Foreign Affairs Committee
All Burma Federation of Student Unions

7 July 2003

1. Today marks the 41st anniversary of the July 7th 1962 student crackdown. On that day, Rangoon University's students staged a peaceful protest against restrictions on the university students. Since students had objected to the military coup in 1962, the regime had harbored a grudge against students and brutally crushed down the peaceful student demonstration. Many students were killed, arrested, and tortured by the military forces. In addition, the regime dynamited Rangoon University's historic student union building on the morning of July 8th. Since 1962, Burma's student unions have been forced go underground. The truth behind the events of July 1962 is still disclosed by the military regime, but we believe that Ne Win's military group has sole responsibility for that crime.

2. The July 7th repression was a state-sponsored terrorist attack towards a peaceful movement and an abuse of civil rights, committed by Burma's military regime. Following July 7th, the regime continued to suppress all peaceful movements calling for the abolishment of military rule, national reconciliation, and a democratic government. The regime killed, arbitrarily arrested, and tortured many people including monks, students and workers during the 1974 student strike, the 1976 workers' strike, the 1976 student march, the mass student demonstrations of March and June 1988, and the country-wide protests of August and September 1988. These crimes against civilians will not be forgotten by the student masses. On May 30th 2003, Burma's military junta, led by Than Shwe, plotted and attempted the assassination of the people's leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other democracy activists.

3. The truth of these acts cannot be kept secret and must be revealed by an independent commission to prevent further violence and crimes against humanity. All world governments have a moral obligation to prevent and condemn such inhumane state-sponsored terrorist acts for the sake of world civilization and peace. We, the All Burma Federation of Student Unions Foreign Affairs Committee, strongly condemn the inhumane activities of the military clique in Burma, including assassination, violence against peaceful political activism, abuses of civil rights, crimes against humanity, and so forth. These acts should not be forgiven and must be ended for a future democratic Burma, with a transformed modern army system.

4. In the current political situation in Burma, the military junta continues to use its old model to suppress political activism and maintain its illegitimate rule. It is obvious that the regime has no intention for national reconciliation and democratization in Burma. We, the student masses and all democratic groups of Burma, have struggled for a peaceful political transition to democratic governance, national reconciliation, and the country's development to ensure a good education system in Burma. However, the military regime has failed to join in the common task of all nationalities to work for Burma's national interests. Ignoring the present economic and social crisis in Burma, the military regime continues to avoid dialogue with democratic forces and national groups to peacefully solve the political problems in Burma. Instead, they have tried to eliminate these groups and establish Burma as a military state. Therefore, while all Burmese nationalities are striving for democracy in Burma and to abolish military rule in Burma, the international community should work to weaken the military and end any assistance to its rule in Burma.

5. We honor and salute the martyrs who scarified their lives for democracy, justice, and peace in Burma on that unforgettable day in history, July 7th 1962. We, the student masses, vow to sustain our strength and mind for the cause of democracy in Burma. We demand, urgently and unconditionally, of the present military regime:

1. To set up the independent commission to investigate and reveal the truth of the May 30th terrorist attack on democracy leaders and activists;

2. To free all political prisoners in Burma, including U Tin Oo, Vice-chairperson of National League for Democracy (NLD), Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary of NLD, and Min Ko Naing, Chairperson of ABFSU;

3. To legalize all political activism in Burma and civil associations, including student unions;

4. To transfer state-power to the elected body of the 1990 general elections; and

5. To abolish all military mechanisms in civil administration, and the military dictatorship in Burma.

Foreign Affairs Committee
All Burma Federation of Student Unions
7 July 2003