On the Occasion of 7th July Anniversary

By Ye Wai
Source: Asian Tribune

It is now the 46th Anniversary of the occasion of 7th July when Gen.Ne Win ordered his brutal troops to shoot and kill over one hundred Rangoon University students, who were asking for their student rights. Among those who were killed included male and female students of young ages, who were still full of vigour, optimism, hopes and aspirations to start careers in the future. In the Burmese History, this is the first time it ever happened, where a ruling regime committed the brutal killing of its own citizens.

But Gen.Ne Win and the Burma Army did it, with the intention to declare that it was unchallengeable and could be ready to harm its own citizens whenever they think is necassary. This is the way the Burma Army is until now, frequently shooting at its own innocent civilians.

Since the 7th July ‘62 event, the Burma Army had committed similar crimes of killing its own citizens on many occasions. The major ones are as follows:

1. 7th July ‘62 Massacre at Rangoon University: Over 100 students were killed.
   
   
2. 4th December ‘74 Massacre in Rangoon during Funeral Ceremony of ex-UN General Secretary U Thant: Over 500 were killed.
   
   
3. December ‘74 Massacre at Sim-Ma-Lite Dock yard in Rangoon: Over 460 workers were killed.
4. 1976 Massacre in Rangoon during 100th Anniversary of famous Burma Statesman Tha-khin Ko-daw Hmaing: Over hundreds were killed.
   
   
5. Massacre in Rangoon during student uprising: Over hundreds were killed and female students were raped.
   
   
6. 8-8-88 Massacre all over Burma: thousands of innocent citizens, majority of them students were killed.
   
   
7. 30th May 2003 Massacre at De-pe-Yin town: hundreds of NLD members were killed.
   
   
8. 2007 September massacre of peacefully demonstrating Buddhist Monks and devotees, all over Burma; hundreds were killed.

All of these events were committed by the Burmese Army, and also now they are ready and willing to kill the citizens. They stole power and held it for 50 years now. But what have they done for the country?

Burma is listed as one of the poorest countries in the world. Burmese people run away from the country and are working abroad just for their survival. In the fields of Health & Education, conditions are getting worse. Social, economic and political situation are also deteriorating. But the junta’s families and their cohorts have become richer with money and resources robbed and stolen from the country. Sen. Gen.Than Shwe’s grandson goes to Singapore by plane everyday to attend the school there. Where does he get the travelling cost for it? During his daughter’s wedding in 2006, it was alleged that, members of the SPDC military regime presented the couple with over 50 million US dollars worth of wedding gifts.

Most of the businesses are owned or run by the families of army leaders and their cohorts. Now also they are trying to introduce a new Constitution, dictated by them to hold power themselves for ever. According to their new Constitution, the proportion of the members of the Parliament is such that, 25% of the descendants of the army will become ‘Permanent Masters’, who will control power forever, while the 75% of the children of the people will become ‘Permanent Slaves’, who have to obey their orders.

These events remind us especially during the Anniversary of 7th July, the people of Burma that, we cannot tolerate anymore their rule and, unless the army leaders give in to the wishes of the people and return power to the people, we the people of Burma must fight back against the military regime. What we want is democracy, freedom, Human Rights and free economy, to rebuild our country under the Rule of Law, not permanent army rule for bullying the people.

Another thing is that some of us people of Burma, who are fighting for democracy, are expecting that the army will readily give up power to fulfil the people’s wishes. They are wrong. Children born after 8-8-88 uprising are now 19 year old mature men or women and, we still cannot see any hint of freedom.

Another thing we would like to point out to some of those, who are fighting against the military regime is, they thought that military regime did the coup d’ tat in 1988, and anti-military regime campaign started on 8-8-88. They should realise that, military rule started since Gen.Ne Win made a coup de’ tat in 1962. This is not a short event of history fighting against the military regime, but a generation game, where their fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers fought against the military regime since after Gen.Ne Win robbed power in 1962. The event of the 7th July Massacre in 1962 is the first event of the bad legacies of the military regime’s brutality.

Since the event of 7th July Massacre, there emerged numbers of opposition movements, organised by the people of Burma, including students. The PDP founded in 1970 by Premier U Nu, is one of the earliest generations, which is until now fighting against the brutal military regime to restore democracy and freedom. Because of this, the PDP would like to invite those who are fighting against the military regime to join us, fight with us, until we get rid of the army regime from our Motherland and restore democracy. We are old peacocks, your ancestors, the same feathers, who are fighting against the murderous military regime for future generations of Burma to be able to enjoy their lives under democracy and the Rule of Law.

Dear citizens of Burma and all other opposition parties - organise ‘Children Festival for Exorcising Military Demons from Burma’.

Dear soldiers, rank and file and high ranking officers from the Burma army - Burma is now run by Military Demons. They do not apply the Rule of Law. Their mouths are the only law and that way they are abusing power. Your families our families are suffering. To safe the country in time, join the PDP. Fight together with the PDP against the murderous military regime, so that we can rebuild Burma as a peaceful, prosperous and democratic country protected by the Rule of Law.

On the occasion of the 46th Anniversary of 7th July ‘62 Massacre, we pray for the souls of those martyrs, who gave their lives during their struggle for freedom and democracy in Burma.

Courtesy: Burma Digest