free burma

Quien no se espanta, no profundiza
Ortega y Gasset

Free Burma

olympic games?

The Chinese government has the ability to determine which way current events in Burma go. If the Burmese military use violence to crush pro-democracy protests it will be because China exerted insufficient pressure upon them to back down. Consequently I pledge to boycott all Olympic events both at the stadiums and in broadcast media and any companies affiliated with the 2008 games in the event of a crackdown by Burmese military forces.

burma protests eleventh day

An email message from burma

Today, the people’s uprising lead by the monks, NLD members, students and citizens of Burma are entering the battle with their lives and blood.

In the aftermath of 8888 (18 Aug 1988) pro-democracy uprising, the Burmese democracy activists were forced to leave the country in exile. They tried achieving democracy from abroad. Both the exile oppositions organizations and the international community share the similar opinion to bring about a change in the country from force within. We also believe in a change by standing up against the regime from within with a united force. Today is the tenth day that the monks have led the protest in the streets with the students and citizens to defy the junta.

In this revolution, 15 monks and people including a Japanese citizen have sacrificed their lives in this cause. In Burma, the only path to oppose the military junta is to demonstrate peacefully. The military junta repressed the peaceful demonstration brutally by hiding truth. The longer the military junta represses the people we are bound to loos more lives.

Would the Burmese community in exile and the institutions like the UN and EU wait till the situation in Burma gets worse like Darfur in Sudan?

The neighbouring countries like China, and so called democratic countries like India and ASEAN countries selfishly avoiding the problems in Burma by brushing pass as our internal problems. It does not matter how many people the military kills, we woe to struggle and scarify our lives to restore democracy for our future generation.

On behalf of the Burmese people I salute the courage of Mr Kenji Nagai, a Japanese journalist employed by the APF Tsushin based in Tokyo, who scarified his life whilst recording media footage of gun shots to educate the global citizens.

Message sent to Ko Htike's blog

About the press situation in Burma, it's worthwhile reading Reporters without borders.
For more info coming straight away from inside Burma join the Myanmar Network on Facebook.

burma protests tenth day

Image taken from Bbc News

I had planned to write about something different but the events unfolding in Burma overwhelm and touch me especially because I visited the country and I saw with my own eyes how people were living under the dictatorship, the fear in their eyes, the refugee camps along the Burmese-Thai border, the poverty, despite that Burmese were the kindest and most hospitable people I came across through my journey around South-East Asia. Language was never a problem although few people could speak English and my knowledge of Burmese was really reduced. Their fight is a lesson for all of us.


Here is an extract from Ko-Htike's blog about the desperate situation in Rangoon:

To all folk, it is really bad in YGN, pLs can someone do something for our country, now inside YGN it has been look like War Zone, i even heard stooting over the phone. it is over 50 shots, right now. but people are not giving up to protest and more and more people coming out to street.

they even used tear gas into primary school.


Now, the government is trying to make a diversion. They give 10,000 kyats (around $7) & a set of Thin Gan (yellow robe) to "Swan Arr Shin"(like USDA which the form as a group that to crash down violently to protester) team and make them to pretend as Monks. Then, command to destroy the Islamic Mosque. This intends to become a fight between Buddhisms & Islams. So, if u hear or see the news that the monks are destroying the Mosque, these are not real monks. They are just fakes. As u all know, the real monks have no intention like that. So, give this information to Islams who u know and tell them.

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burma 2

Despite the use of force, the Burmese demonstrators (many of them Buddhist Monks) keep on protesting in the streets of the main cities. The Saffron Revolution is on...

Here you are some blogs of Burmese activists:

http://ko-htike.blogspot.com/

http://niknayman.blogspot.com/
http://dathana.blogspot.com/2007/09/blogs-with-news-updates.html

And from outside Burma:

http://www.voicesforburma.org/about/people-power/burma-protesters-beaten/

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=23770

burma

Images taken from the Myanmar Media, Education & Development Watch

Yesterday, for the eighth consecutive day, thousands of demonstrators led by Buddhist Monks invaded the streets of Burma, protesting agaisnt the military junta that rules the country. These marches were triggered by the government's decision to DOUBLE the price of fuel in August, hitting the impoverished burmese people hard. Last time there was such an uprising, in 1988, 3.000 people were killed by the regime.

the lady

Aung San Suu Kyi is the world´s only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient. She is the democratically chosen leader of Burma and she´s been under house arrest since the 1988 demostrations against the country´s military rulers.

The Lady´s birthday is June 19th and there´s a campaign to draw attention to her struggle (and the struggle of 55 million Burmese people who live under a brutal military dictatorship) by staying at home for 24 hours of self-imposed house arrest. For more information US campaign for Burma.

10 curiosidades birmanas

1. When shaking hands or handing over something, do so with your right hand, while touching your right elbow with your left hand.

2. Tatoos are a sign of bravery: men have them made at the age of 13 years old.

3. Longyis are worn by men and women. They must be ankle-lenght. Men are allowed to wear them shorter if they´re playing some kind of sport or working.
4. Every man has to go into the Buddhist monestary for a minimum period of two months at least twice in their lives, as novices, before they are in their twenties and as adults.

