Cox's Bazaar: The 250-mile Long March by Burmese activists concluded yesterday on the border town of Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh, after a 13-day walk from Dhaka.
The Long March was started by a group of Arakanese pro-democracy activists, who started from a monument at Dhaka University on March 27, a revolution day in Burma.
U Thilawantha, who led the group, said, "We conducted the Long March with the intention of attracting the attention of Bangladeshi people, as well as the international community to the ensuing referendum on the new draft constitution, which is scheduled to be held in Burma in May 2008."
"We oppose the referendum as the Burmese military regime has banned democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from contesting any future elections, and the draft constitution does not grant equal rights to the non-Burman ethnic minorities," he added.
Many Arakanese communities in exile cheered the marchers from the roadside when they arrived in Cox's Bazaar yesterday morning.
Moreover, the monk alliance Sasana Moli held a welcome ceremony for the activists at the headquarters that were opened in a monastery in Cox's Bazaar for the activists. During the ceremony, representatives of the monk alliance gave certificates of honour to the marchers.
Another activist, Ko Tha Tun, said, "My legs are paining from many injuries and my body is also in pain, but I am proud because our Long March is for victory. It is also historic for our democracy movement, showing how Arakanese people participate in the democracy movement."
The Long March activists were extremely happy when they arrived at their final destination and all deemed the march a success.
U Thilawantha concluded, "Our Long March was successful because we got the attention of the Bangladesh people. We revealed our desire to the Burmese people about the referendum by marching from Dhaka to Cox's Bazaar. All Burmese broadcasting services abroad aired updates of our march often and Burmese people got the chance to know why Burmese in exile in Bangladesh oppose the referendum."
