Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
of
Burma Human Rights Day
March 13
Don't forget
bloody The day of
March 13! Phone Maw’
Don't forget Death
the Phone
Maw Day!
Editorial
The Responsibility of
Youth and Students Today
to Fight Against Military Dictatorship
In March, 1988, Ko Phone Maw and Ko Soe Naing who were stu-
dents at the Rangoon Institute of Technology, were brutally killed on
their campus by the BSPP military regime. This event was followed by
the Red Bridge Students Affair – the former name of the bridge was
White Bridge, but as many university students were killed there by the
military, students changed it to Red Bridge (meaning Bloody Bridge).
Both bloody affairs led to the “Four Eights Affair” - the pro-democra-
cy peoples’ uprising of 8/8/88. Although the dictatorship has always
tried to suppress these revolutions, it was never able to destroy the
spirit of the students and their Student’s Union. This has been proved
as successive generations of students have handed over the spirit to
the next generation.
Since under colonial rule, Burmese students have been at the forefront
of the struggle for independence. They love freedom and justice and
they are ready to give their right hand for their truth, and to protest
against the unjust rule for our people. This is the Burmese student
Spirit.
The Burmese military regime have blindly ignored the wishes of the
people since the 1990 general election result, and have convened a
sham national convention to draft a constitution.
students’ unavoidable national responsibility to ensure a NO vote at
the referendum. Students should follow the way of former student
generations and organize the people to vote NO at the upcoming ref-
erendum.
In accordance with the spirit of the Burmese student union, the new
generation of students should not put aside their historic responsibil-
ity to stand at the forefront of our people and turn down the SPDC’s
unilateral constitution.
Tanslation and Editing: Myint Zaw Design: Kyaw Win (Mr. Balance)
Published by
All Burma Federation of Student Unions - Foreign Affairs Committee
The Union Publishing, P.O Box (102), Mae Ping Post Office, Chiang Mai (50301) Thailand
e-mail: bakatha@loxinfo.co.th
Sketch
The Portrait of Phone Maw
Interview with Aung Myo Min
Testimony The Night When Ko Phone Maw
was Killed
Interview with Ko Sein Han
“My name is Sein Han. In 1988, I was studying at the Rangoon Institute
of Technology. When Ko Phone Maw died, I was at the RIT compound.
In fact, there was a clash between students and lay people on the 12th of
March, but we didn’t care about that because we were used to it happening.
On the 13th of March, I went to a picnic. There was a minor acci-
dent, my hand was injured, and I was hospitalized. That evening, one of
my friends came and told to me there was a quarrel between students and
ordinary people, and they had started a fire, so I left the hospital without
informing the doctors.
There was no bus, so I went to the school by foot. When I arrived at the
school, seya U Thein Tun Aung asked me where I had come from. When
I told him I had been hospitalized, he was worried and asked me if anyone
had died during the accident. I said no. He said that was good, but that at
the school some students had been killed.
At that time, students and ordinary people were fighting - throwing
stones at each side, and chasing each other. It looked like a small riot. I told
my friends to pick up some bricks for self defense, and we sat near a water
fountain. Then fire engines suddenly emerged, throwing water at the stu-
dents to disperse us. We noticed that they planned to disperse only us, not
the ordinary people, so we threw rocks at the fire engines, and they with-
drew immediately.
everything was quite, later we heard After that ev-
erything was quiet.
the riot police wanted to charge into Later we heard the
the school and shoot us, so . . . riot police wanted
to charge into the
school and shoot us, so we tried to escape. I went to the halls, but some
people ran into the main building. Their target was the main building. I
think some students got injured. They used tear-gas, We didn’t know what
it was. We felt suffocated and we couldn’t breathe well. We went downstairs.
Our teacher said we should wet our clothes and hold them over our noses,
10
after that we felt better. At that time, there was no more shooting.
Later I heard some students had been shot. One of my friends, Myat
Aung, was shot in both legs. He was not an RIT student, he had just called
in to see us. I saw Ko Soe Naing. He had fallen to the ground and was
injured in the chest. We didn’t see Ko Phone Maw’s corpse, I don’t know
where it was.
