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AP-Myanmar Universities Slowly Reop



Subject: AP-Myanmar Universities Slowly Reopen

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Wednesday, December 29 3:17 PM SGT=20
Myanmar Universities Slowly Reopen

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Engineering students in Myanmar began returning =
to classes this week, three years after the military regime closed all =
universities to quell political protests.=20

Authorities have taken the precaution of moving the university classes =
away from traditional campuses - the focal points of student unrest in =
the capital.=20

Universities, hotbeds of activism since the days of British colonial =
rule, have been open a total of only 30 months since 1988, when the =
current generation of generals came to power after crushing an uprising =
against a quarter-century of military rule.=20

The government's economics czar, Brig. Gen. David Abel, told foreign =
reporters that classes at universities and colleges were being reopened =
gradually and all would be holding classes by May. He said medical and =
dental institutes and technical colleges were also open.=20

Third- and fourth-year engineering students from the capital began =
studies Monday at newly-opened Yangon Technology University in =
Hlaingtharyar, 10 miles from downtown Yangon. No unrest was reported.=20

``Though this new campus is far from my house, I am so excited to return =
to classes,'' said Thu Thu. She said it took 40 minutes to get to the =
campus from her house downtown.=20

Other classes of the institute remain suspended. First- and second-year =
engineering classes were expected to resume in early 2000.=20

The government says relocating campuses is for student convenience. =
Students outside Yangon will study in Prome, 150 miles north of the =
capital, and those in upper Myanmar will study in Mandalay, the =
second-biggest city in this Southeast Asian nation, also known as Burma. =


Yangon Technology University is the new name for Yangon Institute of =
Technology, whose old campus in the capital used to be a center for =
student demonstrations, including protests that triggered the failed =
1988 uprising.=20

Along with other colleges in Myanmar, it was last closed Dec. 9, 1996, =
following protests against police handling of a quarrel between students =
and some restaurant workers.=20

The protests had quickly taken on a political edge, and the generals =
accused Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate and leader of Myanmar's =
embattled democracy movement, of organizing them. She denied it, saying =
national grievances were too widespread for her to control them all.=20

Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy, have been =
undercut in the past three years by the forced closure of party branches =
and the refusal of the government to open a dialogue, despite pressure =
from economic sanctions.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Wednesday, December 29</B> 3:17 PM =
SGT=20
<H2><FONT size=3D4>Myanmar Universities Slowly Reopen</FONT></H2>
<P><FONT size=3D-1><I></I></FONT>
<P>YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Engineering students in Myanmar began =
returning to=20
classes this week, three years after the military regime closed all =
universities=20
to quell political protests.=20
<P>Authorities have taken the precaution of moving the university =
classes away=20
from traditional campuses - the focal points of student unrest in the =
capital.=20
<P>Universities, hotbeds of activism since the days of British colonial =
rule,=20
have been open a total of only 30 months since 1988, when the current =
generation=20
of generals came to power after crushing an uprising against a =
quarter-century=20
of military rule.=20
<P>The government's economics czar, Brig. Gen. David Abel, told foreign=20
reporters that classes at universities and colleges were being reopened=20
gradually and all would be holding classes by May. He said medical and =
dental=20
institutes and technical colleges were also open.=20
<P>Third- and fourth-year engineering students from the capital began =
studies=20
Monday at newly-opened Yangon Technology University in Hlaingtharyar, 10 =
miles=20
from downtown Yangon. No unrest was reported.=20
<P>``Though this new campus is far from my house, I am so excited to =
return to=20
classes,'' said Thu Thu. She said it took 40 minutes to get to the =
campus from=20
her house downtown.=20
<P>Other classes of the institute remain suspended. First- and =
second-year=20
engineering classes were expected to resume in early 2000.=20
<P>The government says relocating campuses is for student convenience. =
Students=20
outside Yangon will study in Prome, 150 miles north of the capital, and =
those in=20
upper Myanmar will study in Mandalay, the second-biggest city in this =
Southeast=20
Asian nation, also known as Burma.=20
<P>Yangon Technology University is the new name for Yangon Institute of=20
Technology, whose old campus in the capital used to be a center for =
student=20
demonstrations, including protests that triggered the failed 1988 =
uprising.=20
<P>Along with other colleges in Myanmar, it was last closed Dec. 9, =
1996,=20
following protests against police handling of a quarrel between students =
and=20
some restaurant workers.=20
<P>The protests had quickly taken on a political edge, and the generals =
accused=20
Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate and leader of Myanmar's =
embattled=20
democracy movement, of organizing them. She denied it, saying national=20
grievances were too widespread for her to control them all.=20
<P>Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy, have been =
undercut=20
in the past three years by the forced closure of party branches and the =
refusal=20
of the government to open a dialogue, despite pressure from economic =
sanctions.=20
</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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