1988 uprising a turning point in Myanmar: NLD

YANGON (Agencies) - Aung San Suu Kyi’s party Friday hailed a 1988 pro-democracy uprising as a “turning point” in Myanmar’s history, as activists silently mourned the movement that was violently crushed by the military.

“This anniversary marks an important historical turning point in Myanmar’s politics. People will never forget it,” Nyan Win, spokesman for her National League for Democracy (NLD), told AFP.

At least 20 people have been arrested in the Burmese town of Taunggok after staging a silent protest on the 20th anniversary of a major uprising.  They were detained after marching while wearing T-shirts which referred to the date of the uprising - “8/8/88”.

August 8, 1988 - a numerologically important date known as 8.8.88 - marked the beginning of a student-led uprising that drew hundreds of thousands of people into the streets of cities and villages across the country.

The movement capped a year of student protests that resulted in the former dictator Ne Win stepping down in July 1988. With the government in turmoil, the August 8 uprising quickly spread around the country.