Then we tried to send our friends to the hospital. Ko Soe Naing’s situ-
ation was not serious. Our teacher tried to help us to take them to hospital
with his car. One of my friends went along with them. However, the au-
thorities would not allow them to leave the school. We got angry. Our rector
came and tried to calm down us and he said he would arrange it. I didn’t
know who he contacted, but later the authorities allowed us to send Ko Soe
Naing and Ko Myat Aung to the Rangoon General Hospital.
Later, we were chatting and discussed what we should do. At that time,
one of my former room-mates, I forget his name, suggested uniting to or-
ganize a committee
authorities would not allow them to and demand com-
pensation from the
leave the school. We got angry. Our government. At
rector came and tried to calm down us that time, we didn’t
know too much
about politics, we just loved justice and freedom. He seemed clever at politi-
cal affairs. He led the discussion, urging us to form the committee and we
did.
As far as I remember, we demanded five conditions: the government
had to declare they had managed things badly; apologize for it; give com-
pensation for those who were killed or injured; allow an official funeral ser-
vice for Ko Phone Maw and for us to build a mausoleum; and they had to
allow us to establish a student union. We didn’t raise any political matters.
This friend tried to contact U Maung Maung from the BBC (Burmese
service) using the phone at the registry office, but the phone was cut off.
Then we continued to discuss what we should do over the next days. We
decided to continue our struggle by peaceful and non-violent means. Then
we left to go back to our hostel. Before we went back, we made wreaths
for the death.
There was a bloodstain, I am not sure if it was Ko Phone Maw’s or Ko
11
Soe Naing’s. We decided to make star-shaped block, and we collected bullets
and shirts with blood on them, then we saluted them.
The next morning, we went round the school, to the female hostel,
and then round the school again holding the wreaths. In a meantime, our
teacher requested us not to go out from the campus. We said we wouldn’t.
We went round the school quietly without chanting or speaking. When we
entered the main hall, we saluted the star-shaped block mausoleum. We got
back to where we belonged and decided we would do it again the next day.
After that, I took a risk and went back my hostel, although I was scared of
being arrested outside the campus. There were some riot police outside the
campus holding police truncheons and shields, and it looked like they were
ready to attack potential demonstrators. They blocked the road.
When I got back to the hostel, some senior students came and talked
with me. They said they were hiding in their hall, and that they hadn’t gone
to school on the night of Ko Phone Maw’s killing. They suggested that I
should go away from there.
I complained, asking them what I had done wrong. I told them we had
peacefully shown our wishes without using any violent means, and we planned
to do it again the next day. However, they explained the potential dangers to
me if I dared to do this: I might be killed, arrested, have to go underground
or at least be dismissed from the school. When I said I was not afraid to
die, be arrested, have to go underground or be dismissed from the school
they suggested to me that I went away from there as soon as possible. Our
hostel hall tutor also suggested that I should go away as soon as possible.
So we went back to
Ko Soe Naing and Myat Aung hand- my native town.
A few days lat-
cuffed to police. Then our friends were er, my friend who
moved to a criminal ward . . . went to Rangoon
General Hospital
along with Ko Soe Naing and Myat Aung returned from Rangoon. He told
us what he saw at the hospital. On the morning of March the 14th, he went
out to a tea shop. Then returned to the hospital where he saw many police,
and Ko Soe Naing and Myat Aung handcuffed to police. Then our friends
were moved to a criminal ward in the hospital and he became afraid and
returned to school. Later, we heard that Ko Soe Naing was dead.
12
I went to school when it resumed. There I heard that Myat Aung
had been released and that he was allowed to continue studying.
Our Burmese opposition have declared the 13th of March to be Bur-
ma Human Rights Day. I think we should hold a ceremony every year. We
should not forget this day.
