Bangkok - Myanmar pro-democracy activists on Friday launched a global signature campaign for the release of more than 2,000 political prisoners, including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The campaign seeks to get 888,888 signatures before May 24, the date that the Nobel Peace Prize laureate should legally be released from house arrest.
The signature target symbolizes August 8, 1988, the day Myanmar's junta massacred an estimated 3,000 pro-democracy demonstrators in Yangon.
Please visit this site and learn how to sign the petition...
http://www.fbppn.net/
Monday, March 16, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
65 Years in Prison for a Poem
Poetic Justice (This is the translation from Saw Wai's Burmese poem entitled 14th February)
Aaron Beck, the psychiatrist, said
Only if you know how to suffer painfully
Only if you are crazy – crazy
Can you appreciate a great work of Art
Dear little photomodel who makes me dizzy
They say it is a broken liver disease, a great and terrible one
[note: broken heart in Burmese is usually expressed as a broken liver]
Millions of those who know how to love
Laugh and clap those gold-gilded hands
Saw Wai, Published January 10, 2008 (The bold words describe Gen Than Shwe as a power-crazy madman)
I am sorry that I missed this when it came out a year ago. This young Burmese poet has been sentenced to 65 years in prison for his poem. Please read the full article at the link below.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5129509.ece
Aaron Beck, the psychiatrist, said
Only if you know how to suffer painfully
Only if you are crazy – crazy
Can you appreciate a great work of Art
Dear little photomodel who makes me dizzy
They say it is a broken liver disease, a great and terrible one
[note: broken heart in Burmese is usually expressed as a broken liver]
Millions of those who know how to love
Laugh and clap those gold-gilded hands
Saw Wai, Published January 10, 2008 (The bold words describe Gen Than Shwe as a power-crazy madman)
I am sorry that I missed this when it came out a year ago. This young Burmese poet has been sentenced to 65 years in prison for his poem. Please read the full article at the link below.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5129509.ece
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Same Old Same Old
I won't give up hope for the people of Burma but it sure is hard to keep any hope when the world only pays attention once in a while. My posts have become fewer and farther between because now, after educating myself about the situation in Burma for the last almost two years, I just keep reading the same articles over and over. I really hope I get to see something change in Burma during my lifetime but when I go back and read old news articles from the last 20 years, the situation is much the same. In my last post I naively thought something may have been happening there with the removal of the barricades from around Aun San Suu Kyi's house. I should have known better.
Well, at the bottom I pasted an article that just goes to show, it's the same old same old. Reading this article without having really kept up with the situation in Burma could leave one thinking that things are not so bad or that at least the UN is visiting and keeping communication open with Aun San Suu Kyi. This is so not the case. The situation is bad and after reading article after article about the UN's special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, visiting there, I have learned he is useless. I find him to be extremely stupid and incompetent. I don't know that you can gather that from reading any one article that he is mentioned in but put them together over time and that is what he looks like to me.
I suggest reading back through the history of Burma's last 20 years or so. If not Burma then read about what happened in Cambodia after the Vietnam war. How sad that to TRULY learn about these places, I had to do it on my own... as they were not (truly) covered in school. After reading about them be thankful for the freedoms you have and know that they can be taken away if we let them. In some way they have been taken away a little simply by the fact that there is a huge lack of education in our schools about the repressed peoples of the world. I fear that one day we will lose so many freedoms simply by so few people having a solid understanding of the existence of repression today. At least we still have the choice to search for information and educate ourselves. If you are reading this post it is because you live in a country that does not block freedom of speech... yet. You were able to read this without the fear of being thrown in prison for it and I was able to write it without that fear. Know how lucky you are to voice your opinion about your political leader of choice, wear a t-shirt or post your support or thought on your facebook without being thrown in a prison. All of which people are sitting in prisons for in Burma today.
http://www.asianewsnet.net/news.php?id=3765&sec=3
Well, at the bottom I pasted an article that just goes to show, it's the same old same old. Reading this article without having really kept up with the situation in Burma could leave one thinking that things are not so bad or that at least the UN is visiting and keeping communication open with Aun San Suu Kyi. This is so not the case. The situation is bad and after reading article after article about the UN's special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, visiting there, I have learned he is useless. I find him to be extremely stupid and incompetent. I don't know that you can gather that from reading any one article that he is mentioned in but put them together over time and that is what he looks like to me.
I suggest reading back through the history of Burma's last 20 years or so. If not Burma then read about what happened in Cambodia after the Vietnam war. How sad that to TRULY learn about these places, I had to do it on my own... as they were not (truly) covered in school. After reading about them be thankful for the freedoms you have and know that they can be taken away if we let them. In some way they have been taken away a little simply by the fact that there is a huge lack of education in our schools about the repressed peoples of the world. I fear that one day we will lose so many freedoms simply by so few people having a solid understanding of the existence of repression today. At least we still have the choice to search for information and educate ourselves. If you are reading this post it is because you live in a country that does not block freedom of speech... yet. You were able to read this without the fear of being thrown in prison for it and I was able to write it without that fear. Know how lucky you are to voice your opinion about your political leader of choice, wear a t-shirt or post your support or thought on your facebook without being thrown in a prison. All of which people are sitting in prisons for in Burma today.
http://www.asianewsnet.net/news.php?id=3765&sec=3
Monday, October 27, 2008
barricades removed from Aung San Suu Kyi's house
I'm not sure what this could mean but the Burmese military junta has removed barricades from around the home of 63-year-old Nobel peace laureate and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, witnesses reported Sunday.
