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Media Release on September 3, 1999

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<font size=2><b>Media Release 51/99 <br>
</b>3 September 1999<br>
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Mass Arrests in Rangoon: Preemptive Measures Against Popular Call for
Action - 9999<br>
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A massive crack down on pro-democracy activists has been launched by the
military authorities, including random searches and arrests throughout
the country. The crackdown is a preventive measure against the popular
call for a mass movement next week on September 9 -- 9/9/99.&nbsp; The
regime has arrested prominent student leaders and young students for
engaging in a peaceful high school demonstration.&nbsp; However, most of
the people arrested are veterans of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising and
members of political parties.&nbsp; They have been taken from their homes
and detained as a preemptive measure.<br>
<br>
Two student leaders, Min Ze Ya and Ko Maw Lynn, are among those recently
arrested.&nbsp; Min Ze Ya was a prominent student leader during the 1988
pro-democracy movement.&nbsp; He led the All Myanmar Students and Youth
Democratic Movement (Ma ka da) and later founded the Reorganizing
Committee of All Myanmar Student Unions (Ma ka tha pha). He was arrested
1989 and sentenced to eight years imprisonment.&nbsp; He was released in
early 1996.&nbsp; Ko Maw Lynn was chairman of the Youth Solidarity Front
(Union of Burma), a youth political party founded in 1988 and disbanded
on 8 May 1991.&nbsp; He was detained for a short period in 1992 and then
released.<br>
<br>
High school students from Dala Township, opposite of Rangoon, staged a
demonstration on August 29 and 15 students were arrested on the spot. In
the early morning of September 1, student activists distributed several
leaflets at the market place of South Okkalapa calling people to join the
9999 popular mass movement.&nbsp; The same day at 11:00 a.m., activists
distributed leaflets on Bo Aung Gyaw street of Lan Ma Daw Township,
calling on the people to join the 9999 movement.<br>
<br>
<br>
Aung Thu Nyein, general secretary of the ABSDF, commented, ?the military
junta in Burma continues to expose itself as a government self-satisfied
in arresting its own people. They proudly display the lists of arrested
citizens to diplomats and the public, calling the detention and
intimidation of peaceful demonstrators exercising their human rights a
major victory for the military intelligence and the military. They think
that the intimidation will still work.?<br>
<br>
?In fact, the 9999 movement has been gaining momentum since the day we
initiated it.&nbsp; The military is reacting to the atmosphere of
potential that they know is there.&nbsp; If they did not really care or
believe that this potential existed, why have they prepared road
blockades and checkpoints?&nbsp; Why have they arrested so many
people?&nbsp; Why have they conducted such a massive crack down?&nbsp;
Such measures will not rescue the country's deteriorating economy and
will not affect the root causes of the countrywide poverty.&nbsp; Only a
return to democracy can ensure economic recovery.?<br>
<br>
About 140 people have been arrested recently in Rangoon, and countrywide
the total has reached approximately 500.<br>
<br>
<b>For more information, please contact: 01 960 4026, 01 654 4984<br>
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All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF)<br>
P.O. Box 42, Hua Mark P.O, Bangkapi, 10243, Bangkok<br>
&lt;caroline@xxxxxxxxxxxx&gt; &lt;lurie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx&gt;<br>
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