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AP-Exiled Myanmar Students Protest



Reply-To: "TIN KYI" <tinkyi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Exiled Myanmar Students Protest
Tuesday, September 14, 1999; 4:48 p.m. EDT

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Nine exiled students began a hunger strike Tuesday
in front of the Myanmar Embassy in the Thai capital, demanding the release
of political prisoners held by the Yangon military regime.

Sitting in front of the diplomatic compound in central Bangkok, the students
each held feathers from a peacock -- the symbol of democracy and student
campaigners in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

``The military regime has systematically oppressed the people's struggle,
and arbitrarily arrested more than 500 activists this month, including many
of our members,'' a statement from the All Burma Basic Education Students'
Union said.

Their protest also supported the so-called 9-9-99 campaign for disobedience
inside the military state, which failed when authorities tightened security
and threatened to ``annihilate'' agitators.

Myanmar authorities acknowledged arresting about 40 people in the run-up to
Sept. 9, while diplomats estimated 100 were arrested.

Myanmar students exiled in Thailand have been demonstrating in front of the
embassy in Bangkok since the start of the month. It was unclear how long
they planned to continue their hunger strike.