The 88 Generation Students' Statement

The 88 Generation Students
Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma)

Announcement 2/2008 (88)

Date: 11 February 2008

Calling for the People of Burma and the Ethnic Cease-Fire Groups to Reject the Military-Sponsored Constitution, Designed to Legalize the Military Dictatorship in Burma, in the Upcoming Referendum

Calling for the UN Security Council to Intervene in Burma Immediately with an Effective Resolution

Ban Ki-moon’s Visit to Burma Suggested, Targeted Financial and Banking Sanctions against Burmese Generals, Family Members and Crony Businessmen Required, Chinese Government’s Pressure Requested

“Prepare for the worst”, said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, through her party leaders recently, as she was unhappy with the lack of political will of the Burmese military junta to engage in a meaningful and time-bound dialogue with democracy forces, requested by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, her party National League for Democracy (NLD) and ethnic representatives, and supported by the international community, including the UN General Assembly with its successive resolutions and the UN Security Council with its Presidential Statement dated 11 October 2007[1]. We have given her message serious consideration; she used the famous quote of her father, our independence hero U Aung San, who had warned the people of Burma to be ready to face the challenges before he left for London to demand an independence from the British in late 1940s.


On 9 February 2008, the military regime announced that it will hold a constitutional referendum in May this year and a general election in 2010. The military regime is once again trying to abolish the 1990 elections results and the election winning party status held by the NLD. The regime is attempting to legalize the military dictatorship with a sham-constitution. We believe that the military regime will use its security forces and its militias, USDA and Swan Arr Shin, to force the people to vote for its constitution and will also use any means possible, including force, to make its constitution approved in the referendum.

This is the declaration of war by the military regime against the people of Burma, who want to uphold the 1990 elections results and honor the will of the people. The upcoming constitutional referendum will be a major battle field between the military regime, who wants to rule the country forever, and the people of Burma, who want to be free from the military rule. We are ready to stand up to intimidation. We are ready to confront the Burmese military junta and its violence and brutality.

(1) We urge the people of Burma to reject the military junta’s sponsored constitution in the upcoming referendum. With rejection of its constitution, we should tell the military junta to stop taking one-sided action and start talking with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, election winning party NLD, MPs-elect from the 1990 general elections and ethnic representatives.


(2) We also urge al ethnic political parties and organizations to oppose the military-sponsored constitution, which does not meet the expectations of the ethnic nationalities, who have been working for the equal rights and opportunities among all ethnic nationalities.

(3) We also urge the UN Security Council to intervene in Burma effectively without further delay, with a binding resolution, which will instruct the Burmese military junta to engage in a meaningful and time-bound dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, election winning party NLD and ethnic representatives immediately, with intention to reach a negotiated political settlement. Measures such as an arms embargo and travel ban against the Burmese military leaders will be necessary to make the resolution stronger.

(4) We also urge the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to visit Burma as soon as possible. He needs to meet with Gen. Than Shwe. The Secretary General stated “the return to the status quo ante is not acceptable and politically unsustainable”[2], he needs to deliver this message to the military regime in Burma in person.

(5) We also urge the United States, Canada, Australia and European Union to impose and extend targeted financial and banking sanctions against Burmese military leaders, their family members and crony businesspersons effectively, widely and in a coordinated manner.

(6) Finally, we urge the Government of China to play a more active role in pressuring the Burmese military junta to cooperate fully with democracy forces led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the United Nations, by terminating its one-sided action and starting to engage in a meaningful and time-bound dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, NLD and ethnic representatives. We hope that the Chinese Government will include the people of Burma in their “One World, One Dream”, which is their proud slogan of the 2008 Beijing Olympic.

The 88 Generation Students
88gstudent@gmail.com

Tun Myint Aung Nilar Thein Soe Htun