Burmese exiles remember 7 July

DVB: 7Jul , 2006

Exiled pro-democracy Burmese political activists throughout the world marked the historic 7 July.

On 7July 1962, Burmese students at Rangoon University were gunned down by soldiers. They were protesting against the military coup led by General Ne Win in March 1962. Over 100 students died in the attack and the Rangoon Student University building was destroyed by bomb blasts.

Burma’s Political Prisoners Union (BPPU) held a commemorative ceremony at an unspecified location on the Thai-Burmese border and observed an eight minutes silence to honour those who gave up their lives for democracy and human rights.

At New Delhi, India, a commemorative ceremony was held by Students and Youths Council of Burma (SSYCB) and Chin Students Union.

At Tokyo, Japan, pro-democracy activists staged a peaceful protest outside the Burmese embassy.

They all demanded the release of all political prisoners, the rights to form student unions, an end to military rule and the emergence of democracy in Burma.