I would like to tell our new generation, that the SPDC is trying to hide
the truth. For instance, they changed the name of RIT into Yangon Tech-
nology University. This was done to attempt to conceal history; our respon-
sibility is to reveal the true history. We should hold a Burma Human Rights
Day ceremony every year. We should salute those who have died struggling
for democracy. Our new student generation inside Burma should know the
truth of what happened on the 13th of March, 1988.
13
One 88-Generation student recounted what
happened during 1988 uprising
Ko Min Zaw
16
13 March day is the Symbol of 8888, But ...
Ko Myo Win
My name is Myo Win. In 1988 I was studying at RIT as a final year stu-
dent, majoring in Mechanical Engineering.
On the evening of March the 13th, 1988, I was chatting with my
friends at a tea shop. One of them told us that students were gathering to
go back to the ward to ask the ward authorities to take action against some
people who had beaten up a student.
I went back to my hostel because I heard that my friends were looking
for me, but I didn’t see anyone at the hostel. I watched TV alone. Then one
of my friends came and told me that some students were surrounded and
being attacked in the ward, so I went out with him to where the riot was
occurring. It was about 8 o’clock.
At that time, there were not too many students there. We organized
ourselves as well as we could. When we took to the street, we saw some
students who had escaped. A car which belonged to one of our school staff
was driving out from the ward. In it were some students who had been in-
jured in the riot. A student shouted from the car that some other students
were surrounded at the ward, and we should go and help them. When we
heard this, we reacted without thinking, picked up bricks and sticks, and
went to the ward.
When we arrived at the riot, students and members of the public were
throwing stones at each other. Some students got injured. We send those
who got injured to
friends came and told me that some Insein hospital. We
saw many injured
students were surrounded and being
students. We left
attacked in the ward, them at the hospi-
tal and went back
to the school. By then, there was already a roadblock, and there were no
buses. When we met with soldiers with barricades, they questioned us, but
we gave our explanations and were allowed to go back to the school.
When we got back to the RIT complex, we saw the riot police, fire fight-
ers and ward council members positioned on the Insein Road; and soldiers
positioned at Thamaing junction and Insein BOC bus stop. High-ranking
17
officials from the Ministry of Education also arrived. In the meantime, the
riot police tried to disperse the crowd using fire hoses, but they targeted
only the students rather than the public so we got angry.
They could not disperse the crowd. They used tear-gas, while the riot
police fired guns at the school complex. They climbed into the school com-
plex, and occupied the school.
At that time, I was standing at near a water fountain. Ko Phone Maw
was near the grass, facing the riot police. He was shot, and died on the spot.
As I remember, some students got injured. They were Soe Naing, (who died
on the 5th of May, 1988), and Myint Oo. That is all I remember of the night
when Ko Phone Maw was killed.
After the shooting and tear-gas had stopped, we went back to our hostel
in the car which took Ko Soe Naing to the hospital. I had planned to go
along with my friends to the hospital but in the end I didn’t. That was lucky
for me, because one of our teachers, and some of our friends who went to
take Ko Soe Naing to the hospital, got arrested.
We built a mausoleum where Ko Phone Maw’s blood had stained the
ground overnight. We didn’t sleep, but made a pamphlet, and discussed jus-
tice and revealing
friends came and told me that some the truth. Military
personnel were
students were surrounded and being
still positioned op-
attacked in the ward, posite the grass.
All the gates were
blocked. I am not sure if we formed a committee or not. Some witnesses
told us about their recent experiences.
The next day, on March the 14th, we held a demonstration. We walked
around the campus as our teachers would not allow us to go out. The mili-
tary personnel had withdrawn from the complex, but the roads were still
blocked. We discussed how to respond to the government action.
The Burmese Broadcasting Service announced that Phone Maw had
died during a clash between the students and members of the public. The
BBC (Burmese service) also made the same announcement. This made us
angry, and we demanded that our rector reveal the true story. He replied to
us that though he knew the truth, he could not do anything. We decided we
would do it ourselves.
