Troops order a crowd 26 August 1988 in d

Troops order a crowd 26 August 1988 in downtown Rangoon (Yangon) to disperse in front of sule pagoda sealed off by barbed wires. Hundreds of thousand people gathered two kilometers away to demand democracy and the end of the 26 years old authoritarian regime. 8888 Uprising was a national uprising demanding democracy that took place on 08 August 1988 in Burma (now Myanmar). It ended on 18 September 1988, after a bloody military coup. Because of the uprisings, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) was formed. The military killed thousands of civilians, including students and Buddhist monks. During the crisis, Aung San Suu Kyi emerged as a national icon. AFP PHOTO/TOMMASO VILLANI (Photo credit should read TOMMASO VILLANI/AFP via Getty Images)