(This is a report on Prachatai’s coverage of the 8888 protests in Thailand with inputs from our contributor Aey Sahattaya.)
On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the 8888 Myanmar protests, Myanmar people gathered under the aegis of the Bright Future Group (an association of the Myanmar people in Thailand) in Thailand and submitted a letter addressed to the US President Joe Biden. The letter called on the President and the international community to exert pressure on the Myanmar Army in every way. 8888 refers to a series of protests by hundreds of thousands of Myanmar people, students and monks between March and September 1988 against the rule of General Ne Win’s Socialist Project Party (BSPP), who served as the President of the country run by a totalitarian regime at that time. The protests reached crescendo by 8th of August that year and were collectively triggered by dissatisfaction with the failed administration of the country resulting in an economic downturn, and inflation scarcity of consumer goods amidst ongoing oppression by the military government. The protests were crushed by the 18th of September of that year by General Maung who staged a coup and established the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC),
The protestors in Thailand demanded that the international community ensure the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi. Although her jail term was reduced, the move has been unanimously termed as an empty gesture by the media and governments alike. As the demonstration continued, an official from the US embassy came to receive the letter and informed the protestors that the demands of Myanmar’s people would be presented to high-ranking officials. After submitting the letter, Surat Keeree, the leader of the Bright Future group and the organizer of the protest spoke to the international media, expressing his appreciation for all those who participated in the protests and that the atmosphere of the rally went smoothly. Surat felt that the United States needed to put more pressure on the Myanmar army so it could stop terrorizing people. Specifically, it was the need of the hour to identify and curtail the army’s growing international business networks, especially as the armed forces have been found transacting with military-industrial complexes of some countries. The protestors also demanded that the US take every possible measure to seriously enforce the “BURMA Act”. Brought into law by President Biden in 2022, the Act signals American intent to hold the Myanmar military accountable for its role in human rights violations and scuttling of democracy, besides aiming at strengthening the pro-democracy forces in the country. In early 2023, parts of the act were included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), signalling the Washington treated the ongoing crisis in Myanmar as a high-priority security issue.
In addition to putting pressure on the Myanmar army led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Myanmar, Surat, on behalf of Myanmar people in Thailand called on the international community to come to help refugees affected by the civil war in Myanmar. To commemorate the sacrifices of the victims of the 8888 incident, the people sang anti-dictatorship songs in the native language and read a statement in front of the American embassy.
