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Friday, January 26, 2018
Burmese students protest for bigger education budget
January 25, 2018
Students at Mandalay’s Yadanabon University are calling on the
government to increase the national education budget and improve campus
facilities as well as educational materials.
Yadanabon University Student Union is leading the protest camp, which
has since been joined by dozens of students from nearby universities
since it was set up on Monday, according to The Irrawaddy.
“The education budget was increased a bit after the student protests
back in 2015, but it is still lower than the defence budget. Why?” said
Ko Kyaw Thura Ye Kyaw, president of the student union.
“The education budget is very important for the country, so we are here
to urge the government to increase it,” Ko Kyaw Thura Ye Kyaw said.
Mandalay University Students Protest Lack of Education Funding ift.tt/2GdvwFa
Students also called for campus accommodation to be built.
“There’s no hostel for students at our university. Students coming from
distant places have to rent rooms nearby. This costs us a lot and offers
no security at all,” the student leader said.
Last week, Burma’s Defence Ministry had asked for
a 1.3 trillion kyats (US$1 billion) budget for a six-month period,
during Parliament’s budget discussion ahead of the 2018-19 fiscal year,
which starts on October 1.
The ministry’s proposed budget reportedly amounts to more than the
combined total of the health and education budget. More than 2 billion
kyats is proposed for military operations.
#Myanmar military requests $1bn for just 6 months - more than combined budgets for health and education. Ethnic cleansing’s expensive. irrawaddy.com/news/burma/def…
On Tuesday, Yadanabon University rector Dr Maung Maung Naing called the
protest “illegal” for using loudspeakers and encouraging other students
to join them.
“We invited representatives of the Ministry of Education to talk with
them. However, they were not satisfied with this and continued the
protest. If they don’t stop, we will have to handle the situation
according to the law,” Dr Maung Maung Naing said.
Teachers unions at Yadanabon University and Mandalay University agreed
with the student’s contention that the education budget should be bigger
but condemned the way students have chosen to convey their grievances.
“Our country has many security issues, including the conflict in Rakhine
State, so they should not be protesting like this,” said Daw Pa Pa
Sein, a member of the Yadanabon University Teachers Union’s central
committee.
“We also seek an increase in the education budget. But staging a protest
on the campus is not the solution. It is disrupting classes,” Daw Pa Pa
Sein said.
The Central Association of University Teachers Unions disagreed with the
two Mandalay universities’ teachers and urged for talks between the
government and student body to resolve the issue.
“Blaming the protesting students instead of offering guidance is a
violation of the teachers’ duty. We urge the government and the
responsible authorities to negotiate with the protesting students
peacefully,” their statement reads.
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