Burmese rally on 9999 in Melbourne,

[maye@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Burmese rally on 9999 in Melbourne, Australia

"Burmese rally on 9999"

We, Burmese people in Victoria, Australia will stage a public rally outside
the Victoria Parliament on September 9, 1999 to support a second general
uprising call by Burmese people for a repeat of the nationwide pro-democracy
movement (anti-military government) and to end the military dictatorship and
to restore democracy and human rights in Burma.

In Burma, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), the military
junta, has ignored the will of the people shown in the polls held on May 27,
1990. And instead, it has embarked on a course of action to intimidate,
harass and arrest the elected people?s representatives and pre-empted them
from exercising their right to convene a parliament. Burma remains under the
military rule, and the people are denied peace and basic human rights since
1962. Thousands of political prisoners including near-200 elected
parliamentarians, students and members of National League for Democracy
(NLD) are held in detention. Under the military regime, the people of Burma
continue to struggle for restoration of democracy.

The people of Burma has chosen September 9, 1999 (9.9.99) for their second
uprising call because of its numerical significance after first uprising on
``four-eights day (8.8.88)'' -- August 8, 1988 ? when the nationwide
pro-democracy movement began in Burma. However the people?s first uprising
was brutally oppressed by the massacre resulting in loss of thousands of
lives and the military coup on the September 18th, 1988.

?The call was also as a reflection of current situation in Burma. There has
been a call for the National Day of Action in Burma, and military regimes
was shaken by the call. The rally is an expression of our support to the
movements in Burma and as a part of International Action Day?, said an exile
Burmese student.

Our rally is also taking part in national and global action for 9999 with
other 9999 action groups in USA, UK, Japan, India, Thailand and other a
number of countries in the world.

The rally will be joined by Burmese community in Victoria, exile students
and supporters of democratic movement in Burma. Also joining the rally will
be guest speakers representing Victoria Parliament, Australian Council of
Trade Unions, Amnesty International, Student Unions and Society for Human
Rights.

The rally will call the Victoria Parliament to support the movements for
Democracy and Human Rights in Burma and to recognise the Committee
Representing People?s Parliament form by the mandate of all elected
parliamentarians in the 1990 election.

Date   : September 9, 1999
Time  : 12:30 pm
Venue : outside Victoria Parliament

For further information, please contact:

Thein Naing         (03) 98193358
Tin Win Aung       (03) 05695242
Myo Aye               maye@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

?9999 Action Committee (Victoria) in Australia?