Media Release

23Oct 2003

Foreign Affairs Committee

Arrests of 7 Students Due to Distributing Pamphlets Against the Regime's Road Map

1. In the last week of September, 7 students were arrested because of distributing pamphlets which described the student union's statement against the regime's political road map. They are Nanda Sit Aung (a) Sit Ko Naing, Han Win Aung, Kyaw Kyaw, Kyaw Soe Moe, Win Ko, Zaw Zaw Aung and Myint Myint Soe (female). According to the ABFSU source, they all are currently held at a military interrogation center and are going to be charged with the existing laws under the Burmese military regime very soon.

2. The Statement that the students distributed said that all those who try to destroy the 1990 election result, attend the regime initiated National Convention, and stand with the regime's political road map will be defined as national betrayers by the people. It also said the regime's road map did not represent the needs of the whole nationalities and the country. The statement also requested that the people be against the regime's road map which aims only to enhance the military rule in Burma, and cooperate with international community in order to try the junta before the international courts for their political crimes. The statement was issued on the date of 25 September and in the name of Sit Ko Naing, General Secretary of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions.

3. Min Naing, In charge person of the Foreign Affairs Committee of All Burma Federation of Student Unions, said, "they all must be released unconditionally and immediately because they just tried to freely express the student's opinion on the current political situation in Burma and the regime's initiated political way. They didn't totally commit any criminal case. If the regime sincerely wants political development in Burma, it must allow the political participation of all societal layers, freedom of _expression and freedom of association. The regime's political road map won't be sustained if there are no such freedoms and civil and political
rights."

4. The newly appointed PM of the military government presented their political road map of national reconciliation and democratization for Burma shortly after the arrest of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the members of National League for Democracy. Presently, they force people to join the government sponsored rally to support the road map while they ban the movement of legal political parties, freedom of _expression and political rights.

For more information Kyaw Kyaw Thein (09-5582630)