5. Burma is the country of the readers. Everybody is always reading everything, newspapers, books, magazines, comics...
6. In Mandalay, the first version of King kong was being shown in the cinema.
7. There is an undying respect for elders.

8. Nobody would get married unless they go first to the astrologer.
9. Don´t point your feet at anybody or anything. It´s extremely rude. Feet are the lowest and dirtiest part of the body.

1o. Don´t touch anybody on the head. The head is the temple of the body.

mandalay 18-04-2006

Ayer celebre por tercera vez el anyo nuevo en lo que llevo de viaje: el anyo nuevo Birmano!... Es curioso hasta eso cambia viajando. Nada es igual a casa.

Despues de 4 dias locos de celebracion del Water Festival (celebracion que consiste basicamente en tirarse agua los unos a los otros ) Ha llegado el anyo nuevo con su calorcito.

Birmania es una maravilla. Su gente es encantadora pero no hay que olvidar que llevan mas de 40 años de dictadura militar. La gente es forzada a trabajar por el gobierno y si se niegan simplemente los matan. Miles de etnias estan desapareciendo.

Estan esclavizados y atemorizados. Hay espias por todas partes que salen como de la nada y controlan como, cuando, donde y con quien vas.

A pesar de ello y de el hecho de que nadie les echa una mano, la gente de la calle es tremendamente amable con el forastero. En 3 semanas en Birmania, la gente me ha invitado a montar en bici, en moto, en autobus local, en tren, en barco.... Me han invitado a comer y a cenar. Me han regalado flores, chicles, tabaco, un joyero con forma de corazon (un niño en la calle) y un colgante que brilla en la oscuridad (una niña que vino corriendo ayer por la calle para darmelo como un preciado tesoro). Me han regalado jade sin pulir en una estacion de tren en el norte... asi porque si! Por que la gente es increible en Birmania. Me han llamado guapa mas veces aqui que en toda mi vida y me han dado las gracias por visitar su pais, otras tantas.

Y me pregunto: La dificultad y la dureza de un regimen autoritario hacen a la gente mas buena? Es el budismo lo que hace a la gente mejor? El aislamiento del mundo exterior durante mas de 50 anyos?

Aqui todavia viven en la edad de la inocencia....y es precioso. La gente es amable y buena los unos con los otros y especialmente con NOSOTROS el hombre blanco. Todos te sonrien al pasar y con una leve inclinacion de la cabeza dicen MINGALABA (hola) y se paran a hablar contigo porque estan como locos por practicar su ingles.... para cuando todo cambie, para cuando sean libres...

Espero que sean libres pronto y que puedan conservar la bondad y la inocencia, espero que no les corrompa la coca-cola.

katha

Todas las manyanas tras el sunrise un gong tocado ritmicamente cada ciertos segundos anuncia que los monjes van a hacer la ronda por el pueblo para recoger su comida. Dos comidas al dia: una alba y otra a las 11:00 de la manyana. Tras esa hora los monjes no pueden comer hasta el dia siguiente....

Y todos dan en el pueblo, porque son sus hermanos, sus tios, sus hijos... los que van con el bol en la cadera y el ropaje rojo. Todos los hombres budistas estan obligados a pasar un tiempo en un monasterio al menos una vez en su vida. Unos estan una semana, otros unos meses, otros unos anyos, otros, toda la vida... En Birmania la cantidad de monjes budistas es increiblemente alta debido a la gran pobreza de la gente. Esto me hace recordar a mi abuela que decia PORQUE NO ME HABRA SALIDO UN HIJO CURA?

Es la misma sensacion aqui.... los monjes tienen asegurado un lugar donde dormir (la pagoda) y comida, que no es poco!

mandalay

Birmania es un pais exotico y silencioso comparado con India; si India esta parada en algunos casos en el siglo XIX, Birmania parece que todavia vive en los anyos 50 en algunas cosas y en muchos siglos atras en otras. Hombres y mujeres visten lungies que son una especie de pareos pero sin abertura (como un tubo de tela) solo que se lo colocan de un modo ligeramente diferente, los hombres con una especie de nudo delante y las mujeres a un lado. Los hombres los llevan de cuadrados pequenyitos y las mujeres con los estampados mas variados, desde flores a figuras geometricas, y siempre con la parte de arriba a juego y con cuello mao.

Las mujeres se peinan casi todas con un monyo y lo enganchan con el propio peine en vez de con una horquilla, asi siempre lo tienen a mano...Las mujeres y ninyos y muchos hombres tambien usan la resina de un arbol a modo de proteccion solar y todos van como con un barro amarillento en la cara que contrasta de una forma preciosa con el color marron brillante de su piel.

La poblacion tiene racionado el petroleo, la electricidad (donde estoy ahora solo hay suministro electrico de 6 de la tarde a 6 de la manyana, el resto del tiempo la ciudad funciona con generadores que pueblan todas las destrozadas aceras de las ciudades, generadores que por supuesto no son insonorizados) y muchas otras cosas... Circunstancia que sus vecinos los chinos aprovechan para hacer negocio y pasan de todo de contrabando, desde cocacolas (hay en muy pocos sitios) hasta bicicletas, candados, lamparas.... de todo!