Statement by 88 Generation Students

The 88 Generation Students
Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma)

Statement 4/2008 (88)

Date: 25 February 2008


Calling Citizens around the World to Pressure the Government of China to Withdraw Its Unilateral Support for the Burmese Military Junta and to Boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics

(1) Today, the 88 Generation Students, a coalition of leading former student activists who spearheaded the country's 1988 national uprising that nearly toppled decades of military rule, call for citizens around the world to pressure the Government of China to withdraw its unilateral support of the Burmese military junta and to boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics in response to China's bankrolling of the military junta that rules our country of Burma with guns and threats.

(2) China is a major trade partner, major arms supplier and major defender of the junta in the international arena, especially in the United Nations Security Council. The military junta in Burma is still in power to this day, despite strong and continuous resistance by the people of Burma, because of China's support. China has provided billions of dollars in weapons, used its veto power at the UN Security Council to paralyze peaceful efforts at change, and unilaterally undermined diplomatic efforts to free the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners.

(3) The 88 Generation Students has requested many times to the Chinese Government to play a constructive role in national reconciliation in Burma. We have also asked China to end its unilateral support for Burma's regime and instead facilitate a meaningful and time-bound dialogue between the military junta, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy, and ethnic representatives to achieve a mutually acceptable solution, by using its significant influence over the junta or by working together with other members of the UNSC. However, our constructive outreach to China has been met with silence and more weapons shipments. Therefore, now we call for action to respond to the irresponsible manner of the Chinese Government. While China plans to celebrate the Olympics on August 8, 2008, which is the 20th anniversary of the 1988 popular democracy uprising in our country; it is essentially enslaving the people of Burma

(4) We call for each and every citizen around the world not to watch the Olympics ceremonies on television and boycott this Genocide Olympics/Saffron Olympics. We urge people of conscience throughout the world – including the hundreds of thousands of Burmese in dozens of countries – to pledge to not watch or support in any way the Beijing Olympics.

(5) We also ask each and every citizen around the world to boycott any Olympics merchandise or products from China and its Olympics sponsors during the time of Beijing Olympics.

The 88 Generation Students