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Forced examinations
Although the International Labour Organisation's recent report about
forced labour inside Burma made the international community angry,
the junta did not seem to pay any attention. In reality, the notorious
words of 'forced labour'and 'forced relocation' in Burma are already
familiar to the international community. Now a new term that will
further anger the international community has appeared inside Burma-'forced
examination.'
Since before the tenth anniversary of the 1988 popular uprising,
many Burmese students have been trying to show heir anger to the
junta and their respect for those who were killed in the uprising.
At the same time, the junta seemed to have been prepared to crack
down on the students. After founding the secret police's special
branch that will closely watch the students, the junta announced
the re-opening of some university classes to sit exams.
When the tenth anniversary passed quietly and silently, the junta
seemed to underestimate it s students, and the state-run newspaper
wrote that the students did not want to be involved in politics
and were not interested in what happened in 1988. The junta claimed
that the new generation of students wanted to have only peaceful
education. In reality the junta's 'peaceful education' means that
the students must keep silent. At the same time, the junta claimed
that the NLD had tried to use the pure students as pawns, but the
students were not interested in this lure of the NLD.
After the NLD's deadline passed on August 21, 1998, the junta seemed
to be more confident that the students were not interested in politics
and the NLD's ultimatum. But their confidence lasted only three
days. ON August 24, the students from Rangoon University and Rangoon
Institute of Technology (R.I.T) demonstrated at the Hleden junction,
the historic place of student demonstrations. They shouted anti-junta
slogans and distributed many leaflets, on which were written, 'support
the NLD's demand to convene the parliament,' to the people standing
by and cheering them. On August 25, the R.I.T students demonstrated
again near their campus. After cracking down on both demonstrations,
the junta announced the re-opening of some classes community that
it didn't care about any attention to the NLD's demand to convene
the people's parliament.
"We were surprised at their announcement about re-opening
our classes during this critical time," said a student, who
participated in the demonstration on August 24 and 25, "and
it means they underestimate our feelings. I think they are in dilemma
between fear of the students and pretending to the international
community that Burma has peace and stability."
Just after re-opening the classes, the junta announced the timetable
for the exams within a short time. It made the students angry and
they demonstrated their feelings in their campus. They demanded
the authorities delay the exams because they had not enough time
to prepare. The students claimed that if the authorities did not
agree with their demands, they would not sit the exams and they
would pour their feelings onto streets.
As usual, the junta answered by cracking down on the students and
the students were forced to sit the exams.
"We already expected how the junta would answer," a student
said, "and we've already decided what we will have to do. We
will get in the bus peacefully and sit the exams but we will write
only our feelings on the answer paper."
Another students said, "We hope our teachers will show our
answer papers to the junta."
After closing for nearly two years, some engineering classes were
re-opened but the students had to sit their examinations within
a couple of weeks. What and how would they answer without enough
time for teaching and practicing? As everybody might know, there
must be much practical time to be an engineer.
One student who recently obtained his engineering degree said,
"Although I have a civil engineering degree, I know nothing
about any construction. I've never been to any construction site
during my academic years. I feel shy to tell others that I have
an engineering degree.
His words stated clearly the current education system in Burma.
During this ten years there are many students who got their degrees
without knowing anything regarding their own subject. How do they
serve the country by using their worthless degrees?
There were many changes without any development in the education
system since the BSPP. The education system goes now from bad to
worse under the junta. The opening of schools depends on the weather
of politics. Every time the students demand their rights, the junta
always closes the schools without trying to get a reasonable solution.
Under the junta's ten years of oppression, there have been less
than three academic years. But the relatives of those in the junta
are studying in western countries.
A final year R.I.T. student said, "It is easy to get a degree
under the junta. If you want to get a degree as soon as possible,
you will need to avoid involvement in politics. I've never participated
in any political movement."
It is also clear that the junta holds university degrees as a weapon
to threaten the students' means destroying the country's future.
Although the junta always claims that they are trying to build a
democratic country, they don't allow the founding of a student union.
Whenever a student demonstration occurs, they immediately say that
it happened at 'the hands of communists and neo-colonialists.' The
junta also claims to be removed from the outside world.
The junta used to claim that students should be involved in the
issues of students, not in politics. However, most of the students
in prison were punished for their hunger for a student union. Every
student who demands to form a student union has to go to prison.
When the students realized that without changing the political system,
there would be no right to found a student union, they had to demand
both political and educational reform.
So far, there is more than 1,ooo students in the junta's notorious
prisons.
Most of them were arrested when aged 18-24 years and were sentenced
to terms of from seven to twenty years. Being involved in politics,
they are never treated well. Worse, they do not have the right to
read and study in prison. Far from studying something for their
future, they are not even allowed to read a little paragraph of
religion. They have been spending worthless years in prison for
their unfair sentences. What a sorrowful future.
During the recent student demonstrations in Rangoon, the security
police arrested more than 500 students. Most of them are aged 15-24
years. Nobody knows how many years they will be sentenced to.
Pyi Soe (not his real name) who was recently released from prison
for his involvement in founding the student union on August 28,
1988,said, "They (the junta) hold a theory that arresting and
oppressing are the best solutions for the problem. They think that
punishing by long sentences will drive out our beliefs.
"When they know that most of the students who were released
from prison have become stronger and stronger, they fear more and
more and try to annihilate us systematically. The wicked way they
are behaving is completely destroying the education system and convincing
parents that sending their sons and daughters to school is worth
nothing for their future."
Under the economic crisis and the junta, the people of Burma are
trying very hard for their daily lives. Most of the parents also
know that even though their sons and daughters might get a degree
they would not get any job inside Burma. When most of the parents
cannot afford to sent their children to other countries to get any
job and to continue their study, their sons and daughters have to
try to enter illegally into a neighboring country to get any job,
especially Thailand.
Then, the parents of Burma have to consider carefully about where
their sons and daughters should be sent-to university or to Thailand.
Even though they send could send their sons and daughters to university
by spending much money, the probable result is either that their
sons and daughters will be political prisoners or graduated jobless.
On the other hand, if they agree to send their sons and daughters
to Thailand, the certain result at the moment is that they will
be arrested for illegal entry and sent to a Thai prison.
In comparison, sending them to Thai soil seems to be much better
for them. It is also what the junta really wants to happen. They
don't want to see many students in the campuses. The junta is destroying
the students' life and education system for the sake of clinging
to power. They think that the students of Burma are the biggest
troublemakers for them. It is really a sorrowful future for Burma.
The junta is now faced with the big problem of both the NLD's bold
defiance and the students' skilful hit and run demonstrations. The
junta is so fearful that they are now trying to keep their eyes
on even the high and middle school students. Although the junta
was able to threaten some cease-fire groups to release pro-junta
statements, they could not do so to the students.
Most of the people of Burma now say softly everywhere that the
junta wants to deport not only Daw Aung San Suu Kyi but also tis
own people, especially students.
The junta could not control the students by imprisoning their leaders.
So now the junta has had to use forced examinations, forced closing
and re-opening of schools and forced control of the students as
a group. So far, it's wicked tactic to make the students keep silent
has not succeeded and it will never succeed. Even if the junta forcibly
deports all its students, its wishes can't be fulfilled. The young
student generation will be ready to substitute their brothers and
sisters to continue to achieve democracy in Burma. They can do forced
examinations but it will never be possible to forcibly stop the
generation.
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