View source for 8888 Uprising

{{Short description|1988 protests in Burma (Myanmar)}}
{{Redirect-distinguish-text|People Power Uprising|the [[People Power Revolution]] in the Philippines}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox civil conflict
| title = 8888 Uprising
| partof = the [[Myanmar conflict]]
| image = Info box collage for 8888 Uprising.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| caption = {{unbulleted list
 | '''1st row''': Protesters gathering at [[Sule Pagoda]] in central [[Yangon|Rangoon]].
 | '''2nd row''': Protesters rallying in [[Mandalay]]; [[Aung San Suu Kyi]] addresses half a million protesters in central Rangoon.
 | '''3rd row''': Soldiers preparing to open fire on protesters; Saw Lwin and Win Zaw carrying a critically wounded school girl ([[Win Maw Oo]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5mITs2KoTA|title = Talk to Doctor from 8888 historical picture - Part 1|website = [[YouTube]]| date=8 August 2013 |access-date = 8 February 2022|archive-date = 8 February 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220208172712/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5mITs2KoTA&gl=US&hl=en|url-status = live}}</ref>
}}
| date = 12 March – 21 September 1988<br />({{Age in months, weeks and days|month1=03|day1=12|year1=1988|month2=09|day2=21|year2=1988}})
| place = [[Myanmar|Burma]] (nationwide)
| coordinates = 
| causes = * [[Legal tender#Demonetization|Withdrawal]] of [[Kyat|currency note]]s without compensation
* [[Economy of Myanmar#Post-independence and under Ne Win (1948–1988)|Economic mismanagement]]
* Failure of the [[Burmese Way to Socialism]]
* [[Police brutality]]
* [[Corruption in Myanmar|Corruption]]
* [[Totalitarianism|Totalitarian]] [[One-party state|one-party rule]] of [[Ne Win]] and his [[Burma Socialist Programme Party]]
| result = [[#SLORC coup and crackdown|Military coup d'état on 18 September 1988]]; demonstrations suppressed by force
| goals = [[Multi-party system|Multi-party]] [[democracy]] in Burma and the resignation of [[Ne Win]]
| concessions = * Dissolution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma
* [[1990 Myanmar general election|Elections for a constitutional committee]] to draft a new constitution (results were not honoured)
| methods = * [[Civil disobedience]]
* [[Civil resistance]]
* [[Demonstration (people)|Demonstrations]]
* [[Riot]]s
* [[Strike action]]s
| side1 = '''Opposition:'''
* Pro-democracy protesters
* Students
* Trade unions
| side2 = {{flagdeco|Burma|1974}} '''Government:'''
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Burma Socialist Programme Party (1962–1988).svg}} [[Burma Socialist Programme Party]] (until 18 September)
* [[State Peace and Development Council|SLORC]] (from 18 September)
* [[Tatmadaw]]
* [[Myanmar Police Force|Burma Police Force]]
| leadfigures1 = [[Aung San Suu Kyi]]
| leadfigures2 = {{ubl|[[Ne Win]]|[[Saw Maung]]}}
| howmany1 = * 1 million protesters in [[Yangon]]
* 500,000 at [[Shwedagon Pagoda]]<ref>{{cite book | title=Buddha, his life & teachings | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Oa9_uCi83RsC&q=8888+Uprising&pg=PT260 | publisher=Mahavir & Sons Publisher | author=Neeraj Gautam | year=2009 | isbn=978-81-8377-247-1 }}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* 500,000 at [[Downtown Yangon]]
* 100,000 in [[Mandalay]]<ref name=f3/>
* 50,000 in [[Sittwe]]<ref name=f3/>
* Unknown number of others countrywide
| howmany2 = 
| fatalities = 350 (official count)<br />3,000<ref name=fog/>–10,000<ref name=fer313/><ref name=win/> (estimates)
| injuries = Unknown
| arrests = Unknown
| notes = 
}}
{{Campaignbox Burma conflict}}
The '''8888 Uprising''',{{efn|{{langx|my|၈၈၈၈ အရေးအခင်း}} or {{lang|my|ရှစ်လေးလုံးအရေးအခင်း}}}} also known as the '''People Power Uprising'''{{efn|{{Langx|my|ပြည်သူ့အာဏာအုံကြွမှု}} <ref name=Yawnghwe1>Yawnghwe (1995), pp. 170</ref>}} and the '''1988 Uprising''',{{efn|{{Langx|my|၁၉၈၈ အရေးအခင်း}} <ref>{{cite news |last1=Head |first1=Jonathan |title=Myanmar coup: What protesters can learn from the '1988 generation' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56331307 |access-date=17 May 2021 |work=BBC News |date=16 March 2021 |archive-date=17 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517213937/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56331307 |url-status=live }}</ref>}} was a series of nationwide [[Protest|protests]],<ref>Ferrara (2003), pp. 302–303</ref> marches, and [[Riot|riots]]<ref>"Hunger for food, leadership sparked Burma riots". ''[[Houston Chronicle]]''. 11 August 1988.</ref> in [[Burma]] (present-day [[Myanmar]]) that peaked in August 1988. Key events occurred on 8 August 1988 and therefore it is commonly known as the "8888 Uprising".<ref>Tweedie, Penny. (2008). [https://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=88623&videoChannel=1 Junta oppression remembered] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110502175303/https://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=88623&videoChannel=1 |date=2 May 2011 }}. [[Reuters]].</ref> The protests began as a student movement and were organised largely by university students at the [[Yangon University|Rangoon Arts and Sciences University]] and the [[Yangon Technological University|Rangoon Institute of Technology]].