Police started clearing the street outside the house for normal traffic between the hours of 6 am and 6 pm, the witnesses said.
There was no explanation for the move, and there was no indication of talks or agreements between the regime and the opposition. Don't know what to expect from this move by the regime.
Police started clearing the street outside the house for normal traffic between the hours of 6 am and 6 pm, the witnesses said.
There was no explanation for the move, and there was no indication of talks or agreements between the regime and the opposition. Don't know what to expect from this move by the regime.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Tomorrow September 26th marks the one year anniversary of the crackdown on the Saffron Revolution in Burma. "Saffron Revolution" — named after the color of the robes worn by the militant young monks spearheading the protests.
Well just a quick recap of what happened last year - one year ago over 100,000 monks and citizens of Burma peacefully took to the streets in protest over the military regime of their country. They were met only with violence when on the 26th the military opened fire on the crowds of people. The "official" number or people killed, given by the regime, was said to be 31. There is no doubt that number was much higher. Seeing as so many monks and political activists went missing and oh, lets not forget that it's a military regime that released that number.
So what has been happening since this cry for help? Not much in the way of any political change. Aun San Suu Kyi (the leader of the National League for Democracy) has been in poor health. It is said that she has been on a hunger strike through August but that was news released by the junta. A spokesman for her party has said that she has been rationing her food, giving more food to her ill housekeeper. It is true that she was not excepting her rations from the junta but we can not be exactly sure why. One article I read said she was possibly protesting the already inhumane rations she, her housekeeper and housekeeper's daughter were receiving (the two women are voluntarily staying with Aun San Suu Kyi). I don't believe there is any way of really knowing the truth coming out of Burma. Maybe she believed they were trying to poison her. I wouldn't doubt it.
It is also said that Suu Kyi is only allowing visits from her lawyer and doctor. She has refused offers of visits from Ibrahim Gambari, the United Nations special envoy. He has visited with Suu Kyi many times but if you follow his visits even a little you can soon realize that he is a useless person. I think Suu Kyi has known it for a while. He just went to Burma to smile in a few photos with Suu Kyi and then with some members of the military and make people believe that he is doing some kind of good.
He has been useless for years:
http://www.khrg.org/khrg2006/khrg06c2.html
Quote from a Burmese man:
"I have lost hope in the future of the country. A regime that can kill monks will not give up its power easily. There could only be more bloodshed if people go out on the streets again," Maung Maung, a 52-year-old electrician, said in Yangon this week.
Burma is no longer on the map, well the media map anyway. Even if it was, I myself don't believe it would do them any good. People in the free world just change the channel and the story ends just like a movie ends. I don't know if I can judge that but I can at least hope people are grateful for what they have and at least I can still judge the media.
Well just a quick recap of what happened last year - one year ago over 100,000 monks and citizens of Burma peacefully took to the streets in protest over the military regime of their country. They were met only with violence when on the 26th the military opened fire on the crowds of people. The "official" number or people killed, given by the regime, was said to be 31. There is no doubt that number was much higher. Seeing as so many monks and political activists went missing and oh, lets not forget that it's a military regime that released that number.
So what has been happening since this cry for help? Not much in the way of any political change. Aun San Suu Kyi (the leader of the National League for Democracy) has been in poor health. It is said that she has been on a hunger strike through August but that was news released by the junta. A spokesman for her party has said that she has been rationing her food, giving more food to her ill housekeeper. It is true that she was not excepting her rations from the junta but we can not be exactly sure why. One article I read said she was possibly protesting the already inhumane rations she, her housekeeper and housekeeper's daughter were receiving (the two women are voluntarily staying with Aun San Suu Kyi). I don't believe there is any way of really knowing the truth coming out of Burma. Maybe she believed they were trying to poison her. I wouldn't doubt it.
It is also said that Suu Kyi is only allowing visits from her lawyer and doctor. She has refused offers of visits from Ibrahim Gambari, the United Nations special envoy. He has visited with Suu Kyi many times but if you follow his visits even a little you can soon realize that he is a useless person. I think Suu Kyi has known it for a while. He just went to Burma to smile in a few photos with Suu Kyi and then with some members of the military and make people believe that he is doing some kind of good.
He has been useless for years:
http://www.khrg.org/khrg2006/khrg06c2.html
Quote from a Burmese man:
"I have lost hope in the future of the country. A regime that can kill monks will not give up its power easily. There could only be more bloodshed if people go out on the streets again," Maung Maung, a 52-year-old electrician, said in Yangon this week.