18
We gave speeches; - I can’t remember who gave the speeches - we de-
cided that we would never give up this cause; we chose leaders; if our lead-
ers were to die, some of our followers would replace them. Our registry
signed a statement that said Phone Maw was shot dead. We copied the letter
and distributed it to other university campuses. We formed a Phone Maw
funeral service committee. I was one of the committee members. On March
the 15th, the roads were reopened. Some students from other universities
came to RIT. We collected money for Phone Maw’s tomb. We got a lot of
money.
At midday on the 15th of March, soldiers took up position again in
front of the school and surrounded us. Some students tried to escape. We
discussed what we should do as the military prepared to invade the school.
We decided we would probably be arrested when they came in.
At 3pm, the authorities used a loud speaker to tell us not to fight back.
We were surrounded and our teachers knew that the military would soon
enter the complex. Some teachers tried to help us to escape. They asked a
member of the public to show us the way. We followed him, and were able
to manage to escape.
I think students launched the demonstration for many reasons. The kill-
ing of Ko Phone Maw was an immediate cause, but even before he was
killed, there had been some political activity on the campus. In 1987, a stu-
dent had quarreled
killing of Ko Phone Maw is an with staff from the
immediate cause, but even beofre he government sav-
ings bank when he
was killed, there had been some . . . went to withdraw
money. He was one
of our friends. He was just given a warning by the school authorities, but a
rumor got up that had been dismissed from the university. Some students
planned to demand that he be allowed to remain, but we informed the stu-
dents that it wasn’t true, that he hadn’t been kicked out of the university. We
were also worried that the time was not yet right to take up political activity
on the campus.
One student was well aware that the BSPP wasn’t managing the country
well. Even Ne Win himself confessed that his socialist economy was not
working, and that it might be necessary to change things. After the BSPP
19
demonetization, this student organized a committee to ask the government
for compensation. He encouraged us to form a committee. We asked the
school authorities for compensation, and to postpone the examinations, but
the education authority refused our demands. As a result, we started a dem-
onstration, and marched to Thamaing Township. The Thamaing junction
was blocked, so we went back to school. The next day, the school closed.
The school re-opened in December and we took the exam. At that time,
when some students were trying to form student unions, we got letters from
Rangoon University and Mandalay University which stated that they already
formed student unions. I got a letter. We planned activities to start to or-
ganize the students on National Day, but we were not successful. We tried
again on the night of the last exam. We turned off the lights and shouted
by way of demonstration.
Another reason was that the Lanzin Youth leadership training used to
be held at Rangoon University, but the authorities planned to hold it at RIT,
and decorate the hostels, roads, and parkland etc. Waiters were forced to
take a medical check, and those who passed were able to serve in the Lanzin
Youth. We got angry because we assumed it was an insult to us, so we broke
all the new windows on the last night of the examinations.
The Ko Phone Maw affair followed former affairs. When many
people talk about the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, they only concentrate
on the clash between the public and students on March the 13th. In fact,
there were many reasons for the occurrence of the “Four Eights Affair”.
However, I honestly didn’t know too much about politics at that time. I
became involved in politics because of some of my friends.
(Interview with Ko Min Zaw/ Translated by Gyittu)
20
Matyrs Some famous Freedom Fighters who
were killed by the authority
Bo Aung Kyaw
(December 22, 1938/ 1:30 p.m/ Judson College)
During the third university boycott, on De-
cember the 20th, 1938, students gathered since
early morning at the RUSU building. There were
26 buses in front of the building, many people
didn’t know yet that the ABSU leaders planned
to defy act 144. At 8.15, Ko Hla Shwe gave a
speech to the students and said, “Your facial
expression are very patriotic and nationalistic, I
believe that you are ready to give your right arm
for our cause. You seem don’t care if you are
killed or jailed. I believe your zeal. Today we will
defy the government’s unjust law. Don’t bring
a needle - we won’t use even a needle as a weapon.” The students were
very excited and shouted “Let’s go now”. There were 8,000 students. They
marched downtown. In fact, the students didn’t know where they were go-
ing; it was still a secret. Only EC members knew the plan. When the stu-
dents were at the Government Secretariat building and encircling it, the
students realized their leaders’ plan. The students stood around the office
so that no one could enter or leave.
