Introduction
Students have always been deeply involved in Burma's historic movements whether it
was the anti-colonial, anti-fascist, and national liberation movements. The students of
Burma also initiated the pro-democracy movements of Burma. Due to the outspoken
and rebellious nature of the students, the military regime has viewed students as an ob-
struction to their totalitarian rule. Oppressing students' movements have been a top pri-
ority for the regime and they have been using every tactic possible to silence the stu-
dents' movements. The schools closure in Burma is an example of the junta trying to
abolish students from assembling. The Education system of Burma has rapidly deterio-
rated after the junta came into power. Since 1988 until now, the major universities of
Burma have only been opened for thirty months. The major universities have been ex-
clusively closed since December of 1996 until now.
It is a frightening ordeal for Burma when considering its future. Schools have been vir-
tually closed so often that the number of educated people within Burma is decreasing.
The curriculum has been changed so often to fit the government's needs that the stu-
dents' standards of education have declined. The Burmese Education system has dete-
riorated so much it is no longer recognized by the world's standards. It is essential that
in order to ensure a bright future for Burma; the Education system must be improved.
In order to improve Burma's Education system, the schools of Burma needs to be re-
opened and its standards raised to meet the international level.
We the Campaign Committee for Open School have vowed to work on behalf of Burma's
future generations and for oppressed students everywhere to open the schools of Burma
and improve the future Education system. The Campaign Committee for Open School
consists representatives of Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), All
Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF), Burmese Women's Union (BWU), Demo-
cratic Party for New Society (DPNS), National League for Democracy-Youth (Liberated
Area) [NLD-Youth (LA)], and the Students and Youth Congress of Burma (SYCB).
The Committee for Open Schools believes that because of the oppressive SPDC regime,
the future of Burma has become very bleak. The future of a country is its youth, and
education is a way of ensuring the youth's future. However, in Burma the youth have
been denied their universal right to Education, merely because they are viewed as a
threat to the military's totalitarian rule. Abuses of Human Rights have gone on too long
in Burma; everyday people live in fear of being crushed merely for their beliefs. The
Committees believes that the world needs to know about Burma and the Junta's inhu-
mane treatment of its people. We want to shed the light on Burma's bleak future and its
youth. The only way to ensure the youth of Burma's future would be if the schools were
re-opened and the educational system improved. This is the reason why we are calling
upon colleagues and friends around the world, to join hands with us in this cause for
educational freedom.
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Campaign Committee for Open School - Statement 1/2000
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