21. Protests and Curfews

Burmese protest in KL

Over 200 Burmese staged a peaceful demonstration outside their embassy along Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, protesting recent arrests of a dozen dissidents by the military junta.

The protesters, comprising activists and refugees, called for the release of 13 student leaders who were arrested on Tuesday, for protesting a newly imposed fuel hike.

On Tuesday, over 100 people staged a march in Rangoon to protest a 500 percent increase in the price of compressed natural gas.

Among those arrested was Min Ko Naing, reportedly Burma’s most prominent political figure, after Nobel laureate Aun San Suu Kyi. Min’s 88 Generation Students Group led Tuesday’s march.

The protest in Kuala Lumpur saw banners calling for the release of Min, student leaders as well as Suu Kyi who has been under house arrest for the past 17 years.

"The history of our struggle is not understood by the world. The world does not know those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. They are our heroes," sang the Burmese before handing over a memorandum to embassy officials. Over 50 police personnel monitored the half-hour protest.

The memorandum, by Democratic Federation of Burma (DFB), also called the junta to "cease all human rights abuses and atrocities" against ethnic minorities such as the Rohingyas, Karens, Karennis, Mons, Chins and Shans.

The DFB is an ad hoc umbrella body representing 11 groups in Malaysia, including the exiled elected parties, the National League for Democracy (LDA) and the National Democratic Party for Human Rights (NDPHR).

Party leaders were either arrested or fled the country during a 1988 crackdown by the military.

"The Burmese here are very concerned about the arrests. This is a very brutal act by the military regime," said DFB spokesperson Mohammad Sadek when contacted.

"We hope the Malaysian government can put pressure through Asean. There must be constructive engagement, not silence. Millions of people are suffering," he added.

Burma, formerly the world’s biggest rice exporter, is Asia’s poorest country.This September 18 marks the 45th anniversary of military rule in the country - Bede Hong, Malaysiakini.


And in Bangladesh, a curfew...


Bangladesh security forces have arrested four university professors on suspicion of instigating violent protests that led to a curfew being imposed on six cities, school officials said.

The arrests came in raids early on Friday, as the government said it was temporarily suspending the curfew, which was imposed after three days of unrest.

The 14-hour suspension began at 8am (02:00 GMT), and the curfew was to be re-imposed at 10pm, the information ministry said. There has been no sign of protests since the curfew was imposed on Wednesday evening, and traffic poured onto the streets of Bangladesh's main cities on Friday. Two professors in the northwestern city of Rajshahi, who have in the past publicly criticised the army and the government, were arrested early on Friday, Altaf Hossain, head of the city's university, said. The detained academics were applied physics professors Saidur Rahman Khan, also a former head of the university, and Abdus Sobhan, leader of a left-leaning teachers' group.

Dipannita, daughter of Dhaka University professor Anwar Hosain In the capital, where the protests first began, security forces had earlier on Friday arrested two Dhaka University professors, Yusuf Haider, the school's acting vice-chancellor, said.

He said Harun ur Rashid, dean of the university's social science faculty, and Anwar Hossain, dean of bioscience and general secretary of the university's teachers' association, were arrested. Dipannita, Hossain's daughter, said: "At least 10 army officers came to our house in the night and said that my father had to go with them to the police station." The pair have been vocal in their criticisms of the army and the military-backed interim government, which took power seven months ago following a political crisis that saw the cancellation of national elections.

The students, many brandishing sticks, clashed with police who retaliated with tear gas.
Non-students joined the demonstrations, which quickly escalated into full-scale riots and spread across the country, despite a government decision to close the campus army post.

Protesters were demanding an immediate restoration of democracy and an end to emergency rule when the curfew was declared on Wednesday.

The measure temporarily shut down mobile phone services, cleared streets of protesters and forced people to stay home.

Violence subsided on Thursday as security forces patrolled the streets and the authorities warned they would take stern action against disorder.

All universities and colleges in the six cities, including the 40,000-student Dhaka University, have been closed indefinitely - Al Jazeera.

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