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A Naypyidaw schoolteacher has alleged that the Ministry of Education forced her to retire after she attended the 25th anniversary ceremony for the 8-8-88 student uprising.
Speaking to DVB, Soe Soe Khaing said she was forced into retirement for three reasons: having contact with a political organisation; taking leave without permission; and travelling a long distance without informing the headmaster.
“I don’t want any other employee to have to go through this,” said Soe Soe Khaing, a high school teacher from Zabuthiri township with 18 years’ experience.
Soe Soe Khaing joined with thousands of other people from across Burma on 8 August by observing a commemoration ceremony in Rangoon for the victims of a bloody military crackdown in 1988 when hundreds, some say thousands, of protestors were killed.
However, Wai Lin Oo, a representative of the Ministry of Education, denied the decision to give the teacher retirement was related to the 8-8-88 “Silver Jubilee” in Rangoon.
“We were concerned because she took leave without permission,” he said. “How can she just disappear when she is supposed to be on duty?”
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But Mya Aye, an 88 Generation Students group leader, sided with the teacher and said that the ministry’s decision was “ugly”.
“Forcing a schoolteacher into retirement due to the fact that she attended the Silver Jubilee ceremony was a very ugly thing to do and certainly inappropriate,” he said. “The 8-8-88 ceremony was not held by any one political party but was a momentous occasion in Burmese history that drew together people from all over the country.”
I was a government employee before.
I personally do not think this retirement is because of attending 8888 ceremony.
She took leaves for sickness but attended the ceremony.
It is her dishonesty to her service. (lies)
This could be carrying out as a departmental enquiry and necessary action accordingly as per the public service laws.
All groups including 8888 students should carefully observe the situation! (they need to study the public service employee laws)
Otherwise, people with dishonesty (especially the government employees) will be above the laws!
Public service employees should work and take benefit according to the employee laws ONLY!
interest in news as ever change in time :):):):)
@ Violet.
Did she say that she was not sick? You fire people for being incompetent not because he/she mis-uses sick leaves. People use sick leaves to attend to personal matters such as to nurse ailing relatives, friends or to run errands. Does Burma have a wide range of categories for days-off? Burma doesn’t even have official vacation time off. Haven’t you ever asked your boss’s permission to take days off to attend to your family/personal matters or just take sick leaves? it is quite hypocritical of you to label her as a dishonest person. You should be ashamed of yourself for standing with abusive power.