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AFP-Students Demo Another Pointer T (r)



Dear all burmanetters

please help me send this and the one before this"letter to editor "to AFP
News,BKK and let me know the address for future.I could not find the
address,email and fax. AFP is getting funny these days and let's keep in
check.

Cheers

panyoma






THE EDITOR <regional>
AFP news
Bangkok

Dear editor 

I refer to your piece of news on Burma <ref. below> .
 
This report is a typical fat- bum reporter sitting in a bar and reporting
might well be a very important part of the history of Burma.

Ringing around couple of western embassies and chat to a whoever
person,'"who knows any way"and  quotes " a European diplomat from Rangoon
and etc" and concludes the report with his or her own synical  outlook in
life. 

 ......  a pretty bold move" This is a very much of an irresponsible
quotation as a reputable news like AFP. Let me ask you this question
editor, what would you do IF EVERY ATTEMPT OF NEGOTIATIONS ARE IGNORED.
Look back a little bit into that part of Burmese history,you will
understand.

Burmese are not a vicious race at all in generally.They are also not been
tainted by the culture of dog eats dog corporate environments.So they are
resonably still a gentle people.

But they are like their beloved symbol.... " fighting peacock (khut dow)
"....  gentle but fights to death.

Please understand our problems if not ,do not interfere.We are doing it
with our lives to get rid of this military.

Also your  "unecessary" quoting of the military's comments that people do
not care about the democracy......   but food.water,eletricity an survival,
isn't that a dumb move as a reporter and similarly to an editor to let it
printed. 

A little sympathy on long-suffering Burmese will help a lot to us.





yours sincerely

panyoma

Society of democracy

Sydney

email-   panyoma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
fax.02-9564 6406


----------
> From: kyawkyaw@xxxxxxx
> To: Recipients of burmanet-l <burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: AFP-Students Demo Another Pointer To Junta's Demise
> Date: Monday, 24 August 1998 18:02
> 
> Myanmar student demo another pointer to junta's demise: analysts
> 
>        Mon 24 Aug 98 - 13:57 GMT 
> 
>        BANGKOK, Aug 24 (AFP) - A student pro-democracy protest in Yangon
> Monday reflected Myanmar's increasing
>        political tensions and the rising confidence of the isolated
state's
> opposition movement, analysts said.
> 
>        "It was a pretty bold move," said one diplomat in the Myanmar
capital.
> 
>        "Perhaps a little foolish, too, as some of them have gone to jail.
> But the point is they felt strong enough to make the
>        gesture."
> 
>        Dozens of student protestors were detained when riot police
swiftly
> broke up the demonstration at a major intersection
>        Monday. No injuries were reported when the protest ended after
some
> 90 minutes, witnesses said.
> 
>        Up to 150 protestors and some 1,000 onlookers scattered as the
riot
> police advanced on the demonstration, the biggest
>        such protest in Yangon since December 1996.
> 
>        The protestors were wearing headbands carrying the "fighting
> peacock" symbol of the pro-democracy movement and
>        chanted slogans, witnesses said.
> 
>        "Unity among students and the people," they chanted. "Bring down
the
> military dictatorship government."
> 
>        The protestors, and the supportive crowd of onlookers they
> attracted, were a clear indication that people were gaining
>        courage to oppose the junta, said an Asian envoy.
> 
>        "We haven't seen anything at this level for quite a while," the
> envoy added. "We've seen leaflets left around the place or
>        handed out but not a group of people just sitting there and
> protesting."
> 
>        Many foreign envoys believe that although the opposition enjoys
wide
> support, it is the spread of the Asian fianncial crisis
>        to Myanmar which has given it the extra boost.
> 
>        The value of the kyat currency has plummetted, prices are rising,
> infrastructure is unable to cope and foreign investors
>        are pulling out, they said.
> 
>        "It's an economic disaster and as long as the rest of Asia is in
the
> doldrums then Myanmar will suffer too," said a
>        European diplomat.
> 
>        "The (Myanmar) government says most people don't care about
> democracy," he added.
> 
>        "And that is true to a large extent. They care about food, they
care
> aboput water, and, if they have it at all, they care
>        about electricity supplies. They certainly care about the price of
> rice and fuel. What is the point having a vote if you don't
>        have the basics for survival?
> 
>        "The government has no answers for these problems but the
opposition
> doesn't either. The difference is the government
>        has already had its turn so maybe people feel it's time for a
change."
> 
>        Myanmar's junta long saw Indonesia's ultimately doomed Suharto
> regime as a model. But the diplomats do not expect the
>        same disintegration in Yangon as occurred this year in Jakarta in
> the lead-up to Suharto's resignation in May.
> 
>        "They will reach some deal," said another European diplomat, a
> regional political affairs specialist.
> 
>        "Perhaps the military can handle defence and some other portfolios
> and the opposition can handle some other matters. I
>        don't think there would be a great problem if the opposition
handled
> most domestic affairs. 
> 
>        "After all, plenty of other countries have similar arrangements
and
> we (the West) support them."
> 
> 
>