Student rallies worry Myanmar

YANGON — Myanmar's government is growing increasingly uneasy about nationwide student rallies against a new education law that protesters say limits university autonomy.

Authorities on Friday released a statement calling the escalating protests "unlawful", saying they were being manipulated by ill-intended people and political groups to create unrest.

Hundreds of students on Jan 20 began peaceful marches from different cities across the country including Mandalay in central Myanmar and Pathein in the west, heading toward Yangon, in a protest against the National Education Law enacted last year.

The statement by the government information service said that some political organisations and fake students were masterminding the rallies to "create unrest" in the country.

Students march to demand changes to the National Education Law in Mandalay on Jan 29. Several different marches are expected to converge in Yangon later this month.(EPA Photo)

The student marches have been attracting more and more public support as police and authorities tried to stop or hold back the student columns along the route, placing roadblocks and pressuring rest camps to refuse the students.

The government statement said unrest and violence had caused instability and tarnished the image of the country in the past, adding that practising democracy and freedom requires each and every citizen to adhere to the rule of law.

Education activists and student groups demanded a more flexible law when the bill drafted by a government-led committee was presented in parliament early last year.

They say the law is too strict and centralised as it fails to give autonomy to universities and does not allow the formation of student unions.

Parliament passed the bill with support from a majority of ruling party lawmakers and President Thein Sein signed it into law in September last year.

As the student marches have gained momentum, with hundreds of supporters showing up at towns along the route, a government negotiation team lead by a President's Office minister organised talks with the student representatives.



However, after two meetings the authorities postponed the talks until further notice, citing confusion over leadership among the students.

Meanwhile, the students are continuing with their march, at a pace that is likely to converge on Yangon later this month, where they plan to set up protest camps to intensify their campaign.

The government did appear to strike a conciliatory tone in its latest statement, saying it would manage "as much as it can" the development of the education sector by providing parliament with the "genuine wishes" of the students regarding the education law.