Since the [[1962 Burmese coup d'état|1962 military coup]], the [[Burma Socialist Programme Party]] had ruled the country as a [[totalitarianism|totalitarian]] [[one-party state]], headed by General [[Ne Win]]. Under the government agenda, called the [[Burmese Way to Socialism]], which involved [[autarky|economic isolation]] and the [[Militarism|strengthening]] of the [[Burmese military|military]], [[Burma]] became [[List of Poorest Countries|one of the world's most impoverished countries]].<ref name="burmawatcher">Burma Watcher (1989)</ref><ref>*Tallentire, Mark (28 September 2007). [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/sep/28/burma.uk The Burma road to ruin] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081122/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/sep/28/burma.uk |date=4 March 2016 }}. ''[[The Guardian]]''.</ref><ref name="woodsome">Woodsome, Kate. (7 October 2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20090826114804/http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2007-10/2007-10-04-voa10.cfm 'Burmese Way to Socialism' Drives Country into Poverty]. [[Voice of America]].</ref> Many firms in the formal sector of the economy were [[nationalised]], and the government combined [[Soviet-type economic planning|Soviet-style]] [[central planning]] with [[Buddhist socialism|Buddhist]] and [[Burmese culture|traditional beliefs]] and [[Yadaya|superstition]].<ref name="woodsome"/>

The 8888 uprising was started by students in [[Yangon]] ([[Rangoon]]) on 8 August 1988. Student protests spread throughout the country.<ref name=fer313>Ferrara (2003), pp. 313</ref><ref name="burmawatcher"/> Hundreds of thousands of [[Monk|monks]], [[children]], [[university students]], [[Housewife|housewives]], [[Physician|doctors]] and [[common people]] protested against the government.<ref name="steinberg"/><ref>Aung-Thwin, Maureen. (1989). [http://www.foreignaffairs.org/19890301faessay5952/maureen-aung-thwin/burmese-days.html Burmese Days] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060223173602/http://www.foreignaffairs.org/19890301faessay5952/maureen-aung-thwin/burmese-days.html |date=23 February 2006 }}. ''[[Foreign Affairs]]''.</ref> The uprising ended on 18 September after [[#SLORC coup and crackdown|a bloody military coup]] by the [[State Peace and Development Council|State Law and Order Restoration Council]]. Thousands of deaths have been attributed to the military during this uprising,<ref name=fer313/><ref name=fog>Fogarty, Phillipa (7 August 2008). [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7543347.stm Was Burma's 1988 uprising worth it?] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090112023805/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7543347.stm |date=12 January 2009 }}. [[BBC News]].</ref><ref name=win>Wintle (2007)</ref> while authorities in [[Burma]] put the figure at around 350 people killed.<ref>''[[Ottawa Citizen]]''. 24 September 1988. pg. A.16</ref><ref>[[Associated Press]]. ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. 26 September 1988.</ref>

During the crisis, [[Aung San Suu Kyi]] emerged as a national icon. When the [[military junta]] arranged an [[1990 Burmese general election|election in 1990]], her party, the [[National League for Democracy]], won 81% of the seats in the government (392 out of 492).<ref>Wintle, p. 338.</ref> However, the [[Military rule in Myanmar|military junta]] refused to recognise the results and continued to rule the country as the [[State Peace and Development Council|State Law and Order Restoration Council]]. Aung San Suu Kyi was also placed under [[house arrest]]. The [[State Law and Order Restoration Council]] would be a cosmetic change from the [[Burma Socialist Programme Party]].<ref name="steinberg">Steinberg (2002)</ref> Suu Kyi's house arrest was lifted in 2010, when worldwide attention for her peaked again during the making of the [[biographical film]] ''[[The Lady (2011 film)|The Lady]]''. The [[Tatmadaw]] (Myanmar Armed Forces) again seized control of the country in the [[2021 Myanmar coup d'état]], which began with the imprisonment of then [[State Counsellor of Myanmar|State Counsellor]] [[Aung San Suu Kyi]]. The coup has led to numerous protests and demonstrations against the military-led government. Activists have compared the [[2021 Myanmar protests|current coup resistance movement]] to the 8888 Uprising.<ref>{{Cite web|date=3 June 2021|title='A dangerous time' in Myanmar: Burmese in California struggle for answers, attention|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-03/myanmar-burmese-diaspora-reaction|access-date=19 September 2021|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|archive-date=18 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918183557/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-03/myanmar-burmese-diaspora-reaction|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=[Interview] Myanmar democracy leader in S. Korea is "100% certain that this democratization movement will succeed"|url=https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/990684.html|access-date=19 September 2021|website=english.hani.co.kr|archive-date=17 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917170621/http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/990684.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=16 March 2021|title=Myanmar coup: What protesters can learn from the '1988 generation'|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56331307|access-date=19 September 2021|archive-date=26 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926013629/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56331307|url-status=live}}</ref><!--unless there's a *cite* for the proposition that the three events are related, this sentence, or at least the latter part of it, should be deleted-->

==Background==
{{Democracy movements in Burma}}

===Economic problems===
Before the crisis, [[Burma]] had been ruled by the repressive and isolated regime of General [[Ne Win]] since 1962. The country had a national debt of $3.5 billion and currency reserves of between $20 million and $35 million, with [[debt service ratio]]s standing at half of the national budget.<ref>Lintner (1989), pp. 94–95.</ref>

====1985 and 1987 demonetisation crises====
In the years leading up to the crisis, General Ne Win had imposed two instances of sudden [[Legal tender#demonetization|currency demonetisation]] that declared certain circulated denominations of currency invalid. These instances led to instantaneous loss of savings for many Burmese citizens and economic instability. On 3 November 1985, the Burmese government declared notes of 20, 50, and 100 [[Myanma kyat|kyats]] invalid, without prior warning to the public.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last1=Karthikeyan |first1=Ananth |title=A Ne Win Situation: Burma's three demonetizations |date=28 October 2017 |url=https://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/LO3bemtSxzcHa2lodLxIDI/A-Ne-Win-situation-Burmas-three-demonetizations.html |publisher=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]] |access-date=28 May 2021 |archive-date=4 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604001618/https://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/LO3bemtSxzcHa2lodLxIDI/A-Ne-Win-situation-Burmas-three-demonetizations.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Prior to this, circulated denominations were of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 kyats. The stated reason for the demonetisation was to combat [[black market]] activity. The public was given only a short period of time to exchange their 20, 50, and 100 kyat bills, and only 25% of the value of surrendered bills were reimbursed.<ref name=":0" /> On 10 November 1985, a week after the initial announcement of demonetisation, new denominations of 25, 35, and 75 kyat bills were announced, with the 75 kyat denomination chosen to commemorate Ne Win's 75th birthday. In November 1985, students gathered and [[boycott]]ed the government's decision to withdraw Burmese local currency notes. Economic problems coupled with [[counter-insurgency]] required continuous involvement in the international market.<ref name=bou1>Boudreau (2004), pp. 192</ref>

