Dear Friends,
Today the Burmese regime completes the convening of its sham National Convention – a first step towards new election and constitution which the regime aims to formally legalize the role of military in Burma’s national politics. I will keep you posted on what comes of this political front. Meanwhile, you can view the picture at the bottom of this update to see how the military leaders
were working in their National Convention.
Meanwhile, please find the update on the ongoing protests in various parts of the country yesterday and today. Weekly summary will come to you soon.
Thanks again to all of you for being constantly vigilant and taking immediate actions – which I must say are quite amazing as these actions are worldwide and coming from all levels of the international community – from the grassroots to governments and UN levels.
As we stand together so firmly in this particular time for the people in Burma, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that we’ve come to begin to witness some outcomes of our collective efforts. BUT definitely much more is needed to get to the point for us to see some concrete actions come from the international bodies before it's too late.
So let us keep up with our efforts together and thanks again.
In Solidarity,
Khin Ohmar
Coordinator, APPPB
I. Update on the ’88 Generation Students Group:
There is an ongoing search of the ’88 leaders in hiding, harassment of their families, violent searches of their homes, and confiscating materials.
State newspapers have been consistently writing articles with accusation on the ’88 Generation Student Group of “agitating to undermine stability and security of the state,” a charge that could carry a prison sentence of up to a 20 years. So far, 13 members of the Group have been reportedly held at the notorious Insein Prison in Rangoon while others are still in hiding.
Women leaders of the ’88 Group and other women activists have been unable to return home to be with their children. Burmese Women’s Union (BWU), a prominent women’s rights advocate group in exile has demanded that the SPDC abolish USDA and Swan-arr-shin and that Myanmar Federation of Women’s Affairs file a law suit on behalf of the women protesters against those members of USDA and Swan-arr-shin who committed the violence.
Well-being of all detained 88 Generation Student leaders and many other activists are of a major concern for people both in and outside the country as they all previously served long jail sentences, surviving torture and solitary confinement.
II. More Protests and Arrests inside:
1) Labutta, Irrawaddy Division (Sept 3): This morning, at least one thousand people joined the protest in Labutta Town in Irrawaddy Division. Ko Aung Moe Win, Ko Htay Win and Ko Kyi Than started the protest by holding a banner which reads “We are peacefully demonstrating for the decrease price of basic commodities.” and made public speeches for the reasons of their protest.
They were joined by about 300 people at the beginning of the march and later the crowd grew to about 1,000 people. They continued to march in the town. When they reached the bus stop at the far end of the town, they were stopped by township authorities and police and Ko Aung Moe Win, Ko Htay Win and Ko Kyi Than were then abducted and taken away in the army jeeps. It was also reported there was a protest in Kyauk-se in center Burma. Details not confirmed yet.
2) Buthi-daung, Rakhine State (Sept 2): There was a solo-protest in Buthi-daung, another town in Rakhine State yesterday on September 2. Ko Bu Maung held the protest near the port in the morning holding a placard calling for the decrease commodity prices. Onlookers were clapping hands in support of this protest, but the police came and abducted him.
III. Responses from International Governments:
1) UK PM (Sept 2): Yesterday Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown issued a statement yesterday and calls on the SPDC to release all detainees immediately for protesting at the hardship imposed on them by the regime’s economic mismanagement and failure to uphold fundamental human rights and to release all political prisoners including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
The PM also said, “I support calls for t he grave situation in Burma to be considered by the UN Security Council at the earliest opportunity. I also call for the UN General Assembly to address this issue. We give our full support to the efforts of the UN Secretary-General's good offices mission. It is time for the UN human rights bodies to give this alarming situation the attention it so patently deserves.”
In addition, he asks the Foreign Secretary to discuss this issue with his European partners in coming EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Portugal on September 7-8 and says he will seek an early opportunity to raise the situation in Burma with his counterparts in the key regional countries and with his partners in the EU and the US.”
Burma Campaign UK issued immediate release welcoming these concrete calls by Mr. Gordon Brown as both Burmese and Burma solidarity groups have been calling for these actions since these violent crack-downs on the protesters by the Burmese regime.
IV. “Toward Free Burma” Actions around the World:
Europe (September 4): An international 14 hour hunger strike will be held by activists from almost twenty countries on four continents including UK and Finland in solidarity with 41 detainees who are on hunger strike in the interrogation center in an attempt to get medical care for a colleague with a leg injury as attacked by a militia during the protest at Hlaedan on August 28.
