MAINS students gathered together for the demonstration after class; the weather did not cooperate that day . The demonstrators finally reached the embassy and joined the other Burmese activists who were there waiting for us already. Our Burmese friend Nay Tun and Badrul from Malaysiawere shielding me from the rain while reading our statement below. The statement was given to the embassy through the police officer who were "protecting" the Myanmar Junta embassy.
Joint Statement of MAINS Programme students of Sungkonghoe University
September 18, 2007
South Korea
The arrest of the members of the 88 generation student leaders from the National League for Democracy (NLD) on August 21 is illegal.
The arrested leaders were protesting against the price hike of fuel imposed by the Junta government. It was ironic that the demand for their basic economic right to rollback the price of fuel to make it affordable for ordinary people was greeted with another violation of their basic political right to air their legitimate grievances.
The decades of sufferings of the Burmese and other ethnic nationals under the Junta government merits our immediate attention to denounce its continued suppression of the fundamental rights of its people. It has been an international knowledge that this regime for the longest time, is trampling on the peoples’ economic, social and cultural rights and civil and political rights. The endless unrest and conflict between and among its people are considered crimes against humanity that has to be addressed promptly.
The right to a peaceful assembly and to be free from arbitrary arrest and detention are guaranteed under articles 3 and 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in other international laws. The State and Peace Development Council (SPDC), as member of the United Nations are duty bound to uphold these rights at all times and should be made accountable for their actions.
The SPDC cannot continue to turn its deaf ears and blind eyes away from the truth anymore. It has to face up to the problems it created and let the people be free of their misery. Enough is enough!
And we demand that it must start now! Free the 88 generation student leaders now!
Listen to the people of Burma. They want freedom and democracy. They want freedom from hunger and deprivation of their land and natural resources. They want peace and development their way. They want to live harmoniously and look forward to a better future. They want to live as human beings.
They want it now and we support their claims.
Free Burma Now!
Photos courtesy of Pinpaka Ngamsom
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