The 7th July Massacre

Since the time of independence movement, the students and youth of Burma have played a leading role in the affairs of the country. Students took part actively in the struggle for independence against the British colonial role. It was the students who revolted against the military regime in Burma when it staged a coup on March 2, 1962.

On March 2 1962, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Burma, instead of defending the Constitution of the Union and the government elected by the people according to the rules and regulations stipulated by the Constitution was toppled and the Constitution was suspended. General Ne Win, once Shu Maung, a Sino-Burmese, as the Chief of Staff formed the Revolutionary Council [RC] with his Vice Chief of Staff for Army Brigadier Aung Gyi, Vice Chief of Staff Air Force Tommy Cliff, Vice Chief of Staff Navy Commodore Than Pe, and top Colonels.

The RC, with an excuse of "containing the deterioration situation of Burma" came into power and had been brandishing their power to revolutionize every sector of the people, which did not spare the peaceful life of the students of the Rangoon University. The RC promulgated Hostel Rules and Regulations; one of the points was that all students must be in their respective room by 9 PM by all means and the Wardens would be inspecting their room, every night. Students could not bear such suppressive rules that treated them like kids.

The historic Rangoon University Student Union [RASU] was chosen by the Hostel Union as the rallying point to protest against the Hostel Rules on July 7, Saturday at 1 PM after the classes. The students rallied on time, the RASU's fighting Peacock flags were flying high, thousands of anti-junta posters were pasted, and, one after another, student leaders gave speeches. More and more students gathered in front of the Student Union and became quite agitated. The main gate that led to the Convocation Hall on the Adipadi Road was closed as the soldiers were posted along the fences of the RASU and the University Compound along the University Avenue. The soldiers along the University Avenue, under orders, fired at will, multi-direction. Many students were mown down like grasses. In the evening General Ne Win broadcast from the Burma Broadcasting Station that "he would meet sword to sword and spear to spear" to any enemy. From the same station it was broadcast in the news that "15 rounds were fired and about 17 people died". There were, in fact, more than 100 died. In the dead list of 17 person, for example, Aung Khin, a student from Rangoon Arts and Sciences University, an onlooker from the front of the University Infirmary was not included. His mother and sister were collected from their house and asked them to identify and the authorities put the body into a coffin. Aung Khin was nearly 6 feet tall and the coffin was short for him. The mother offered to buy at her own expense a new bigger coffin was refused and the authorities broke the legs, put it in and nailed the coffin. No rituals must be performed was the order to the family.

After the coup, the students from Rangoon University started a peaceful protest in the university compound. On 7th July 1962, thousands of students who had assembled in the Union Hall were trapped inside and blown up by the military junta. The army also took to indiscriminate firing on the hundreds of students who were assembled outside the Union Hall building. Many students were arrested and some student leaders were ousted to an island and given life imprisonment. That was the beginning of genocide, mass massacre, ruthless and indiscriminate killing of innocent citizens all over the country by the military.

A legendary student leader Ko Ba Hein said in 1938 that it is not enough and dutiful for the students particularly in developing countries just to study and complete their studies but they must be actively involved in the nation's affairs and free the people from any oppression and poverty. Burma students have proved and continue to prove that if they need to heap bones into a mountain for the country, it will be their bones that will be found at the bottom of the mountain.