By Chris Spindler
SYDNEY — All Burma Student Democratic Front (ABSDF) representatives Myint Thu and Ye Win addressed a public meeting here attended by 140 people on August 24. They heard from a panel of speakers on the political situation in Burma and the solidarity campaign.
The tour by Myint Thu, ABSDF joint general secretary, and Ye Win, joint secretary of foreign affairs, is aimed at gaining Australian government support for sanctions against the military regime of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC).
U Tin Htut and Daniel Aung described how SLORC came to power through a military coup and retains power through a massive military intervention into society, detention of activists and refusal to recognise the landslide electoral victory of the National Democratic Front in 1988.
Aung said Burmese society is beset by an economic, environmental and political crisis. Repressive laws on association and emergency provisions are evidence of the desperation of the SLORC regime, he said.
U Tin Htut, a veteran political activist, called on ASEAN to bring political change to Burma in the light of a United Nations resolution in 1977 which expressed deep concern at the human rights situation. He condemned Burma's admission to ASEAN.
Myint Thu emphasised the role of students in the struggle for independence from India, and then from Japan during World War II. Independence from Britain was won in 1948. Students today are in the front lines of the campaign to defeat SLORC.
Students have been organised through the ABSDF since December 1988. The ABSDF was formed on the basis of "representing students from all classes for human rights and democracy in Burma". The main campaigns of the ABSDF are now to support economic sanctions against the regime and campaign for the release of all political prisoners.
There are currently some 3000 political prisoners with sentences up to 26 years. They are tortured and sometimes executed. Political activists are rounded up during the night. The military's budget accounts for 50% of government expenditure.
In recent months, the liberation movement has pushed ahead. A six-year split in the ABSDF was healed and a decision taken to increase political work and mass mobilisations inside the country rather than concentrating only on the armed struggle on the borders.
Jamie Parker, coordinator of the Free Burma International Solidarity Student Network, urged people to get involved in solidarity campaigns. He said ISSN had succeeded in having Student Travel Australia all but abandon Burma.
The main campaign — "Free Burma — Support Boycotts" — is being organised by the Burma Support Group. The campaign urges the boycott of products from companies such as Caltex, Konica, Sony, Ericsson, Gillette and Colgate Palmolive which aid the regime by investing in Burma. Pepsi was forced to pull out in January 1997, Parker said.
The solidarity movement is focusing on the role of ASEAN. At the 30th anniversary celebration for ASEAN in Sydney recently, Burmese protesters picketed and called for Burma to be kicked out of ASEAN. The protest was joined by a number of Greenpeace protesters, who targeted foreign minister Alexander Downer for inaction on reducing greenhouse emissions.