Background
"The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves."
(William Hazlitt)
In the history of modern Burma, students are symbolised as patriots who are righteous
and pure with love for their country surpasses all including life itself. Since the time of
British colonisation, Burmese students have always been the vanguards of the country's
freedom and liberty. The first student protest began in 1920 opposing the Rangoon Uni-
versity Act that the British government enforced, in order to discriminate against the
students and to prolong their colonial rule. This University Boycott received overwhelm-
ing support from people all across Burma. Following this event, students represented
the voice and hope of the people and it led them to play an instrumental role in the
struggle for Independence from British colonialism as well as from the Japanese Imperi-
alism.
Burma gained her independence from British in 1948 and parliamentary democracy sys-
tem was introduced. Soon after the independence, civil war broke out. Parliamentary
democracy did not last long as General Ne Win staged a military coup in 1962. Burma's
parliamentary system was replaced with absolute military rule. Once again the students
of Burma bravely opposed this military take-over. The military brutally cracked down on
the students' demonstrations and tried to eliminate student activism by jailing many as
well as outlawing student unions. The one and only historical student union building of
the Rangoon University campus was blown up with explosives by the military on July 7,
1962 while student leaders were having a meeting inside.
After this incident, the student movement went underground under the military's totali-
tarian rule. However, as time progressed new generations of students grew and experi-
enced the injustice as those before them. No matter how oppressive it had been, stu-
dents took every opportunity to stand up against the military rule and fight for justice
and for their rights. Following the protest of 1962, series of student protests took place
in 1964, 1969, 1974, 1975, and 1976. These student protests rose in conjunction with
other people's movement such as labour movement and peace movement. All these civil
protests were suppressed abruptly by the military resulting in the student movement
going further underground in 1976. Since then, Burma remained silent under the rule of
military dictatorship.
Since General Ne Win's regime introduced Burma to the Burmese Way to Socialism, the
educational system together with economic and political systems began to deteriorate.
The educational policy was frequently changed and the standard of education declined
as a result of the regime's mismanagement, lack of perception and its close-door policy
of the country to the outside world. The situation eventually led to frustration primarily
on the part of students and youth.
In 1987, the government's depreciation of several well-circulated bank notes led to a
tremendous economic hardship for people from all walks of life. Students, already frus-
trated by the system, were outraged by this action and stood up again for the people by
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Campaign Committee for Open School - Statement 1/2000
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