Roundup: Myanmar gov't makes efforts to de-escalate student protests

Myanmar government is making efforts to de-escalate student protest into violence for the sake of national security, rule of law and community peace.

The government has reiterated its warning of action to be taken against students' planned non-stop protest march towards Yangon as hearing of the students' demand for the change of National Education Law is in progress in the parliament.

Striking students of main group from outside Yangon have planned gathering at the entry of Yangon region Sunday in an attempt to crossover the regional boundary and head to Yangon city.

In a statement of the Ministry of Home Affairs published earlier on Sunday, the government urged the striking students to halt their protest march, saying that the persistent march is more of a hindrance to national stability than of a help to facilitating the amendment to the national education law.

The bill to amend the national education law was brought before the Upper House of the parliament by the Ministry of Education on Feb. 16 following an agreement reached at a four-party talks involving the government, the parliament, the Leading Committee for Democracy Education Movement and the National Network for Education Reform (NEER).

Myanmar government on Feb. 13 warned protesting students marching from other regions not to try to enter Yangon region amid quartet talks being held then in the former capital for tackling issue of amendment of national education law.

The four sides have agreed in principle to protesting students' all 11 points of demand on the amendment of the education law.

The 11 points demanded by the student side mainly call for inclusion of representatives of students and teachers in drawing education policy, its law and by-laws, recognition of legal existence of the Students' Union and Teachers' Union, exclusion of formation from the national education law, independent administration to schools and regions.

Other points include adoption of mother-tongue-based multi- lingual education system, inclusive education for all children including the disabled, re-admission of students expelled for taking part in the students' strike, free and compulsory education system to be raised up to middle school level and allotment of education budget which accounts for 20 percent of the national budget.

The four parties also agreed in their third talks to form a working group to further discuss and implement the details of the quartet-talk agreement.

However, the student side denied to end their strike.

Since Jan.21, hundreds of students have been staging their protest march from Mandalay to Yangon over the education law amendment issue with student groups from other regions planning to join in Yangon to pressure the government.

The first round of quartet talks was held at Yangon University on Feb. 1 following the Jan. 28 agreement reached between the government delegation and protesting student representatives.

In fact, students have staged demonstrations since September last year against the national education bill passed by the parliament earlier in July of the year.

The protest has later spread from Dagon University in Yangon region to some other universities in Mandalay and Sagaing regions. Endi