The ABSDF In Brief
The All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF) is the largest student and youth organisation on Burma’s borders. It was founded on November 1, 1988. The ABSDF is fighting for democracy and human rights in Burma alongside other democratic and ethnic nationality forces.
Aims and Objectives
1. To liberate the peoples of Burma from the oppression of military dictatorship
2. To achieve democracy and human rights
3. To attain internal peace
4. To bring about the emergence of a federal union in BurmaBorn of Struggle: ABSDF's History
The political movement and the struggle for national liberation have a unique character in Burma. Students were a mobilising force at the forefront of the struggle for freedom against British colonial rule. This role has continued over the past four decades of military rule in the country. Thus, the student movement is inseparable from the historic struggle for Burma’s independence from both colonial power and dictatorship.
The Burmese military staged a coup d’etat in September 1988, following its brutal crack down on peaceful demonstrations crying for democracy and human rights. Soon after seizing state power, the State Law and Order Restoration Council, the then military regime, surprised the country and the world with the announcement that it would hold a free and fair election. It encouraged the public to register political parties. But, at the same time, regime officials were suppressing political expression and opposition throughout the country.
It was in this atmosphere that serious discussions and debates took place within the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), at the vanguard of the student movements, in order to find ways to continue the struggle. Finally, leaders of the ABFSU reached a decision: the struggle would consist of three practical strategies. Those strategies were 1. To maintain semi-underground networks, 2. To form a political party, and 3. To take up arms.
To pursue this decision, thousands of people, mostly students, youth and intellectuals, left for the border areas near Thailand, India, China and Bangladesh and founded the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF) on November 1, 1988 on the Burma-Thailand border. Thus, the formation of the ABSDF and its Student Army followed closely on ABFSU’s decision. In other words, its formation was a strategic decision of the student movement inside Burma.
Origins of the Name
The ABSDF is an organisation representing all students and social classes throughout Burma in their struggle to achieve democracy and human rights. The students of Burma are recognised as the leading force fighting against the dictatorial military regime, and the Front indiscriminately counts all Burmese ethnic nationalities and classes among their membership. The ABSDF is at the forefront of the popular struggle for democracy and human fights in Burma; hence the rightful name “All Burma Students’ Democratic Front”. The Front’s motto is born out of collective experiences: “Our Heads are Bloody But Unbowed”.
National Politics
The ABSDF considers the primary conflict in Burma as that which exists between the military regime on one side, and the various ethnic nationality groups comprising the citizens of Burma on the other. People who are struggling against the military dictatorship in order to overthrow its oppressive nature constitute not a single stratum but a cross-session of all people regardless of social class, gender, ethnic origin, religion, education, political ideology -in short, this fight is for each and every citizen of the country. Based on that ideology, the ABSDF believes in national politics and applies it as political strategy.
Strategy
In order to fulfill its aims and objectives, the ABSDF upholds the strategy, “Armed struggle in combination with political activities.”
Membership and Camp Information
The ABSDF currently holds seven camps on the Burma-Thailand border, one camp spread over three separate locations on the Burma-India border, and one camp spread over three separate locations on the Burma-China border. It also has foreign branches such as in the United States and Australia.
The ABSDF is a member organisation of the National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB), anumbrella organisation of the border-based opposition.
The ABSDF is also a member organisation of the Asian Students’ Association (ASA), the International Union of Students (IUS) and the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY).
Leadership
The ABSDF elects its leadership democratically. Leaders of the organisation serve for a certain period of time (generally, two years) in accordance with the ABSDF constitution. The following is the list of the organisation’s current leaders who were elected in ABSDF’s Seventh Conference convened in May 2003, to serve for a three-year executive term.
1. Than Khe - Chairperson
2. Myo Win - Vice-Chairperson
3. Kyaw Ko - General Secretary
4. Salai Yaw Aung - Joint-General Secretary (1)
5. Sonny Mahinder - Joint-General Secretary (2)
6. Kyaw Thura - Secretary of Foreign Affairs
7. Lwan Ni - Secretary of Organising and Information
8. Myint Hein - Central Committee Member
9. Hla Han - Central Committee Member
10.Maung Maung Tate - Central Committee Member
11.Moe Kyaw Oo - Central Committee Member
12.Myint Aung - Central Committee Member
13.Min Htay - Central Committee Member
14.Soe Htut - Central Committee Member
15.Chit Win - Central Committee MemberPrevious Leadership
- 1988 – 1989
- 1989 – 1991
- ***
- 1996 – 1999
- 1999 – 2001
- 2001 – 2003
