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Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 18:32:40 PDT

The Cornell Daily Sun
Monday, September 21, 1998
FRONT PAGE

Headline:  Fighting for Burmese Democracy
Byline:  Demonstrators call for ban on investments in Asian country

By Sean Copeland
Sun Staff Writer

Students, community members and former Burmese residents now living in 
Ithaca and other parts of the country observed Democracy in Burma Day 
last Friday in a demonstration on The Commons.

In 1988, millions of Burmese citizens demonstrated against the military 
regime in a fight for democracy and human rights.  The regime was 
temporarily deposed, but the state cracked down on the pro-democracy 
movement, killing over 4,000 people.  Democracy in Burma Day took place 
on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 18, 1988 military coup.

Friday's demonstration featured Burmese expatriates who told stories 
about the atrocities they witnessed in their homeland.

Nancy Kok, the director of community relations for the Nonviolence 
Empowerment Organization, introduced the speakers and explained the 
purpose of the demonstration at the start of the meeting.

She provided information the demonstrators want people to know, such as 
their belief that Aung San Suu Kyi, who won over 82 percent of the vote 
in the national elections in 1990 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, 
and her National League for Democracy party are the "truly elected 
representatives of the Burmese people."  She added that "we will always 
honor the courage of those who had fought in the democracy struggle and 
those who continue fighting inside and outside of Burma."

Kok also mentioned that "we will continue the fight against the Burmese 
military regime until democracy, human rights, justice, peace, and truth 
are restored in the Republic of Burma."

During the talks, supporters marched in a circle in front of the stage, 
carrying signs that said, for example, "U.S. Must Ban All Investment in 
Burma," "Release All Students Right Now," and "Boycott Mobil: No Blood 
for Oil."

The event also included featured music, singing and talks by local 
community members who discussed what people can do about what is 
happening in Burma.

Jill Swenson, professor of television and radio at Ithaca College, 
pointed out that many schools across the country have divested from 
Burma, but Cornell has not.  "Burma is the apartheid state for the 
nineties," she said.
Swenson explained that students have been instrumental in causing the 
changes in the schools.  "I think the students in Burma provide the 
inspiration for the American students," she said.

She said people should boycott companies that continue to have ties to 
Burma, such as the ITT Corp., Ford Motor Company, Proctor and Gamble, 
and reward companies that have "gotten the message," such as Pepsi and 
Arco.

Ben Nichols '46, a member of the Ithaca Board of Education and former 
mayor of Ithaca, noted that no foreign reporters are allowed in Burma 
and that universities have been closed for all but three years since the 
1988 Uprising.

The international divestment movement made a difference in effecting 
political change in South Africa a decade ago and it could make a 
difference now, he said.

"This seems to be a very crucial time in Burma-a time to act-and 
everything we can do, we should do now," Nichols said.

Amy Foerster grad said the demonstration tried to educate the community 
about the state of Burmese affairs and to give the Burmese at the event 
a chance to commemorate the loss of life that happened in their country 
10 years ago.

Minh Nguyen grad, who participated in the march, said the demonstration 
hoped to let people know that there is this struggle going on in Burma.

"For us as students at Cornell, it's about supporting other students all 
over the world in their demand for democracy and their right to 
education," she said.

The demonstration was sponsored by the Center for Religion, Ethics and 
Social Policy, the Committee for U.S./Latin America Relations, the Asian 
Pacific Americans for Actions and groups from other local schools.


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