The British forces didn’t know how to handle it, and they looked ludi-
crous. Students were shouting “We shall overcome”, and “We are the mas-
ters of our country” etc. When the Police Commissioner gave an order to
the police to disperse the crowd, the police dragged them and kicked them
with their boots. Some students were injured and some were angry, but stu-
dent leaders warned that they should be patient and not fight back in any
way, warning them not to turn to violence.
At 10 am, the police encircled the students. At 11 o’clock, deputy com-
missioner U Po Sa came and the police withdrew within half an hour. Many
people came and provided food and water etc for the students. Later, the
21
students decided to return Rangoon University, and departed from the of-
fice. However, they came across the police on the way to the University, and
the police wouldn’t allow the students to go forward. There was tension be-
tween the students and the police. The students tried to pass by the police,
but were beaten with batons. Members of the public who were watching
and supporting the students were also beaten by the police. The police ruth-
lessly rained blows on the students. Many students fell to the ground. Some
tried to run away from there and escape, but they were chased and beaten to
death by police. Many people and students were injured, including Ko Aung
Kyaw. His head was smashed by a police truncheon. Later he was died of
his injuries. After he died, he was called “Bo Aung Kyaw”. He was the first
student to be killed by the police in Burmese history.
22
Herry Tan
(March, 22 1956/ 16 years old/ Saint Paul School)
In 1956, 7th-grade students were taking government examinations. Af-
ter they had taken four courses, they realized that the exam questions had
been ‘leaked’. One of the questions was published in “Burma Khit”, a Bur-
mese newspaper, but the government didn’t take any action. On March the
22nd, the authorities made a surprise announcement that the exam results
were disallowed on the grounds that a question had been published in the
newspaper. When students heard about it, some students were crying. They
had studied for a whole year, and now it was to be abolished. They decided
to call a strike and marched to the office of the Education Commissioner,
then to the Burma Khit newspaper’s office which was already protected
by police. Later, both Pasi Mya Maung, who was a judge from the Eastern
district of Rangoon, and ABFSU leaders arrived there. ABFSU leaders ne-
gotiated with the authorities asking them not to use force to disperse the
students, who were only 12 to 13 years old. They said they would take care
of the students. The judge agreed. However, he suddenly ordered the police
to shoot students. ABFSU leaders requested them not to do it, but they did.
One student, Herry Tan (16 years old) , was killed in the shooting. It was
the first time a Burmese parliamentary government had killed a student.
Student unions such as ABFSU and RUSU demanded the establishment of
a committee to investigate the event. On March the 23rd, 1956, the govern-
ment established a committee to investigate the event. To lessen students’
resentment, the U Nu government let all 7th-grade students pass the exam.
The event is popularly known as “Herry Tan” event in Burmese history.
23
Salai Tin Maung Oo
(June 26, 1976)
“Comrades! They are killing me without let-
ting the people know.” “I shall never kneel
down under your military boots”
The historic testimonial words of Tin Maung
Oo, a student leader of Rangoon University’s
demonstration (1974-75).
January the 3rd, 1974: Salai Tin Maung Oo
gave an impressive and moving speech about the
importance of unity, especially during critical
times. After that he was unanimously appointed
General Secretary of the CLCC, Chin Literature
and Cultural Committee.
June the 6th, 1974: The Socialist Constitution’s Article 9 led six months
later to the provocation of general worker’s strikes to challenge the consti-
tution. The Burmese Army responded with gunfire on June the 6th and 7th,
killing workers and students.
When the former Secretary General of the United Nations, U Thant
died in New York, his remains were flown back to Rangoon to be buried
there according to his last wishes. Salai Tin Maung Oo, led a people’s dem-
onstration movement, out of respect for U Thant.
