Statement on 21
st
anniversary of Burma's Human Rights Day
Today marks the 21
st
anniversary of Burma’s Human Rights Day – a student leader namedKo Phone Maw and other students were shot dead on this day in 1988 by the militarysecurity forces while they were protesting in front of Rangoon Institute of Technology(RIT) in Rangoon, the capital of Burma. The government’s inability to settle such heinouscrime had not only demonstrated the lack of justice in Burma but also had a confrontationbetween the government and the students, which leads to the nation wide uprising called8888 uprising to restore democracy and human rights in Burma. Thus, the day the deathof the student leader Ko Phone Maw was honored as Burma's Human Rights Day later.Before 13
th
March 1988, People of Burma had suffered several political, economic andsocial problems of the single-party dictatorship and closed- door economic policy, emergedfrom the detrimental 1974 Constitution, which was drawn by force. As the constitutionwas created by the dictator Ne Win, who staged the military coup in 1962 and the mainessence of the constitution was designed for the interests of the military generals ratherthan the people; People of Burma were not happy about the constitution and itsconsequences. Therefore, the death of the student leader Ko Phone Maw's event hadbecome a triggering event for People of Burma to bring down the regime governmentwhich administered the country by using a detrimental constitution. Due to this peoplepower movement, the constitution being drawn by force became illegitimate. Thus, March13
th
is a symbol of democracy and human rights for Burma.
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