Today the Burmese regime completes the convening of its sham National Convention – a first step towards new election and constitution which the regime aims to formally legalize the role of military in Burma’s national politics. I will keep you posted on what comes of this political front. Meanwhile, you can view the picture at the bottom of this update to see how the military leaders
were working in their National Convention.
Meanwhile, please find the update on the ongoing protests in various parts of the country yesterday and today. Weekly summary will come to you soon.
Thanks again to all of you for being constantly vigilant and taking immediate actions – which I must say are quite amazing as these actions are worldwide and coming from all levels of the international community – from the grassroots to governments and UN levels.
As we stand together so firmly in this particular time for the people in Burma, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that we’ve come to begin to witness some outcomes of our collective efforts. BUT definitely much more is needed to get to the point for us to see some concrete actions come from the international bodies before it's too late.
So let us keep up with our efforts together and thanks again.
In Solidarity,
Khin Ohmar
Coordinator, APPPB
I. Update on the ’88 Generation Students Group:
There is an ongoing search of the ’88 leaders in hiding, harassment of their families, violent searches of their homes, and confiscating materials.
State newspapers have been consistently writing articles with accusation on the ’88 Generation Student Group of “agitating to undermine stability and security of the state,” a charge that could carry a prison sentence of up to a 20 years. So far, 13 members of the Group have been reportedly held at the notorious Insein Prison in Rangoon while others are still in hiding.
Women leaders of the ’88 Group and other women activists have been unable to return home to be with their children. Burmese Women’s Union (BWU), a prominent women’s rights advocate group in exile has demanded that the SPDC abolish USDA and Swan-arr-shin and that Myanmar Federation of Women’s Affairs file a law suit on behalf of the women protesters against those members of USDA and Swan-arr-shin who committed the violence.
Well-being of all detained 88 Generation Student leaders and many other activists are of a major concern for people both in and outside the country as they all previously served long jail sentences, surviving torture and solitary confinement.
II. More Protests and Arrests inside:
1) Labutta, Irrawaddy Division (Sept 3): This morning, at least one thousand people joined the protest in Labutta Town in Irrawaddy Division. Ko Aung Moe Win, Ko Htay Win and Ko Kyi Than started the protest by holding a banner which reads “We are peacefully demonstrating for the decrease price of basic commodities.” and made public speeches for the reasons of their protest.
They were joined by about 300 people at the beginning of the march and later the crowd grew to about 1,000 people. They continued to march in the town. When they reached the bus stop at the far end of the town, they were stopped by township authorities and police and Ko Aung Moe Win, Ko Htay Win and Ko Kyi Than were then abducted and taken away in the army jeeps. It was also reported there was a protest in Kyauk-se in center Burma. Details not confirmed yet.
2) Buthi-daung, Rakhine State (Sept 2): There was a solo-protest in Buthi-daung, another town in Rakhine State yesterday on September 2. Ko Bu Maung held the protest near the port in the morning holding a placard calling for the decrease commodity prices. Onlookers were clapping hands in support of this protest, but the police came and abducted him.
III. Responses from International Governments:
1) UK PM (Sept 2): Yesterday Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown issued a statement yesterday and calls on the SPDC to release all detainees immediately for protesting at the hardship imposed on them by the regime’s economic mismanagement and failure to uphold fundamental human rights and to release all political prisoners including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
The PM also said, “I support calls for t he grave situation in Burma to be considered by the UN Security Council at the earliest opportunity. I also call for the UN General Assembly to address this issue. We give our full support to the efforts of the UN Secretary-General's good offices mission. It is time for the UN human rights bodies to give this alarming situation the attention it so patently deserves.”
In addition, he asks the Foreign Secretary to discuss this issue with his European partners in coming EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Portugal on September 7-8 and says he will seek an early opportunity to raise the situation in Burma with his counterparts in the key regional countries and with his partners in the EU and the US.”
Burma Campaign UK issued immediate release welcoming these concrete calls by Mr. Gordon Brown as both Burmese and Burma solidarity groups have been calling for these actions since these violent crack-downs on the protesters by the Burmese regime.
IV. “Toward Free Burma” Actions around the World:
Europe (September 4): An international 14 hour hunger strike will be held by activists from almost twenty countries on four continents including UK and Finland in solidarity with 41 detainees who are on hunger strike in the interrogation center in an attempt to get medical care for a colleague with a leg injury as attacked by a militia during the protest at Hlaedan on August 28.
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