On 5 September 1987, Ne Win announced the demonetisation of the 25, 35, and 75 kyat notes, leaving only the 1, 5, and 10 kyat bills valid.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Williams|first=Nick B. Jr.|date=12 September 1987|title=Commerce Snarled as Burma Rules Much of Its Currency Is Worthless|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-09-12-mn-1980-story.html|access-date=28 May 2021|archive-date=4 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604001618/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-09-12-mn-1980-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> This announcement was also with no prior warning, and this time no exchange for valid tender was allowed. Roughly 60–80% of circulated legal tender was declared invalid without warning, and millions of Burmese citizens had their savings eliminated by this action.<ref name=":0" /> On 22 September 1987, the Burmese government introduced new denominations of 45 and 90 kyat notes. The 45 and 90 kyat denominations were chosen because the two numbers are divisible by 9, which was considered lucky by Ne Win.<ref name=p228>Tucker (2001), pp. 228</ref>

Students in particular were angry at the 1987 demonetisation as savings for tuition fees were wiped out instantly.<ref>Fong (2008), pp. 146</ref> Students from the [[Yangon Technological University|Rangoon Institute of Technology]] ([[Rangoon Institute of Technology|RIT]]) rioted throughout [[Rangoon]], smashing windows and traffic lights down [[Insein Road]], and universities in Rangoon temporarily closed.<ref>Lwin (1992)</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2020}} The government later allowed for reimbursement of up to 100 kyat so that students could return home instead of rioting in the cities.<ref name=":0" /> With the re-opening of schools in late October 1987, [[Resistance movement|underground groups]] in [[Rangoon]] and [[Mandalay]] produced [[dissident]] leaflets which culminated in bombs exploding in November.<ref name=bou2/> Police later received threatening letters from underground groups, who organised small protests around the university campus.<ref>Lintner (1989), pp. 95–97.</ref> Meanwhile, larger protests in [[Mandalay]] involved monks and workers, with some burning government buildings and state businesses.<ref name=bou2>Boudreau (2004), pp. 193</ref> [[Media of Burma|Burmese state media]] reported little on the protests, but information quickly spread through the students.<ref name=bou2/>

===Early democracy protests===
After receiving [[Least Developed Countries|Least Developed Country]] status from the [[United Nations Economic and Social Council]] ([[ECOSOC]]) in December 1987, government policy requiring farmers to sell produce below market rates to create greater revenue for the government sparked several, violent rural protests.<ref>Yitri (1989)</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2020}} The protests were fanned by public letters to Ne Win by former second in command Brigadier General [[Aung Gyi]] from July 1987, reminding him of the [[1967 anti-Chinese riots in Burma|1967 riots]] and condemning lack of economic reform, describing [[Burma]] as "almost a joke" compared to other [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian]] nations. He was later arrested.<ref name=bou1/><ref name=Yawnghwe2>Yawnghwe (1995), pp. 171</ref>

On 12 March 1988, students from the [[Rangoon Institute of Technology]] (RIT) were arguing with out-of-school youths inside the ''Sanda Win'' tea shop about music playing on a sound system.<ref name=Yawnghwe1/><ref name=bou2/> A drunken youth would not return a tape that the RIT students favoured.<ref name=f1>Fong (2008), pp. 147</ref> A brawl followed in which one youth, who was the son of a [[Burma Socialist Programme Party]] (BSPP) official, was arrested and later released for injuring a student.<ref name=bou2/> Students protested at a local police department where 500 riot police were mobilised and in the ensuing clash, one student, [[Phone Maw]], was shot and killed.<ref name=bou2/> The incident angered pro-democracy groups and the next day more students rallied at the RIT and spread to other campuses.<ref>Smith (1999), pp. 1–14</ref> The students, who had never protested before, increasingly saw themselves as [[student activism|activists]].<ref name=bou2/> There was growing resentment towards military rule and there were no channels to address grievances, further exacerbated by [[police brutality]], economic mismanagement, and corruption within the government.<ref name=Yawnghwe1/>

By mid-March, several protests had occurred and there was open dissent in the army. Various demonstrations were broken up by using [[tear gas]] canisters to disperse crowds.<ref name=p228/> On 16 March, students demanding an end to one party rule marched towards soldiers at [[Inya Lake]] when riot police stormed from the rear, clubbing several students to death and [[Rape|raping]] others.<ref>Fong (2008) pp. 147–148.</ref> Several students recalled the police shouting, "Don't let them escape" and "Kill them!".<ref>Fink (2001), pp. 51</ref>

===Ne Win resigns===
Following the latest protests, authorities announced the closure of universities for several months.<ref name=f2>Fong (2008), pp. 148</ref> By June 1988, large demonstrations of students and sympathisers were a daily sight.<ref name=f2/> Many students, sympathisers and riot police died throughout the month as the protests spread throughout Burma from [[Yangon|Rangoon]]. Largescale protests were reported in [[Pegu]], [[Mandalay]], [[Tavoy]], [[Toungoo]], [[Sittwe]], [[Pakokku]], [[Mergui]], [[Minbu]] and [[Myitkyina]].<ref name="Smith 1999">Smith (1999)</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2020}} Demonstrators in larger numbers demanded [[multi-party]] democracy, which marked Ne Win's resignation on 23 July 1988.<ref name=f2/> In a valedictory address given that day, Ne Win affirmed that "When the army shoots, it shoots to kill."<ref name=p228/> He also promised a [[multi-party system]], but he appointed the largely disliked [[Sein Lwin]], known as the "Butcher of Rangoon"<ref>Fong (2008). In 1962, Lwin had ordered troops to fire on student protestors, killing dozens, and ordered the Union Building at Rangoon University to be blown up.</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2020}} to head a new government.<ref name=Yawnghwe2/>

