Mar 17, 2009 (DVB), Overseas Burmese democracy activists have staged protests over the past two days to mark the 21-year anniversary of Red Bridge Day, when nearly 100 student protesters in Rangoon were shot dead by riot police.

Aung Myint Swe, chairperson of National League for Democracy-Liberated Area in South Korea, said that Burmese people in Seoul gathered in front of the Burmese government embassy.

"We are staging this protest to call for the government to stop their human right abuses and also to release all political prisoners unconditionally," said Aung Myint Swe.

"A lot of people lost their lives in this month 21 years ago while a lot were sent to prison."

Red Bridge Day is the name given to mark the shooting and drowning of nearly 100 student protestors by riot police on 16 March 1988.

The incident became one of the key triggers of the 1988 mass uprising.

Aung Myint Swe said the group also organised a photo exhibition and the opening of the 888,888 signature campaign at the event, and also held a press conference.

The NLD-LA in Malaysia also marked the anniversary with a gathering in Kuala Lumpur at their branch office, said Kyaw Kyaw, the NLD-LA Malaysia chairperson.

"We held the two events as one on the same day," he said.

"We organised a meal offering for Buddhist monks around 11am for Phone Maw's death and started the gathering event around 1pm."

In United States yesterday Burmese protest group Anti-Dictatorship People’s Freedom Movement – the group that has been holding protests in front of the Burmese embassy in Washington every Monday for 360 weeks staged another protest at the usual spot to mark Red Bridge Day.

Reporting by Khin Hnin Htet and Maung Too