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History of All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU)
 
 All Burma Students’ 
Union (1936-1951)
 In Burma, a common democratic ideology links student movements and popular struggles. This link was formed through the fight against colonialism and fascism, and strengthened through the national independence movement and the ongoing revolution against the military dictatorship. Students in Burma have always stood on the side of the people whenever a conflict between the oppressors and the oppressed has taken place.
 Burmese students and the student unions have always admired and honored this tradition. The students‟ commitment to truth, the tenacity of their beliefs, and their sacrifices for those beliefs are known as „"student ethics" or "morals of 
 fighting peacock." The fighting peacock is a symbol of student unions of Burma.
 In 1931, the Rangoon University Students‟ Union (RUSU) was formed as a social organization.
The Union was formed with the following aims:(1) to be able to live in a society where one can work for better living standards of the society,(2) to be able to live a life in which one can depend upon oneself and work independently,(3) to make people realize their responsibilities and duties.The Union stood for independence of thought and the ability to talk freely of thoughts and ideas. In 1935, our independence hero Ko Aung San and his friends Ko Nu (later the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Burma), Ko Thein Pe (later the General Secretary of Communist Party of Burma), and Ko Kyaw Nyein
(later the Deputy Prime Minister) became the leaders of the RUSU and led the second university students‟ strikeagainst British colonial rule. On May 8, 1936 the first students‟ conference was held in Rangoon. Organized by
 RUSU,
it marked the formation of the All Burma Students‟ Union (ABSU). During that conference, Ko Yarship was
elected as Chairman and Ko Aung San was elected as Vice Chairman of the ABSU. In 1948, the civil war started and in 1949, a strike against the Anti-Fascist Peoples' Freedom League (AFPFL) government took place. The Students' Union also participated.
 ABSU as ABSFU (1951-1962)
 In 1951, the All Burma Students‟ Union (ABSU) changed its name to the All Burma Federation of Student 
Unions(ABFSU) by joining
the Rangoon University Students‟ Union an
d the Rangoon District Student 
 s‟ 
Union. It fought against the colonial system, for internal peace, and democracy and to build up a national education system. In 1953, the Strike to Close the University for One month in October took place, and in the university area the first sound of gun shots was heard during the AFPFL government. Twenty-nine students were imprisoned, thirty wereexpelled from the universities for life and ten were expelled for one year. In March, 1956, the seventh standard questions were supposed to have leaked out and the Harry Tan Incident took  place. The students body was shot at and the seventh standard student Harry Tan died. This was the first time that theblood of a student fell on the ground after Independence during the period of the AFPFL Government. In October, 1956, the AFPFL government announced that the students' Union would have to be abolished within thirtydays. This was the highest form of oppression against the democratic rights of the students so that the students went on a strike. Twenty-six students from the whole of Burma were imprisoned and 256 students were expelled. In 1958, the 10th Anniversary of the internal Peace Strike took place and the students, including students from ABSFU, participated. During the Sixth Conference of the ABFSU in 1960, the five policies and three flags of the organization were adopted unanimously in order to work for a democratic educational system, safeguarding student rights, democracy, internal peace and national reconciliation
.
 
