Myanmar / History / Myanmar Today

After Myanmar's fall into the economical abyss in the previous years, in March 1988 first, massive demonstrations against the government arise in Yangon. The demonstrations
continue for several months.

Although those demonstrations had been tolerated over several months, on August 8, 1988, the army uses violence against demonstrators in Yangon, resulting in many deaths.
In the days that follow also in other towns of Myanmar demonstrations are dissolved by the use of weapons. The international meda mention 3,000 to 4,000 dead and 12,000 injured.

The Burmese military under the leadership of
General Saw Maung take over political power on
September 18, 1988, and form the State Law and
Order Restoration Council (SLORC) as the new government.
SLORC promises free elections within the shortest time.

In July 1989 the cofounder of the Burmese opposition party
National League for Democracy, Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi,
is placed under restrictive orders not to leave her house in Yangon.

During parliamentary elections on May 27, 1991, which in
the opinion of foreign observers were conducted mostly in a fair manner, the candidates of the opposition party National League
for Democracy win with 82 % of the 13 Million given
votes 392 of 485 parliament seats.

In October 1991 Aung San Suu Kyi is awarded the Peace Nobel Prize.

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