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Learning Ban Harms Nation's Future
South China Morning Post
Wednesday July 2 1997
The Mekong Region
Learning ban 'harms nation's future'
BURMA by William Barnes in Bangkok
The junta's refusal to reopen universities and schools for fear of
political unrest is doing incalculable damage to the country, says a
leader of the opposition National League for Democracy.
The universities have been on "vacation" since December after hundreds
of students took to the streets in anti-authority protests.
"It's really quite shocking that the military will put the country's
future in jeopardy because it's afraid of some criticism," said U Tin
Oo, vice-chairman of the National League for Democracy.
Last year's student protests were the first mass demonstrations since a
popular uprising in 1988 that forced shadowy dictator General Ne Win to
withdraw into the background.
The universities were subsequently closed for three years - encouraging
many students to flee.
Although the State Law and Order Restoration Council is trying to
encourage economic growth, it has virtually zero tolerance for dissent.
"How on earth is poor Burma ever going to prosper in a very competitive
world if even the schools are closed," said Mr U Tin Oo.
A junta spokesman merely repeated the official line that colleges would
be reopened when appropriate.
Zaw Min, a member of a student exile group in Bangkok, said the
educational establishments were likely to remain closed for another two
months at least. "There are some very sensitive anniversaries coming
up."
On July 7, 1962, the military first seized power in modern Burma, and on
July 8, blew up Rangoon's students' union building.
Next month also sees the anniversary of the start of the 1988 riots.
?A military intelligence official said Japanese police and Interpol were
co-operating with Burma in investigating an April parcel bomb attack at
the Rangoon home of Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Tin Oo, which
killed the general's elder daughter.
The junta has said an opposition group exiled in Japan posted the bomb.
"THERE WILL BE NO REAL DEMOCRACY IF WE CAN'T GURANTEE THE RIGHTS OF THE
MINORITY ETHNIC PEOPLE. ONLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SUFFERING AND HELPING
THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS WILL ASSIST PREVENTING FROM THE
DISINTEGRATION AND THE SESESSION." "WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR
STRENGTH, WE CAN'T TOPPLE THE SLORC AND BURMA WILL NEVER BE IN PEACE."
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