==Main protests==

===1–7 August===
[[File:ABFSU Flag.svg|thumb|200x200px|A red flag depicting a fighting peacock became a symbol of the protests on the streets of Burma.]]
Protests reached their peak in August 1988. Students planned for a nationwide demonstration on 8 August 1988, an auspicious date based on numerological significance.<ref name=f3>Fong (2008), pp. 149</ref> News of the protest reached rural areas and four days prior to the national protest, students across the country were denouncing [[Sein Lwin]]'s regime and [[Tatmadaw]] troops were being mobilised.<ref name=f3/> Pamphlets and posters appeared on the streets of [[Rangoon]] bearing the fighting [[peacock]] insignia of the All-Burma Students Union.<ref name=bou4>Boudreau (2004), pp. 202</ref> Neighbourhood and strike committees were openly formed on the advice of underground activists, many of which were influenced by similar underground movements by workers and monks in the 1980s.<ref name=bou4/> Between 2 and 10 August, co-ordinated protests were occurring in most Burmese towns.<ref>Lintner (1989), pp. 126</ref>

In the first few days of the Rangoon protests, activists contacted [[Lawyer|lawyers]] and [[Monk|monks]]<ref>Boudreau (2004) Two groups considered to have large underground and internal support networks</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2020}} in [[Mandalay]] to encourage them to take part in the protests.<ref name="vin1">Boudreau (2004), pp. 203</ref> The students were quickly joined by Burmese citizens from all walks of life, including government workers, Buddhist [[monks]], [[air force]] and [[navy]] personnel, customs [[Officer|officers]], [[Teacher|teachers]] and [[hospital]] staff. The demonstrations in the streets of [[Rangoon]] became a focal point for other demonstrations, which spread to other states' capitals.<ref name="ghosh">Ghosh (2001)</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2020}} Upwards of 10,000 protesters demonstrated outside the [[Sule Pagoda]] in [[Rangoon]], where demonstrators burned and buried [[effigy|effigies]] of [[Ne Win]] and [[Sein Lwin]] in coffins decorated with demonetised bank notes.<ref name=p228/> Further protests took place around the country at [[Stadium|stadiums]] and [[Hospital|hospitals]].<ref name=mydans>Mydans, Seth. (12 August 1988). [https://web.archive.org/web/20180715012540/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/12/world/uprising-in-burma-the-old-regime-under-siege.html?pagewanted=all  Uprising in Burma: The Old Regime Under Siege]. ''[[The New York Times]]''.</ref> [[Monks]] at the [[Sule Pagoda]] reported that the [[Buddha]]'s image had changed shape, with an image in the sky standing on its head.<ref name=p228/> On 3 August, the authorities imposed [[martial law]] from 8&nbsp;pm to 4&nbsp;am and a ban on gatherings of more than five people.<ref name=mydans/>

===8–12 August===
{{rquote |right|Across Burma, people poured out in thousands to join the protests – not just students but also teachers, monks, children, professionals, and trade unionists of every shade. It was on this day, too, that the junta made its first determined attempt at repression. Soldiers opened fire on the demonstrators and hundreds of unarmed marchers were killed. The killings continued for a week, but still the demonstrators continued to flood the streets.
|Amitav Ghosh (2001)<ref name="ghosh"/>{{page needed|date=August 2020}}}}

A general strike, as planned, began on 8 August 1988. Mass demonstrations were held across Burma as ethnic minorities, [[Buddhist]]s, [[Christians]], [[Muslims]], [[students]], workers and the [[Young people|young]] and [[Old people|old]] all demonstrated.<ref name=p228/> The first procession circled [[Rangoon]], stopping for people to speak. A stage was also erected.<ref name=vin1/> Demonstrators from the Rangoon neighbourhoods converged in downtown Rangoon. Only one casualty was reported at this point as a frightened [[Traffic police|traffic policeman]] fired into the [[crowd]] and fled.<ref name=vin1/> (Such marches would occur daily until 19 September.)<ref name=vin1/> Protesters kissed the shoes of [[Tatmadaw|soldiers]], in an attempt to persuade them to join the civilian protest, whilst some encircled [[military officers]] to [[protect]] them from the crowd and earlier violence<ref>Williams Jr., Nick. (10 August 1988). "36 Killed in Burma Protests of Military Rule." ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.</ref><ref name=bou5>Boudreau (2004), pp. 205</ref> Over the next four days these demonstrations continued; the government was surprised by the scale of the protests and stated that it promised to heed the demands of the protesters "insofar as possible".<ref name=mydans/> Lwin had brought in more soldiers from insurgent areas to deal with the protesters.<ref>Callahan (2001)</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2020}}

In [[Mandalay Division]], a more organised strike committee was headed by lawyers and discussion focused on multi-party democracy and human rights. Many participants in the protests arrived from nearby towns and villages.<ref name=bou6>Boudreau (2004), pp. 204</ref> Farmers who were particularly angry with the government's economic policies joined the protests in Rangoon. In one village, 2,000 of the 5,000 people also went on strike.<ref name=bou6/>

A short while later, the authorities opened fire on the protesters.<ref name=fer313/><ref name=p228/> Ne Win ordered that "guns were not to shoot upwards," meaning that he was ordering the military to shoot directly at the demonstrators.<ref name="ghosh"/>{{page needed|date=August 2020}} Protesters responded by throwing [[Molotov cocktail]]s, swords, knives, rocks, poisoned darts and bicycle spokes.<ref name=p228/> In one incident, protesters burned a police station and tore apart four fleeing officers.<ref name=bou5/> On 10 August, soldiers fired into Rangoon General Hospital, killing nurses and doctors tending to the wounded.<ref name="Burma Watcher 1989, pp. 179">Burma Watcher (1989), pp. 179.</ref> State-run Radio Rangoon reported that 1,451 "[[looters]] and disturbance makers" had been arrested.<ref name=Yawnghwe2/>

While estimates of the number of casualties surrounding the 8-8-88 demonstrations range from hundreds to 10,000;<ref name=fer313/><ref name=fog/><ref name=win/> military authorities put the figures at about 95 people killed and 240 wounded.<ref>''The Vancouver Sun'' 17 August 1988. pg. A.5</ref>

===13–31 August===
Lwin's sudden and unexplained resignation on 12 August left many protestors confused and jubilant. Security forces exercised greater caution with demonstrators, particularly in neighbourhoods that were entirely controlled by demonstrators and committees.<ref name=bou5/> On 19 August, under pressure to form a civilian government, Ne Win's biographer, [[Maung Maung]], was appointed as head of government.<ref>Fink (2001)</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2020}} Maung was a legal scholar and the only non-military individual to serve in the [[Burma Socialist Programme Party]] (BSPP).<ref name=f3/> The appointment of Maung briefly resulted in a subsidence of the shooting and protests.

