Protesting students, prevented by authorities from entering the Rangoon University Campus, were forced to jump over the fence in order to pay respects to the historic Rangoon University Student Union building at 3 pm on November 15th.
According to Ko Phone Myat Noe, director of the Mon State Students‘ Union, the protesting students requested permission from school authorities to enter the university’s campus. After thirty minutes, the students had not received permission to enter the university grounds, and decided to jump over the fence.
“Rangoon University was once a place where students from different ethnic groups came to study. The Student Union Building is also a place where all ethnic leaders were formed, so we came to pay respect,” said Ko Phone Myat Noe.
The historic Student Union Building was destroyed by military troops sent by General Ne Win after he took power in 1962.
At 11am, November 15th, about 300 protesting students marched from the Ta-mine Intersection in Rangoon to the Hledan Overpass, shouting slogans denouncing the national education law and calling for democratic education and the independent formation of a students’ union.
According to Ko Ye Yint Kyaw, director of information for the All Burma Federation of Student Unions, the group of students will continue their protests until International Students’ Day, today, November 17th.
“With this situation [the protest], we hope [the] democratic educational law draft will not [pass],” said Ko Ye Yint Kyaw.
Aside from being prevented by authorities from entering the university, the student protesters have not faced any ill treatment or abuse from authorities.
Recently, student leaders called an emergency meeting in Rangoon whereupon they agreed that student unions all over Burma would stage a protest across the nation against the national education law.
With objectives of writing a new national education bill, the students began their protest on November 14th, which will last until today, November 17th.
