Burmese students in Thailand

Thursday, August 6, 1998 - 10:00

Burmese students in Thailand

The All Burma Students Democratic Organisation in Australia has issued a statement attacking "the brutal and inhumane treatment of Burmese students in Thailand" by Thai authorities.

According to an SBS Burmese program on July 1, the Thai Ministry of the Interior had issued an order to expel the residents of the Burmese Student Centre. The Centre, the statement said, is "the only shelter for Burmese students, dissidents and ethnic peoples to be able to live and survive severe hardship".

It called on the Thai government to release all student prisoners; "to recognise the students, dissidents and ethnic activist as genuine political refugees and treat them with due respect"; and "to guarantee political freedom to the Burmese students in Thailand to practice their non-violent political struggle against the military dictatorship in Burma".

From GLW issue 327