Reuters-Myanmar students gear up fo

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Subject: Reuters-Myanmar students gear up for campus reopening 

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Myanmar students gear up for campus reopening=20
02:23 a.m. Dec 08, 1999 Eastern=20
By Aung Hla Tun=20

YANGON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Myanmar students are =
anxiously preparing to return to their books for the first time since =
the military closed campuses amid unrest three years ago.=20

Some classes are set to resume from mid-December after the ruling State =
Peace and Development Council (SPDC) indicated this week that the closed =
institutions would soon be reopened.=20

``I should have been a university third-year student by now,'' said Ma =
Khaing who passed his university entrance in 1996.=20

Maung Maung was a second-year student when classes were suspended at the =
Yangon Institute of Technology (YIT), once a hotbed of unrest in the =
capital.=20

``We are just longing to pursue our studies at the regular classes =
suspended three years ago,'' Maung Maung said.=20

Some third-year and fourth-year YIT students said they had been told to =
contact the institute to join classes expected to reopen in =
mid-December. But they added that they had been told they could no =
longer attend classes at the campus in Yangon.=20

They will have to go instead to three satellite towns on Yangon's =
outskirts where campuses have been relocated, diplomats say, to get =
potentially restive student groups out of the capital.=20

``I don't mind where it will be as long as I can pursue my studies =
peacefully without further interruption,'' said a student.=20

LOST YEARS=20

In December 1996, students unleashed pent-up anger against the =
authorities at some campuses and on the streets of Yangon.=20

The military, unnerved by the spread of the unrest to other cities in =
the worst protests since a bloody student-led pro-democracy uprising in =
1988, promptly closed over 30 institutions a few days before final =
examinations.=20

Over 100,000 students were affected in a move which drew howls of =
disapproval from the opposition National League for Democracy led by =
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.=20

``The closing of the universities and colleges since 1996 is an =
immeasurable national loss for the country,'' it said last week.=20

``Never were schools closed for such a long time, even under the British =
colonialists,'' it said, accusing the government of destroying the =
careers of some potential leaders of the nation.=20

The party deplored the fact that while civilian universities and =
colleges had remained shut, military institutes of medicine and =
technology were kept open.=20

Over 400,000 students who passed entrance exams in 1996, 1997, 1998 and =
1999 have been waiting to enter universities.=20

NOTE OF CAUTION=20

But a top official of the SPDC and Myanmar's powerful intelligence =
chief, Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, sounded a note of caution on the =
sticky education issue.=20

``I would like to urge the government, students and parents to keep =
cooperating actively with concerted efforts for ensuring peaceful =
pursuit of education,'' the official Myanmar language newspaper Kyemon =
quoted him as saying.=20

Former Japanese premier Ryutaro Hashimoto, who visited Yangon last week, =
urged the military to reopen universities after Japan proposed expanding =
aid to Myanmar if it moved towards democracy.=20

A minister in the SPDC Chairman's Office, Brigadier-General David Abel, =
said during Hashimoto's visit that 76 percent of university and college =
classes had already been restarted.=20

Arrangements were being made to restart those remaining in the next =
academic year starting in April or May, he told Japanese reporters =
accompanying Hashimoto.=20

However, confusion surrounds the number of institutions that have been =
reopened and the number of students who may have sat for examinations to =
date, as information is hard to come by.=20

Official statistics show there were 105 universities and colleges in =
Myanmar as of November 1999.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D+1><STRONG>Myanmar =
students gear up for=20
campus reopening</STRONG></FONT> <BR>02:23 a.m. Dec 08, 1999 Eastern=20
<P><STRONG>By Aung Hla Tun</STRONG>=20
<P>YANGON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Myanmar students =
are=20
anxiously preparing to return to their books for the first time since =
the=20
military closed campuses amid unrest three years ago.=20
<P>Some classes are set to resume from mid-December after the ruling =
State Peace=20
and Development Council (SPDC) indicated this week that the closed =
institutions=20
would soon be reopened.=20
<P>``I should have been a university third-year student by now,'' said =
Ma Khaing=20
who passed his university entrance in 1996.=20
<P>Maung Maung was a second-year student when classes were suspended at =
the=20
Yangon Institute of Technology (YIT), once a hotbed of unrest in the =
capital.=20
<P>``We are just longing to pursue our studies at the regular classes =
suspended=20
three years ago,'' Maung Maung said.=20
<P>Some third-year and fourth-year YIT students said they had been told =
to=20
contact the institute to join classes expected to reopen in =
mid-December. But=20
they added that they had been told they could no longer attend classes =
at the=20
campus in Yangon.=20
<P>They will have to go instead to three satellite towns on Yangon's =
outskirts=20
where campuses have been relocated, diplomats say, to get potentially =
restive=20
student groups out of the capital.=20
<P>``I don't mind where it will be as long as I can pursue my studies =
peacefully=20
without further interruption,'' said a student.=20
<P><STRONG>LOST YEARS</STRONG>=20
<P>In December 1996, students unleashed pent-up anger against the =
authorities at=20
some campuses and on the streets of Yangon.=20
<P>The military, unnerved by the spread of the unrest to other cities in =
the=20
worst protests since a bloody student-led pro-democracy uprising in =
1988,=20
promptly closed over 30 institutions a few days before final =
examinations.=20
<P>Over 100,000 students were affected in a move which drew howls of =
disapproval=20
from the opposition National League for Democracy led by Nobel laureate =
Aung San=20
Suu Kyi.=20
<P>``The closing of the universities and colleges since 1996 is an =
immeasurable=20
national loss for the country,'' it said last week.=20
<P>``Never were schools closed for such a long time, even under the =
British=20
colonialists,'' it said, accusing the government of destroying the =
careers of=20
some potential leaders of the nation.=20
<P>The party deplored the fact that while civilian universities and =
colleges had=20
remained shut, military institutes of medicine and technology were kept =
open.=20
<P>Over 400,000 students who passed entrance exams in 1996, 1997, 1998 =
and 1999=20
have been waiting to enter universities.=20
<P><STRONG>NOTE OF CAUTION</STRONG>=20
<P>But a top official of the SPDC and Myanmar's powerful intelligence =
chief,=20
Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, sounded a note of caution on the sticky =
education=20
issue.=20
<P>``I would like to urge the government, students and parents to keep=20
cooperating actively with concerted efforts for ensuring peaceful =
pursuit of=20
education,'' the official Myanmar language newspaper Kyemon quoted him =
as=20
saying.=20
<P>Former Japanese premier Ryutaro Hashimoto, who visited Yangon last =
week,=20
urged the military to reopen universities after Japan proposed expanding =
aid to=20
Myanmar if it moved towards democracy.=20
<P>A minister in the SPDC Chairman's Office, Brigadier-General David =
Abel, said=20
during Hashimoto's visit that 76 percent of university and college =
classes had=20
already been restarted.=20
<P>Arrangements were being made to restart those remaining in the next =
academic=20
year starting in April or May, he told Japanese reporters accompanying=20
Hashimoto.=20
<P>However, confusion surrounds the number of institutions that have =
been=20
reopened and the number of students who may have sat for examinations to =
date,=20
as information is hard to come by.=20
<P>Official statistics show there were 105 universities and colleges in =
Myanmar=20
as of November 1999. </P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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