TFDP Press Statement on BURMA for A

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Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 17:45:28 +0800

AUGUST 21: A DAY TO REMEMBER... ALSO FOR BURMA

August 21 is a day to remember for the peoples of the Philippines. It was
the day in 1983 when Senator Benigno Aguino was assassinated. It became a
precipitating factor that gelled the anti-dictatorship forces to finally
topple the Marcos regime in 1986.

August 21 may also be that memorable day for the peoples of Burma. Burma is
presently ruled by a military junta that had brutally repressed in 1988 a
massive and peaceful "people power" leaving thousands dead. On 18 September
1988, a new junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) --
renamed the State Peace and Development Council in November 1997 -- seized
direct power in an attempt to totally quell the democracy movement. In May
27, 1990, the SLORC  held elections after placing under house arrest Daw
Aung San Syu Kyi, leader of the opposition party, the National League for
Democracy (NLD), and other senior NLD officials were jailed. Syu Kyi and her
party won over 80% of the parliamentary seats, while the ethnic minority
parties opposed to the SLORC won 65 more seats. The army-front National
Unity Party (NUP) won only ten constituencies. It was clearly a resounding
rejection of the military rule.

The military junta refused to recognize and accept their defeat. More
arrests and massive violations of human rights ensued. To this day, the
junta rules by decree and with impunity.

The recent arrests of an inter-nation solidarity people, including two
Filipinos -- Ellene Sana and Sonny Rasuena, in Burma for mere distribution
of wishing cards of remembrance to the peoples of Burma for the massacre of
thousands of unarmed protesters (shades of our own Mendiola Massacre) on the
eight of August in 1988 (8-8-88) exposed further to the international
community the junta's mockery of the rule of law.

August 21 is the deadline that Daw Aung San Syu Kyi -- still under house
arrest - and the NLD gave the military junta to convene the members of
parliament who won in the 1990 elections for the transit of Burma to
democracy.

The Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) recognizes and supports
the just struggle of the peoples of Burma for their democratic and human
rights. TFDP also calls on the peoples of the Philippines to do the same,
especially in commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, and determinedly work for "ALL HUMAN RIGHTS FOR
ALL"


Task Force Detainees of the Philippines
August 21, 1998