Rebellious Burma Students Died in Custody, U.S. Fears

The United States said Thursday that it has “credible reports” that Burmese students arrested after rebelling against their country’s military government died in the custody of authorities.

According to recent reports from Rangoon, Burmese students who fled to the countryside when the military crushed their rebellion are being rounded up by the police and army when they return to the capital. Some of the students’ families have been told that their loved ones died while in custody.

“We do not have hard information on the precise numbers involved nor actual (physical) evidence of deaths,” State Department spokeswoman Phyllis Oakley said Thursday. Nevertheless, she said, U.S. officials believe that the reports about the deaths of Burmese students are accurate.

The military junta headed by Gen. Saw Maung that took control of Burma on Sept. 18 has repeatedly encouraged Burmese students to come home, promising that they will be treated well upon their return. After the Burmese military repressed a summer-long series of demonstrations, thousands of students fled to the Burmese countryside or across the border into Thailand.

Under a repatriation plan worked out by Burmese and Thai authorities, about 1,700 Burmese students have been brought home from Thailand to Burma. According to Burmese military officials, another 1,000 Burmese students remain out of the country.

Thursday’s public statement by the State Department appeared to be designed to warn Burmese students about the dangers of returning home and to call to the attention of other countries flagrant abuses by the Rangoon regime.

“What has been happening over the past month or so is that some governments which have relations with Burma appear to have relaxed a bit in their dealings with the regime,” one State Department official said Thursday.

Among these governments are both Thailand and China. On Dec. 14, Thailand’s army chief, Gen. Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, paid a one-day visit to Rangoon. The Chinese government recently said that it expects to have normal ties with Burma, and on Dec. 26 the Chinese ambassador to Burma met for the first time with Saw Maung.

The United States has made clear its distaste for the Burmese regime and has cut off all but humanitarian aid to Burma, calling upon the government to make good on its promise of multi-party elections.