Nationwide demonstrations resumed on 22 August 1988. In Mandalay, 100,000 people protested, including Buddhist monks and 50,000 demonstrated in [[Sittwe]].<ref name=f3/> Large marches took places from [[Taunggyi]] and [[Mawlamyaing|Moulmein]] to distant ethnic states (particularly where military campaigns had previously taken place),<ref>Fink (2001), pp. 58</ref> where [[red]], the symbolic colour for [[democracy]] was displayed on banners.<ref name=f3/> Two days later, [[Physician|doctors]], [[Monk|monks]], [[Musician|musicians]], [[Actor|actors]], [[Lawyer|lawyers]], army [[Veteran|veterans]] and [[government]] [[office workers]] joined the protests.<ref name=fong7>Fong (2008), pp. 150</ref> It became difficult for committees to control the protests. During this time, demonstrators became increasingly wary of "suspicious looking" people and police and army officers. On one occasion, a local committee mistakenly beheaded a couple thought to have been carrying a bomb.<ref name=bou208>Boudreau (2004), pp. 208</ref> Incidents like these were not as common in [[Mandalay]], where protests were more peaceful as they were organised by monks and lawyers.<ref name=bou208/>

On 26 August, [[Aung San Suu Kyi]], who had watched the demonstrations from her mother's bedside,<ref>Clements (1992)</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2020}} entered the political arena by addressing half a million people at [[Shwedagon Pagoda]].<ref name=fong7/> It was at this point that she became a symbol for the struggle in [[Burma]], particularly in the eyes of the [[Western world]].<ref>Smith (1999), pp. 9</ref> Suu Kyi, as the daughter of [[Aung San]], who led the independence movement, appeared ready to lead the movement for democracy.<ref name="silverstein">Silverstein (1996)</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2020}} Suu Kyi urged the crowd not to turn on the army but find peace through [[non-violent]] means.<ref>Fink (2001), pp. 60</ref> At this point in time for many in [[Burma]], the uprising was seen as similar to that of the [[People Power Revolution]] in the [[Philippines]] in 1986.<ref name=Yawnghwe2/>

Around this time, former Prime Minister [[U Nu]] and retired Brigadier General [[Aung Gyi]] also re-emerged onto the political scene in what was described as a "democracy summer" when many former democracy leaders returned.<ref name="Smith 1999"/> Despite the gains made by the democracy movement, [[Ne Win]] remained in the background.

===September===
During the September congress of 1988, 90% of party delegates (968 out of 1080) voted for a multi-party system of government.<ref name=fong7/> The [[Burma Socialist Programme Party]] (BSPP) announced they would be organising an election, but the opposition parties called for their immediate resignation from government, allowing an interim government to organise elections. After the BSPP rejected both demands, protesters again took to the streets on 12 September 1988.<ref name=fong7/> Nu promised elections within a month, proclaiming a provisional government. Meanwhile, the police and army began fraternising with the protesters.<ref name=t229>Tucker (2001), pp. 229.</ref> The movement had reached an impasse relying on three hopes: daily demonstrations to force the regime to respond to their demands, encouraging soldiers to defect and appealing to an international audience in the hope that [[United Nations]] or [[United States]] troops would arrive.<ref>Boudreau (2004), pp. 212.</ref> Some Tatmadaw did defect, but only in limited numbers, mostly from the Navy.<ref>Callahan (1999), pp. 1.</ref> [[Stephen Solarz]] who had experienced the recent democracy protests in the [[Philippines]] and [[South Korea]] arrived in [[Burma]] in September encouraging the regime to reform, which echoed the policy of the [[Government of the United States|United States government]] towards Burma.<ref>United States State Department, 1988</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2020}}

By mid-September, the protests grew more violent and lawless, with soldiers deliberately leading protesters into skirmishes that the army easily won.<ref name=b210>Boudreau (2004), pp. 210.</ref> Protesters demanded more immediate change, and distrusted steps for incremental reform.<ref>Maung (1999)</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2020}}

==SLORC coup and crackdown==
{{Infobox event
| title = 1988 Burmese coup d'état
| date = 18 September 1988
| location = [[Rangoon]], [[Burma]] (present-day [[Yangon]], [[Myanmar]])
| type = [[Coup d'état|Military coup]]
| cause = 8888 Uprising
| motive = [[Regime change]]
| organisers = General [[Saw Maung]]
| participants = [[Tatmadaw]]
| outcome = Formation of a military junta, the [[State Law and Order Restoration Council]] (SLORC)
* Suspension of the [[Constitution of Myanmar#1974 Constitution|1974 constitution]]
* Abolishment of all organs of state power that were formed under the 1974 constitution
}}
{{blockquote| If the military shoots, it has no tradition of shooting into the air. It shoots straight to kill.| Ne Win<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=13772 |title=Twenty Years of Marking Time |publisher=The Irrawaddy |access-date=20 November 2011 |author=Yeni |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303053550/http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=13772 |archive-date=3 March 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/burma-waiting-for-the-dawn | title=Burma: waiting for the dawn | publisher=Open Democracy | date=8 August 2008 | access-date=21 November 2011 | author=Kyi May Kaung | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115040711/http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/burma-waiting-for-the-dawn | archive-date=15 January 2012 | url-status=dead }}</ref>}}

On 18 September 1988, the military retook power in the country. General [[Saw Maung]] repealed the 1974 constitution and established the [[State Law and Order Restoration Council]] (SLORC), "imposing more Draconian measures than Ne Win had imposed."<ref>Delang (2000)</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2020}} After Maung had imposed martial law, the protests were violently broken up. The government announced on the state-run radio that the military had assumed power in the people's interest, "in order to bring a timely halt to the deteriorating conditions on all sides all over the country."<ref>Ferrara (2003), pp. 313–4.</ref> [[Tatmadaw]] troops went through cities throughout [[Burma]], indiscriminately firing on protestors.<ref name=fer/>

