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Struggle for Freedom in Burma Spreads Worldwide
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Activists around the world are mobilizing for a three-day protest in support of the courageous struggle of the Burmese people for freedom. The protests begin today with bloggers. Tomorrow, students will show solidarity with the students in Burma, and on Saturday, freedom-loving people around the world will come together for a massive global day of action to free Burma.
Tens of thousands of Buddhist monks and ordinary citizens and workers are challenging Burma’s military dictatorship in the streets of Burmese cities like Rangoon and Mandalay in what is being called the Saffron Revolution. In response, the regime has launched a vicious attack on its own people. Some reports say thousands of people have been killed by the military following days of protest, and 200 monks have been murdered by the military who crushed their skulls against a brick wall (see video).
MSNBC reported today that Burma’s government is stepping up its campaign of intimidation and troops are pulling people out of their homes in the middle of the night.
The three-day protest for a free Burma kicks off today with International Bloggers Day for Burma. More than 5,000 bloggers around the world are showing solidarity with the people of Burma by refraining from posting to their blogs and, instead, putting up a banner underlined with the words “Free Burma!” Click here for a copy of the banner.
Other bloggers are choosing to get the message out about what’s happening in Burma by publishing posts on bulletin boards, forums, blogs, social networks or websites today with the header: “Free Burma!”
As Mash, from the Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying blog, notes, the situation in Burma has galvanized the world:
The news reports say that the Saffron Revolution has been crushed. Not so. There are not enough bullets in this world to deny a people their freedom. The Burmese have struggled long for their freedom and they have suffered much. Often they have struggled and suffered alone while the world neglected them. Today that is changing. The world has finally focused its gaze upon the inhumanity being visited upon the brave people of Burma.
James Boyce writes in the Huffington Post about the connections between the oil company Chevron, Burma and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Click here to read more.
Even if you don’t have a website or blog, you can help spread the word across the Internet about the oppression in Burma by forwarding this story to your neighbors and friends. You also can sign an online list of participants by clicking here.
Tomorrow, students around the world will show solidarity for students in Burma who are working closely with monks in leading the peaceful protest. On Sept. 29, according to the U.S. Campaign for Burma, some 50–100 students and parents were massacred by government troops at a high school in Rangoon.
Students will sign petitions asking Chinese President Hu Jintao to stop using his country’s veto power to prevent the U.N. Security Council from acting to stop the violence in Burma. Sign the petition here.
Find out more and sign up for the student protest by clicking here.
On Saturday, union members, human and civil rights activists and religious leaders will join in a massive Global Day of Action for a Free Burma. In Washington, D.C., hundreds of marchers are expected to rally outside the Burmese and Chinese embassies. In major cities across the country and around the world, actions will focus on pressuring Burma’s leaders to end the killings and allow the Burmese people to be free.
Click here to find out about events in your area.
Last week, hundreds of Washington, D.C.-area workers gathered outside the two embassies to condemn the Burmese generals’ violence against their own people and support the struggle for freedom.
Addressing the crowd, AFL-CIO International Affairs Director Barbara Shailor said:
The AFL-CIO today—and the entire global labor movement—stands with our brave union brothers and sisters inside the cauldron of Burma. We call upon the Burmese government to release all political prisoners, including six labor rights activists who were sentenced for up to 28 years in prison for exercising their rights as workers in Labor Day activities on May 1. We call for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.
As a pro-democracy campaigner and leader of the National League for Democracy [NLD] party, Aung San Suu Kyi has spent more than 11 of the past 18 years in some form of detention under Burma’s military regime. In 1991, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to bring democracy to Burma.
In a letter to Senior Gen. Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace & Development Council (SPDC), AFL-CIO President John Sweeney demanded the military stop the violence and cease all hostilities against the people of Burma, immediately order the return of military and security forces back to their barracks and release all monks, students and other political prisoners currently being detained.
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3 Comments
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good afternoon — yesterday on air america’s thomhartmann show i heard — that CHEVRON — the oil company — is the primary source of funds used by the military govt in burma — and that at one time CHEVRON had a tanker named for condelezza rice — she worked for them — does she work for them now? — gratefully things change — mm
go to youtube — i suggest “monks in burma” as a subject — or “myanmar” — look at the bits of video smuhggled out — REACH FOR GRATITUDE AND FIND HAPPINESS — mm
go to youtube — find “monks in burma” videos — shuffle by date added to see the latest videos — gratefully everything changes — mm