Burma democracy activists rally

Wednesday, September 23, 1998 - 10:00

Burma democracy activists rally

By Shosheena Stone
and Nikki Ulasowski

CANBERRA — Last week, the Burmese National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, announced the formation of a provisional government in Rangoon. Since 1990, the military dictatorship has refused to allow the democratically elected government to convene.

On September 18, the All Burma Students' Democratic Organisation (ABSDO) held a rally of 100 people outside the Burmese embassy here to mark the 10th anniversary of the military's seizure of power.

The ABSDO is calling on all governments, including Australia's, and ASEAN to impose economic sanctions and an arms embargo on Burma's regime; call on the regime to convene the "people's parliament" of all those elected in 1990; release all political detainees; and re-open all institutes of learning and legalise student unions.

The Howard government has announced that its attitude towards the NLD provisional government will not be settled until after the October 3 federal election.

From GLW issue 334