Although an exact body count has not been determined as bodies were often cremated, it is estimated{{by whom|date=June 2020}} that within the first week of securing power, 1,000 [[Student|students]], [[Monk|monks]], and [[schoolchildren]] were [[Homicide|killed]], and another 500 were killed whilst protesting outside the United States embassy<ref name="Burma Watcher 1989, pp. 179"/> – footage caught by a cameraman nearby who distributed the footage to the world's media.<ref name=f151>Fong (2008), pp. 151</ref> Maung described the dead as "looters".<ref name=f151/> Protestors were also pursued into the jungle and some students took up training on the [[Myanmar–Thailand border|country's borders with Thailand]].<ref name=b210/>

{{Quote box
| quote = "I would like every country in the world to recognize the fact that the people of Burma are being shot down for no reason at all."
| source = — [[Aung San Suu Kyi]], 22 September 1988<ref name=t229/>
| align = right
| width = 30%
}}

By the end of September, there were around 3,000 estimated deaths and unknown number of injured,<ref name=b210/> with 1,000 deaths in Rangoon alone.<ref name=fer>Ferrara (2003), pp. 314.</ref> At this point in time, Aung San Suu Kyi appealed for help.<ref name=t229/> On 21 September, the government had regained control of the country,<ref name=fer/> with the movement effectively collapsing in October.<ref name=t229/> By the end of 1988, it was estimated{{by whom|date=June 2020}} that 10,000 people, including protesters and soldiers, had been killed.<ref name=win/>{{page needed|date=August 2020}}

==Aftermath==
Many in Burma believed that the regime would have collapsed if the United Nations and neighbouring countries had refused to recognise the legitimacy of the coup.<ref>Yawnghwe (1995), pp. 172.</ref> Western governments and Japan cut aid to the country.<ref name=f151/> Among Burma's neighbours, [[India]] was most critical; condemning the suppression, closing borders and setting up refugee camps along its border with Burma.<ref>Europa Publications Staff (2002), pp. 872</ref> By 1989, 6,000 [[National League for Democracy|NLD]] supporters had been detained and those who fled to the ethnic border areas, such as [[Kawthoolei]], formed groups with those who sought greater [[self-determination]].<ref>Fong (2008), pp.152.</ref> It was estimated 10,000 had fled to mountains which were controlled by ethnic insurgents such as the [[Karen National Liberation Army]] ([[KNLA]]), and many of them later trained to become soldiers.<ref>Smith (1999), pp. 371.</ref><ref>Smith (1999), pp. 17.</ref>

After the uprising, the SLORC waged a "clumsy propaganda" campaign against those who had organised the protests.<ref name=b190>Boudreau (2004), pp. 190</ref> Intelligence Chief General [[Khin Nyunt]], held [[English-language]] press conferences which were aimed at giving foreign diplomats and the media a favourable account of the SLORC's response to the protests.<ref name=b190/><ref name=l52>Lintner (1990), pp. 52</ref> During this period, more restrictions were imposed upon the [[Burmese media]], denying it the relative freedom to report news which it had been able to exercise at the peak of the protests. In the conferences, he detailed a conspiracy in which [[Right-wing politics|the right]] was plotting to overthrow the regime with the assistance of "subversive foreigners" and a conspiracy in which [[Left-wing politics|the left]] was plotting to overthrow the State.<ref name=b190/> Despite the conferences, few believed the government's version of events.<ref name=b190/> While these conferences were going on, the SLORC was secretly negotiating with [[Mutiny|mutineers]].<ref name=l52/>

Between 1988 and 2000, the Burmese government established 20 museums which detailed the military's central role throughout [[History of Burma|Burma's history]] and the size of the military increased from 180,000 to 400,000.<ref name=t229/> The Burmese government also kept schools and universities closed in order to prevent future uprisings.<ref name=t229/> Initially, [[Aung San Suu Kyi]], [[U Tin Oo]] and [[Aung Gyi]] publicly rejected the SLORC's offer to hold elections the following year, claiming that they could not be freely held while Burma was under military rule.<ref>Mydans, Seth. (23 September 1988). [https://archive.today/20120714215909/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE6D61F3CF930A1575AC0A96E948260  Burma Crackdown: Army in Charge]. ''[[The New York Times]]''.</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Thein|first1=Seinenu|title=Heroes of Democracy: Burma's 88 Generation and the Legacy of Mandela|url=http://psychoculturalcinema.com/heroes-of-freedom-burmas-88-generation-and-the-legacy-of-mandela/|website=Psychocultural Cinema|date=May 2014|access-date=15 June 2016|archive-date=19 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160719210435/http://psychoculturalcinema.com/heroes-of-freedom-burmas-88-generation-and-the-legacy-of-mandela/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Significance==
Today, the uprising is commemorated by Burmese [[expatriate]]s and citizens. In [[Thailand]], students also commemorate the uprising every 8 August.<ref>The Nation. (9 August 1997). [https://archive.today/20120713150359/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Av4JAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AjIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6445,3383710&dq= Burmese exiles mark protest]. ''[[The Nation (Thailand)]]''.</ref> On the 20th anniversary of the uprising, 48 activists were arrested for commemorating the event in Burma.<ref>*Tun, Aung Hla. (8 August 2008). [http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2008/08/08/asia/OUKWD-UK-MYANMAR.php Myanmar arrests "8-8-88" anniversary marchers] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108142207/http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2008/08/08/asia/OUKWD-UK-MYANMAR.php |date=8 January 2009 }}. ''[[International Herald Tribune]]''.</ref> The event garnered much support for the Burmese people internationally. [https://web.archive.org/web/20081120161032/http://www3.soros.org/burma/Voices88/poems88.html Poems] were written by students who participated in the protests. The [[1995 in film|1995 film]] ''[[Beyond Rangoon]]'' is a fictionalized drama which is based on the events that took place during the uprising.

