Burmese Military Intelligence Arrested Kyaw Ko Ko, Leader of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions

Tue, 2008-03-18 15:26
Bangkok, 18 March, Asiantribune:

Burmese Military Inteligence Unit arrested on 17 March Kyaw Ko Ko, the leader of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions, taken away from his hiding place. Earlier, with the help of supporters, Kyaw Ko Ko twice had escaped arrest. Nyan Linn Aung, another ABFSU leader, was also arrested together with Kyaw Ko Ko. It is not known where they were taken.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has expressed concern over the arrest of Kyaw Ko Ko and Nyan Lin Aung. Military authorities are notorious for torturing political prisoners, and often the most severe treatment occurs during the interrogation stage following the arrest.

Background:
Kyaw Ko Ko is a student who is attending in Economic University from Yangon for a master degree. He is 25 years old and a son of U Kyaw Gyi. He is a leader of All Burma Federation of Student Unions which was reestablished on 28 August 2007. Burma’s first student union, the Rangoon University Students’ Union, was founded in 1931 by national independence hero Gen Aung San and his friends.

The group was renamed the All Burma Students’ Union in 1936 before switching to the ABFSU in 1951.Following Gen Ne Win’s military coup in 1962, the office of the ABFSU in Rangoon was demolished and hundreds of students were killed by the army.

During the nationwide pro-democracy 8888 uprising, the ABFSU resurfaced under the leadership of Min Ko Naing and other prominent student leaders on 28 August 1988.
During th Suffaron Revolution.

“Today we reestablish the ABFSU to take on the shifting roles of former students in a new generation to fight for freedom, justice and the building of a democratic country,” Kyaw Ko Ko said on 28 August 2007 when the fighting peacock flag was raised again.

“I hereby encourage all students across the country to accept the shifting responsibilities on behalf of our former brothers and sisters,” he added. The influential All Burma Federation of Student Unions has resumed its struggle against the country’s military government .

“Student unions must exist for the students in Burma,” said Kyaw Ko Ko.

- Asian Tribune -
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