All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU)

Press Release 6/ 2007 (88) from

The 88 Generation Students

March 27, 2007

Message from the 88 Generation Students

To the Sixty second Anniversary

Celebration of the Resistance Day

Dated: March 27, 2007

Ref: 6/ 2007 (88)

 

It is history from which lessons can be learnt. We have to accept the good things and get rid of the bad from that experience. Under the guidance of Anti-Fascist organization, all the people fought against Fascism in unity 62 years ago. At that time, Burma Army won the trust and the hearts of the people because of representing their sufferings and

grievances.

 

The term Fascism was first used in 1919. Fascism, modern political ideology that seeks to regenerate the social, economic and cultural life of a country by basing it on a heightened sense of national belonging or ethnic identity. Fascism rejects liberal idea such as freedom and individual rights, and often presses for the destruction of elections, legislatures and other elements of democracy. The Fascist organized groups of assailants who torture the dissidents without hesitation. Such Fascism reached our land with the fake promise of independence. All our people suffered from the arbitrary detentions, torture and other cruel, inhuman treatments and even killings of the Fascists’ affiliated agents.

 

Today, it has been 62 years long. But the bitterness of Fascism can’t be forgotten. Moreover, the strength, the high spirit and the unity of the people would always be remembered. At present, being the period of transition to democracy, we are not fighting against any other aliens. We need to build mutual understanding and respect among ourselves. The only thing we have to fight is distrust each other and fear without reasoning.

 

It is history from which lessons can be learnt.

 

The 88 Generation Students

88 Generation Student leaders marching in Rangoon, Burma (2007)

Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi and NLD members on Burma’s Resistance Day, Rangoon, Burma (March 2007)

For more information

 

http://www.angelfire.com/al/homepageas/MKN.html