The uprising led to the death and imprisonment of thousands of individuals. Many of the deaths occurred inside the prisons, where prisoners of conscience were subjected to inhumane torture and deprived of basic provisions, such as food, water, medicine, and sanitation. From 1988 to 2012, the military and the police illegally detained and imprisoned tens of thousands of leaders of the Burmese pro-democracy movement, as well as [[Intellectual|intellectuals]], [[Artist|artists]], [[Student|students]], and [[human rights]] activists. [[Pyone Cho]], one of the leaders of the uprising, spent 20 years of his adult life in prison. [[Ko Ko Gyi]], another [[Leadership|leader]] of the uprising, spent 18 years of his life in [[prison]]. [[Min Ko Naing]] was placed in [[solitary confinement]] for nine years for his role as a [[Leadership|leader]] of the uprising.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Moe|first1=K Z|title=The last night in the cell|url=http://www2.irrawaddy.com/article.php?art_id=22898|access-date=30 May 2016|publisher=The Irrawaddy|date=21 January 2012|archive-date=7 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807221602/http://www2.irrawaddy.com/article.php?art_id=22898|url-status=live}}</ref> Because the uprising began as a [[student movement]], many of the individuals who were [[Arrest|arrested]], [[imprisoned]], [[Torture|tortured]], and [[Homicide|killed]] by the police and the military were [[High school student|high school]] and [[university students]].

Many of the student leaders of the uprising became lifelong human rights activists and leaders of the Burmese pro-democracy movement. Nineteen years later, many of these same activists also played a role in the [[2007 Saffron Revolution]]. The [[88 Generation Students Group]], which is named after the events of 8 August 1988, organised one of the first protests which eventually culminated in the [[Saffron Revolution]]. But prior to the outbreak of large-scale demonstrations, its members were arrested and given lengthy prison sentences of up to 65 years. The activists who were arrested included prominent individuals such as [[Min Ko Naing]], [[Mya Aye (activist)|Mya Aye]], [[Htay Kywe (activist)|Htay Kywe]], [[Mie Mie]], [[Ko Ko Gyi]], Pyone Cho, Min Zeyar, Ant Bwe Kyaw, and [[Nilar Thein]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Harsh sentences for Burma rebels |author=Jonathan Head |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7721589.stm |newspaper=BBC News |date=11 November 2008 |access-date=17 April 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110511161211/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7721589.stm| archive-date= 11 May 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref> Though not an 88 Generation Students Group member, a solo protester [[Ohn Than]] also joined the demonstration.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aappb.org/release42.html |title=A former political prisoner was arrested for protesting alone in front of the United Nations office in Rangoon |date=23 September 2004 |publisher=Assistance Association for Political Prisoners |access-date=15 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110602200853/http://www.aappb.org/release42.html |archive-date=2 June 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> All of them were released in a [[Reforms in Burma|general amnesty]] in 2012. They continue to work as politicians and human rights activists in Myanmar. They also campaigned for the [[National League for Democracy]] (NLD) in the [[2015 Myanmar general election|2015 general election]]. Pyone Cho, one of the main leaders of the 88 Generation, was elected to the [[House of Representatives (Myanmar)|House of Representatives]] in the 2015 Election.

==Gallery==
{{Gallery
| title =
| align = center
| 
 | [[Aung San Suu Kyi]] speaking during the protests
| 
 | Face off between soldiers and unarmed demonstrators
| 
 | Student protesters
| 
 | Members of the Burma Police and Burma Air Force protesting
| 
 | Students wounded by the military during the demonstrations
| 
 | Students making an emotional appeal to soldiers
| 
 | Buddhist monks killed by the military
| 
 | Civilians wounded by the military
| 
 | Aung San Suu Kyi addressing supporters
| 
 | Soldiers dispersing demonstrators
| 
 | Civilians wounded by soldiers
| 
 | Soldiers in Rangoon
| 
 | Protest by Burma Police
| 8888 navy protest.jpg
 | [[Myanmar Navy|Burma Navy]] personnel demonstrating
| 
 | Uniformed officers protesting
| 
 | Protest by members of the Burma Air Force
| 
 | Protest by members of the Burma Air Force
| 
 | Protest by members of the Burma Air Force
| 
 | A soldier yelling at civilians during the 8888 Uprising
| File:8888s-Strike.JPG
 | Demonstration held on the 19th anniversary of the 8888 Uprising
}}

