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RANGOON
- The following is a chronology of key events
in Burma and in the life of Aung San Suu Kyi.
June 19, 1945 - Aung San born in Rangoon.
July 19, 1947 - General Aung San, Suu Kyi's father
and the architect of Burma's independence from
Britain, is assassinated in Rangoon along with
six members of his pre-independence cabinet.
January 4, 1948 - Burma becomes independent.
March 2, 1962 - Army commander General Ne Win
seizes power.
April 3, 1962 - The ruling military publishes
its ideology, the Burmese Way to Socialism, an
idiosyncratic cocktail of Buddhist metaphysics,
socialist ideology and xenophobia.
September 5, 1987 - Government announces 25, 35
and 75 kyat bank notes no longer legal tender,
rendering 70 percent of money worthless. Students
demonstrate for first time in 11 years.
March 12, 1988 - A fight between students and
locals in a Rangoon tea shop snowballs in subsequent
days into demonstrations in which dozens of students
are killed by riot police and troops.
April, 1988 - Suu Kyi returns to Burma from England
where she has been living with her British husband
and two sons, to care for her ailingmother.
July 23, 1988 - General Ne Win resigns as chairman
of Burma's sole party, the military's Burma Socialist
Programme Party, as anti-government protestscontinue.
August 8, 1988 - Millions of people all over Burma
join demonstrations.Troops open fire on the crowds.
August 26, 1988 - Suu Kyi makes her first public
appearance. Speaking to a crowd outside Shwe Dagon
Pagoda in Rangoon she compares the unrest to a
"second struggle for independence."
September 18, 1988 - The military steps in to
end the protests, setting up the State Law and
Order Restoration Council (SLORC). Hundreds killed
astroops fire at crowds.
September 24, 1988 - Suu Kyi and other democracy
leaders form the National League for Democracy
(NLD). She is party general secretary.
July 20, 1989 - Suu Kyi placed under house arrest
for "endangering the state." NLD leaders arrested.
January 16, 1990 - The SLORC's Election Commission
rules Suu Kyi ineligible for elections due in
May.
May 27, 1990 - The NLD wins 392 of 485 parliamentary
seats in first multi-party general election since
1960.
June 19, 1990 - SLORC chief Saw Maung rules out
transfer of power saying new constitution needed
first.
October 14, 1991 - Suu Kyi wins the Nobel Peace
Prize.
December 15, 1991 - Following pressure from SLORC,
NLD expels Suu Kyi frompparty
January 9, 1993 - The SLORC's National Convention
meets to begin drawing up guidelines of new constitution.
February 14, 1994 - In her first meeting with
non-family members since she was detained, Suu
Kyi tells U.S. Congressman Bill Richardson she
will never be pressured into leaving Burma but
is ready to discuss anything else withSLORC.
September 20, 1994 - Suu Kyi has her first talks
with SLORC leader Than Shwe and the second most
senior SLORC member, military intelligence chiefLieutenant-General
Khin Nyunt.
October 28, 1994 - Suu Kyi has another meeting
with Khin Nyunt and two military officials. State
media says talks were "frank and cordial" andcovered
political and economic situation.
March 15, 1995 - The SLORC releases from prison
two senior NLD members, Tin Oo, former defence
minster and co-founder of the party, and Kyi Maung,
who led the party in the 1990 polls.
July 10, 1995 - Military officials in Rangoon
announce Suu Kyi released from house arrest.
July 11, 1995 - Suu Kyi tells reporters she still
dedicated to restoration of democracy in Burma
and calls for dialogue on political reform between
SLORC, democracy movement and ethnic minority
groups. She also urges foreign businessmen thinking
of investing in Burma to wait until democracyrestored.
Oct 10 - NLD reappoints Suu Kyi as party secretary
general in defiance of SLORC ban on changes to
party leaderships.
Nov 28 - Suu Kyi informs SLORC the NLD is withdrawing
from National Convention and shortly afterwards
senior SLORC official warns armed forces will
"annihilate" anyone disturbing national interests.
March 13, 1996 - Suu Kyi forced to cancel trip
to Mandalay to attend supporters' trial after
train coach she booked on develops last-minute
fault. She later tells reporters the SLORC trying
to prevent her meeting the people.
March 25 - NLD chairman Aung Shwe calls on SLORC
to convene the parliament which was elected in
the 1990 poll.
April 16 - Authorities prevent Suu Kyi and supporters
performing traditional new year ceremony at a
Rangoon lake.
May 20 - State newspaper commentary calls Suu
Kyi and other senior NLD figures poisonous snakes
and calls for her weekend talks to crowds outside
her house to be stopped. Two senior SLORC generals
warn of action against "destructionist groups"
and "traitors" and sweep is launched against NLD
members planning to attend party congress at Suu
Kyi's house coinciding with sixth anniversary
of May 27, 1990, election win.
May 25 - NLD officials say 218 party members detained
but party conference, which due to begin on May
26, still on.
May 26 - NLD party congress goes ahead.
Source:
Reuter, Nando.net 26 May 1996
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