 ABSFU in the Era of Caretaker Government and the Revolutionary Council (1962-1988)
On 2 March, 1962, a man named General Ne Win took control of state power for the second time. The 11
th
Co-conference of the Army Commanders was held at the Yatanabon Naval Base on 30 April, 1962.On 4 May, 1962, the leaders of the All Burma Federation of Students' Union (ABFSU) discussed the case of a student who had been expelled from his hostel because he did not get on well his warder. In 1963, the Burmese and Englishcurriculum of the high school examination was changed.On 9 May, 1962, Pioneer Ko Mya Than, Ko Thet, Ko Tha Ban and Ko Zaw Win were arrested for demonstrating at the Dutch Embassy. Ne Win told the University Council that as the teachers had misbehaved and among the studentsthere was political influence, the University Council had to be abolished. The Union commented that the governingbody of the university had been taken over by the Revolutionary Council.On 11 May,1962, the Rangoon University Rector Dr. Tha Hla handed in his resignation and the Burmese Professor U  Aye Maung retired; U Wun (Minthuwun) changed his faculty. On 12 May, 1962, some wardens and assistant wardens from the Rangoon University hostels resigned. On 17 May, 1962 the Revolutionary Council's order No.30 wasannounced and the University Council was reformed. The Adipadi (Chancellor) was Brigadier General Than Pe, Brigadier General San Yu, Col. Than Sein and Col. Tin Soe were included. The Rector was the former Education Minister U Kar of the 1958 Caretaker Government.On 26 May, 1962 five tutorial schools were closed down due to the leakage of questions.On 18 June, 1962 more unjust rules of the hostels were announced. For example, the people who ate vegetarian food were not allowed to eat it for one or two days unless they ate it the whole year.On 2 July, 1962 the high school leaving examination was abolished. The All Burma Federation of Students' Union(ABFSU) requested a discussion with the authorities.On 3 July, 1962 in the hall of the Union there was a meeting to discuss the abolition of the system of education, and the unjust hostel rules.On 4 July, 1962, the embryonic Burmese Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) was formed.On 5th July, 1962, a strike at the Dutch Embassy was carried out by three big unions. The military authorities thenstated that the people involved in the strike did not really represent the unions. The Students' Union felt that thestatement made their Union appeared insignificant so they objected.On 6 July, 1962, the Revolutionary Council reformed the University Senate and the Hostel Committee according totheir wishes.On 7 July, 1962, at 1:00 p.m. the Students' Union held a meeting to discuss the reform and after that the students went on a protest march through the university campus. At first the Security Police (Lone Htein) arrived and they tried tocontrol the situation by throwing tear gas. In the evening at about 5:30 p.m. two army trucks arrived and along Mandalay Hall, Ramanya Hall and Chancellor Road the soldiers started shooting at the students with automaticrifles. The soldiers were from No. 4 Burmese Rifles Battalion and the shooting order was 3 minutes shooting 2minutes rest and 3 minutes shooting.The military government declared that 17 students died, but in Mandalay Hall alone more than 17 students died according to the official records and altogether over a hundred students died. Ko Kyaw Win, a student from Myaung- Mya had written on the wall of Mandalay Hall with blood from his body "7-7-62, do not forget it". Ko Kyaw Win had taken refuge at the Union Building.On 8 July, 1962, at dawn the Union Building, which had a prominent standing in the history of Burmese Independence, was destroyed by dynamite because the military government had said that it was the headquarters of the above ground communists and the refuge place of the student leaders. It was an act which had not even beencommitted by the colonialist foreign government. It was bloodthirsty fascists who had cruelly destroyed the Unionbuilding by dynamite. Ko Kyaw Win of Myaung-Mya, who was in bed with injuries, had been blown up together withthe building.
 
The next morning at 8 a.m. when the news was announced from the radio, the military dictator called General Ne Winsaid, referring to the students' uprising, "If it was done purposely to oppose us, I have nothing more to say except that we will face them with sword against sword, and spear against spear, that is the only solution." With these words heinsulted the students and the people en masse.When the university reopened in November, in the place of old Union Building a hut was built temporarily; and alongwith the Bo Aung Gyaw Monument, a stone monument was built, 77 inches in length and 62 inches in breadth. Inmemory of the students who died on 7-7-62, because more than hundred students had died, it was named "Yar GyawKyauk Taing", which means "The Monument for Over Hundred Students". However, before long there were protest rallies "to stop the civil war" and "to have peace within the country", and together with the over hundred 
 students‟ 
monument, the temporary hut was again destroyed. Later, it was secretly decided to re-establish the Union and the Students' Affairs Committee. And in 1966 it existed inall kind of guises. Some even went into the armed forces and fought against the military dictatorship till today.Therefore, the history of the post-war students' movement had various levels of significance:1. It was the continuation of the students' movement under the colonialist era, still trying to perform the unfinished duties.2. It was a segment of the Peoples' fighting against the colonialist, for complete national independence, and to fight tomaintain national independence.3. It was the history of the fight of the students and the people for peace within the country, so that they could study peacefully.4. It was the history of the protection of the rights of the students and the rights of democracy in general.5. It was the history of the fight to end the topsy-turvy Educational System and to establish a National EducationalSystem. In 1964, when all associations, organizations, clubs, etc, were declared null and void, the Students' Unionautomatically became an underground organization.
The Underground Movements of ABSFU 
 
 After 1964, some student leaders joined the armed revolution groups. Most of them joined the Communist Party of  Burma and some joined the ethnic armed Revolutionary Groups, and some were imprisoned and tortured by themilitary regime (Revolutionary Council). In 1969, the political prisoners and the student leaders were sent to Coco island. At Coco island, there was a hunger strike and eight prisoners died; among them, from Prome (Pyi) district, the student leader Ko Chit Swe was himself  famous in the history of the Students' Union by going on hunger strike for 55 days.On 1 December 1969, after the uprising of the South East Asia Peninsular (S.E.A.P) Games in Rangoon, Mandalayand Moulmein, some students from all the universities were expelled and some were imprisoned. In 1970, the Golden Jubilee of the Rangoon University was celebrated. And the history of the 1962, 7 July waswritten, printed and published. Before the Golden Jubilee Celebrations ended all the universities were closed down. Many students were imprisoned and some were expelled. In June,1974, there was a Burma Workers' Strike and some workers from the Textile Factory in Thamaing and Sinmalike Dockyard died from gun shots.. In that movement the students
 from ABSFU and other students‟ unions
had  participated. In December, 1974, there was the incident of U Thant's (former General-Secretary of the United Nations) Funeral and over 5,000 people were detained, including monks, students and the people, and they were sentenced from 3 years to 7  years under military tribunals. And the schools were closed for four months.
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