==See also==
* [[All Burma Students' Democratic Front]]
* [[Depayin massacre]]
* [[Death of Ko Par Gyi]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin|30em}}
'''Books and journals'''
* Boudreau, Vincent. (2004). ''Resisting Dictatorship: Repression and Protest in Southeast Asia.'' Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-521-83989-1}}.
* Burma Watcher. (1989). ''Burma in 1988: There Came a Whirlwind.'' Asian Survey, '''29'''(2). A Survey of Asia in 1988: Part II pp.&nbsp;174–180.
* Callahan, Mary. (1999). ''Civil-military relations in Burma: Soldiers as state-builders in the postcolonial era.'' Preparation for the State and the Soldier in Asia Conference.
* Callahan, Mary. (2001). ''Burma: Soldiers as State Builders.'' ch. 17. cited in Alagappa, Muthiah. (2001). ''Coercion and Governance: The Declining Political Role of the Military in Asia.'' Stanford University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-8047-4227-6}}
* Clements, Ann. (1992). ''Burma: The Next Killing Fields?'' Odonian Press. {{ISBN|978-1-878825-21-6}}
* Delang, Claudio. (2000). ''Suffering in Silence, the Human Rights Nightmare of the Karen People of Burma.'' Parkland: Universal Press.
* Europa Publications Staff. (2002). ''The Far East and Australasia 2003.'' [[Routledge]]. {{ISBN|978-1-85743-133-9}}.
* Ferrara, Federico. (2003). ''Why Regimes Create Disorder: Hobbes's Dilemma during a Rangoon Summer.'' The Journal of Conflict Resolution, '''47'''(3), pp.&nbsp;302–325.
* Fink, Christina. (2001). ''Living Silence: Burma Under Military Rule.'' Zed Books. {{ISBN|978-1-85649-926-2}}
* Ghosh, Amitav. (2001). ''The Kenyon Review, New Series.'' Cultures of Creativity: The Centennial Celebration of the Nobel Prizes. '''23'''(2), pp.&nbsp;158–165.
* Hlaing, Kyaw Yin. (1996). ''Skirting the regime's rules.''
* Lintner, Bertil. (1989). ''Outrage: Burma's Struggle for Democracy.'' Hong Kong: Review Publishing Co.
* Lintner, Bertil. (1990). ''The Rise and Fall of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB).'' SEAP Publications. {{ISBN|978-0-87727-123-9}}.
* Lwin, Nyi Nyi. (1992). ''Refugee Student Interviews''. A Burma-India Situation Report.
* Maung, Maung. (1999). ''The 1988 Uprising in Burma.'' Yale University Southeast Asia Studies. {{ISBN|978-0-938692-71-3}}
* Silverstein, Josef. (1996). ''The Idea of Freedom in Burma and the Political Thought of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.'' Pacific Affairs, '''69'''(2), pp.&nbsp;211–228.
* Smith, Martin. (1999). ''Burma – Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity.'' Zed Books. {{ISBN|978-1-85649-660-5}}
* Steinberg, David. (2002). ''Burma: State of Myanmar.'' Georgetown University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-87840-893-1}}
* Tucker, Shelby. (2001). ''Burma: The Curse of Independence.'' Pluto Press. {{ISBN|978-0-7453-1541-6}}
* Wintle, Justin. (2007). ''Perfect Hostage: a life of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's prisoner of conscience.'' New York: Skyhorse Publishing. {{ISBN|978-0-09-179681-5}}
* Yawnghwe, Chao-Tzang. ''Burma: Depoliticization of the Political.'' cited in Alagappa, Muthiah. (1995). ''Political Legitimacy in Southeast Asia: The Quest for Moral Authority.'' Stanford University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-8047-2560-6}}
* Yitri, Moksha. (1989). ''The Crisis in Burma: Back from the Heart of Darkness?'' University of California Press.
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin|2}}
* AP. (1988). [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/04/world/burma-imposes-martial-law-in-the-capital-after-a-protest.html  Burma Imposes Martial Law In the Capital After a Protest] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714222310/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/04/world/burma-imposes-martial-law-in-the-capital-after-a-protest.html |date=14 July 2018 }}, ''The New York Times'', 4 August 1988.
* AP. (1988). [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/11/world/road-to-upheaval-in-politics-for-burmese.html  Road To Upheaval In Politics For Burmese] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714225253/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/11/world/road-to-upheaval-in-politics-for-burmese.html |date=14 July 2018 }}, ''The New York Times'', 11 September 1988.
* Cumming-Bruce, Nick. (1988). [https://www.theguardian.com/world/1988/aug/04/burma.fromthearchive Burma's new leader imposes martial law] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414143301/http://www.theguardian.com/world/1988/aug/04/burma.fromthearchive |date=14 April 2016 }}, ''The Guardian'', 4 August 1988.
* Faulder, Dominic. (2008). [https://web.archive.org/web/20081009193448/http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=13758&page=1 Memories of 8 August 1988] ''[[The Irrawaddy]]'', August 2008.
* Kamm, Henry. (1988). [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/02/world/tension-reported-high-in-burma-after-clashes.html?pagewanted=all  Tension Reported High In Burma After Clashes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714222009/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/02/world/tension-reported-high-in-burma-after-clashes.html?pagewanted=all |date=14 July 2018 }}, ''The New York Times'', 2 July 1988.
* Mydans, Seth. (1988). [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/12/world/burmese-power-shift-though-government-schedules-election-decision-rests-with.html  A Burmese Power Shift; Though Government Schedules Election, Decision Rests With People in the Streets] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110102510/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/12/world/burmese-power-shift-though-government-schedules-election-decision-rests-with.html |date=10 November 2012 }}, ''The New York Times'', 12 September 1988.
* Mydans, Seth. (1988). [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/10/world/defections-strain-burmese-military.html Defections Strain Burmese Military] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714222249/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/10/world/defections-strain-burmese-military.html |date=14 July 2018 }}, ''The New York Times'', 10 September 1988.
* Mydans, Seth. (1988). [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/13/world/many-in-burma-say-ne-win-continues-to-pull-the-strings.html  Many in Burma Say Ne Win Continues to Pull the Strings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714222049/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/13/world/many-in-burma-say-ne-win-continues-to-pull-the-strings.html |date=14 July 2018 }}, ''The New York Times'', 13 September 1988.
* Richburg, Keith. (1988). Youths, Monks Fight Troops in Burma; Post-Coup Deaths Reported in Hundreds. ''Washington Post'', 20 September 1988.
* Stewart, William. (1988). [https://web.archive.org/web/20110501114538/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,968501,00.html?promoid=googlep Burma The Armed Forces Seize Power], ''TIME'', 26 September 1988.
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3134123.stm Protests mark Burma anniversary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016124715/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3134123.stm |date=16 October 2007 }}, ''BBC News'', 8 August 2003.
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7012158.stm Burma's 1988 Protests] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511161206/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7012158.stm |date=11 May 2011 }}, ''BBC News'', 25 September 2007.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080808201824/http://www.irrawaddy.org/research_show.php?art_id=441 Partial list of 8888 Uprising victims], ''The Irrawaddy'', 1 January 2003.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080617183305/http://www3.soros.org/burma/Voices88/catalogue_index.html Voices of '88], ''Soros''.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110501054141/http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=161804047838441062&hl=en-GB  Video – 8888s anniversary activity in London Burmese' Embassy and Downing street, and Ms Suu Kyi's Birthday, calling for democratic reform in Burma]
* [http://www.badasf.org/8888/photos.htm 8888 Photos], ''Burmese American Democratic Alliance''.
* [http://myatlayngon.blogspot.com/2012/08/blog-post_8916.html Photos of the 8888 Uprising (Blogspot)]

{{Burma topics}}

[[Category:Revolutions of 1989]]
[[Category:Internal conflict in Myanmar]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1988]]
[[Category:1988 protests]]
[[Category:Burmese democracy movements]]
[[Category:History of Myanmar (1948–present)]]
[[Category:Massacres in Myanmar]]
[[Category:Politics of Myanmar]]
[[Category:Political repression]]
[[Category:Rebellions in Asia]]
[[Category:1988 in Burma]]
[[Category:Protests in Myanmar]]
[[Category:20th-century rebellions]]
[[Category:Aung San Suu Kyi]]
[[Category:Military coups in Myanmar]]