December the 5th, 1974: Hundreds of students marched towards Kyai-
kasan stadium to pay their last respects to U Thant. Among the mourners
were Buddhist monks. Ko Kyi Win, Salai Tin Maung Oo, and other student
leaders announced that U Thant’s funeral procession was to be taken over
by the students and honoured with a mausoleum and an official state fu-
neral.
After the U Thant affair, he went to underground. He established an
underground student union, underwent military training in the liberated
area of the Parliamentary Democracy Party, and then returned to Rangoon
where he was arrested, and sentenced to death. He was hanged on June
the26th, 1976 at the infamous Insein prison. He is the only student to be
hanged by the government in Burmese political history.
(Source: www.chinforum.org/PUBS/TMOEng.pdf)
24
Win Maw Oo
(September 19, 1988/ 16 yrs old/ S.H.S 2, Latha)
Win Maw Oo was a high-school student who was shot dead by Burmese
soldiers during the 1988 student protests. She was one of the hundreds of
protestors killed in Rangoon after the military coup of the 18th of Septem-
ber, 1988. “I got a phone call from the hospital. She was still conscious at
the time,” Win Maw Oo’s father, Win Kyu, recounted how he learnt of his
daughter’s fate. “She gave them the names of her father and mother, and
home address and telephone number. At the hospital, after the operations,
she was put in the intensive-care room. She was unconscious. I had to go to
retrieve her body from a doctor. I asked the cause of her death. The doctor
told me it was due to shrapnel wounds. Only then was I able to retrieve her
body. I was told to bury her within 24 hours. I also had to sign a pledge say-
ing that she was not involved in [political] activities. Her younger sisters and
brothers weren’t able to see her when we buried her. At the funeral, there
were only 25 people at most. We had to do it behind locked doors.”
“I still miss my daughter every day,” says Win Maw Oo’s mother, Khin
Htay Htay Win. “Today, I want to cry the way my daughter cried. They said
that they shot in the air, but they aimed straight at her. That’s why she died
straight away. In my heart, I know my daughter did it for her country; she
gave up her life for the country.”
(Source: http://hamarashakespeare.com/personalities.html)
(Photo: dvb.no, Burma’s Revolution of the Spirit)
25
Thet Paing Soe
(September 27, 2007/ 16 yrs/ NLD Youth)
26
Ko Ko Win
(October 24, 2007/ 21 yrs)
After 1962, there have been numerous de-
mocracy movements in Burma and the military
regime has used brutal methods to suppress all
the uprisings. As a result, many lives have been
sacrificed.
During the recent September uprising,
also popularly known as the Saffron Revolu-
tion, many ordinary people turned into heroes.
Among them was Ko Ko Win, 21 years old,
the eldest son of U Htay U and Daw Win Win
Myint from South Oakkalapa Township, Ran-
goon. Ko Ko Win was actively involved in the
Saffron Revolution alongside the monks. On the 27th of September, 2007,
he was brutally beaten by the police (lone-htane) at the foot of the Shwe
Da Gone Pagoda and received serious injuries to the head, shoulders and
chest.
Though he was given medical treatment at a nearby clinic from the 30th
of September to the 14th of October, his condition did not improve. He
was then sent to Thin Gan Kyun Hospital for treatment, but eventually died
from his head injuries on the 3rd of November, 2007.
When will Burma obtain its freedom? Until then, it seems inevitable that
more lives will have to be lost.
(Source: Aryone Thit Newsletter/ Jan 4, 2008/ Pg.9)
The ribbon is a symbol of
sorrow. It was used at the first
anniversary of the 7th of July
affair. On July the 7th, 1962,
the historic Student Union
building was demolished
with dynamite by the Ne Win
military regime. As a result, many students
died and it became popularly known as the
7th of July affair. Similarly, in 1988,
during the “Four Eights Affair”, many
students who were campaigning for
democracy, human rights, freedom, peace
and justice were killed by the authorities.
We have also used the ribbon as a symbol
of sorrow for those who were killed by the
authorities in the 1988 pro-democracy
uprising.