On the 35th anniversary of the 8 August 1988 protest, also known as the 8888 Uprising, the Myanmarese communities in Bangkok and Chiang Mai gathered to remember victims of the crackdown and protest the Myanmar junta’s violence against dissidents.

Flowers were placed in front of the US Embassy sign in memory of the victims of the 8888 Uprising. (Photo by Workers' Union)

The 8888 Uprising was a series of protest marches in Myanmar in 1988, beginning with protests organized by university students against the government of General Ne Win, culminating in a general strike and mass demonstrations on 8 August 1988, in which participants including students, Buddhist monks, and citizens were fired upon by the authorities, after General Ne Win ordered that “guns were not to shoot upwards,” resulting in a large number of casualties.

On Tuesday (8 August), the Myanmar migrant worker network Bright Future gathered in front of the US Embassy to commemorate the anniversary of the 8888 Uprising and file a petition calling for US authorities to pressure the Myanmar military junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners, and for the US to implement the Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability (BURMA) Act and sanction businesses run by the Myanmar military and its supporters. They also called on the US to provide humanitarian support for refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border.

Suraj Giri, a leader of the Bright Future group, said the group wanted the US to enforce the BURMA Act and use every measure possible to pressure the Myanmar junta to end its use of violence against the Myanmar people and to help refugees fleeing the war in Myanmar.

“We have been under a dictatorship for over 70 years. It’s time we were free from dictatorship, and we want the US to help Myanmar, because the US is a world leader on the democratic side. We want the US to help us as much as possible,” he said.

Participants in the event placed flowers in front of the US Embassy sign in memory of the victims of the crackdown on the 8888 Uprising.

The gathering in front of Chiang Mai University on Tuesday.

Another gathering also took place on Tuesday evening in front of Chiang Mai University. Participants held a candlelit vigil to commemorate the Uprising, before marching to Ang Kaew Reservoir on the university campus, where they staged a performance in memory of the victims of the crackdown.