Burma is no longer on the map, well the media map anyway. Even if it was, I myself don't believe it would do them any good. People in the free world just change the channel and the story ends just like a movie ends. I don't know if I can judge that but I can at least hope people are grateful for what they have and at least I can still judge the media.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Yangon, Burma (Myanmar) - Hundreds of riot police and soldiers ringed a monument in downtown Yangon on Saturday as officials gathered to commemorate the shooting death 61 years ago of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's father.
Myanmar independence hero Gen. Aung San and other government leaders were assassinated by gunmen during a Cabinet meeting on July 19, 1947, shortly after Britain granted independence to the Southeast Asian colony.
Flags were flown at half staff in the capital to mark the day, a state holiday. Unlike past years, foreign diplomats were not invited to the tightly guarded wreath-laying ceremony at the Martyr's Monument located near the famed Shwedagon pagoda.
Opposition activists have suggested that the ruling military junta is trying to downgrade the importance of Aung San's legacy as a way of undercutting the popularity of his daughter, who remains under house arrest.
-------------------------------
The Beijing, China Olympics start on August 8, 2008. This is also the 20 year anniversary of the military regime slaughtering over 3,000 peaceful protesters in Burma. It is difficult to know just how many were killed, it could be higher. No one counted...
Tens of thousands of people across Burma rose up in peaceful demonstration against the military regime. Monks, Students, Civil Servants, Workers, Lawyers, Men, Women, Children all marched through the streets in defiance of the military brutality and demanding democracy. They were met with gunfire.
The regime ordered it's soldiers to fire into the crowds. As people lay dead and dying the regimes men forced many protestors back into lakes where they drowned whilst being fired upon by the soldiers. It was the bloodiest day in Burma's history and the thousands of deaths that day made it even worse than the Tiananmen Square massacre in China a year later. Only there were no camera crews there to film it.
China is one of the main arms supplier's of the Burmese military regime. Join in not supporting the Beijing Olympics starting on 08/08/08. Don't watch it.
Myanmar independence hero Gen. Aung San and other government leaders were assassinated by gunmen during a Cabinet meeting on July 19, 1947, shortly after Britain granted independence to the Southeast Asian colony.
Flags were flown at half staff in the capital to mark the day, a state holiday. Unlike past years, foreign diplomats were not invited to the tightly guarded wreath-laying ceremony at the Martyr's Monument located near the famed Shwedagon pagoda.
Opposition activists have suggested that the ruling military junta is trying to downgrade the importance of Aung San's legacy as a way of undercutting the popularity of his daughter, who remains under house arrest.
-------------------------------
The Beijing, China Olympics start on August 8, 2008. This is also the 20 year anniversary of the military regime slaughtering over 3,000 peaceful protesters in Burma. It is difficult to know just how many were killed, it could be higher. No one counted...
Tens of thousands of people across Burma rose up in peaceful demonstration against the military regime. Monks, Students, Civil Servants, Workers, Lawyers, Men, Women, Children all marched through the streets in defiance of the military brutality and demanding democracy. They were met with gunfire.
The regime ordered it's soldiers to fire into the crowds. As people lay dead and dying the regimes men forced many protestors back into lakes where they drowned whilst being fired upon by the soldiers. It was the bloodiest day in Burma's history and the thousands of deaths that day made it even worse than the Tiananmen Square massacre in China a year later. Only there were no camera crews there to film it.
China is one of the main arms supplier's of the Burmese military regime. Join in not supporting the Beijing Olympics starting on 08/08/08. Don't watch it.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
YANGON, Myanmar (Burma)- An explosion on Tuesday at dawn rocked the office of a government-backed social welfare group whose members have been accused in attacks against Myanmar's pro-democracy opposition, witnesses said.
The witnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of official reprisal, said the blast occurred at the office of Union Solidarity and Development Association office in the northern Yangon suburb of Shwepyithar. No casualties were reported.
Residents in Shwepyithar said riot police and security officials swarmed into the area after the explosion.
No further details were immediately available, and there were no immediate claims of responsibility. The government has not blamed any group for the bombing...
Though they have not blamed any group yet I wouldn't be surprised if the military government staged the bombing itself to help create a case against the National League for Democracy. It would be silly really for them to do that, what with all of the hideous crimes they have committed against the Burmese people. I don't believe there is any violence that could come from any opposition group that could compare to what the military has done.
The witnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of official reprisal, said the blast occurred at the office of Union Solidarity and Development Association office in the northern Yangon suburb of Shwepyithar. No casualties were reported.
Residents in Shwepyithar said riot police and security officials swarmed into the area after the explosion.
No further details were immediately available, and there were no immediate claims of responsibility. The government has not blamed any group for the bombing...
Though they have not blamed any group yet I wouldn't be surprised if the military government staged the bombing itself to help create a case against the National League for Democracy. It would be silly really for them to do that, what with all of the hideous crimes they have committed against the Burmese people. I don't believe there is any violence that could come from any opposition group that could compare to what the military has done.