Cyprus-Forum.com

[ARMENIAN CYPRIOT]

The Burmese military government has now shut down all phone lines within there nation. The BBC and VOA are being scapegoated by the generals for encouraging the protests and are also being jammed by the authorities. Cell phones are not working either the only way for one to get through is by having a satalite linked phone.

[tessintrnc]

You are right Southerner, there is oil in Burma, and actually the US oil companies have bought some despite knowing that it involves forced/slave labour, so they arent interfering because THERE is oil in them there Burmese hills and to hell with the Burmese people's suffering!!!!
Tess

[Southerner]

Money can buy anything including the Olympics.
It is revolting to think they are sending healthy individuals to a place where you cannot see beyond your nose from bloomin pollution.

It seems money can buy anything that's why the US got them twice in recent years, look at mexico they had to revive athletes after some events with oxygen due to the altitude, how many third world countries could have benefited from the money that Australia wasted on the showstaged opening ceremony that had nothing to do with athletics.
But if you ask Eliko he will say the what is going on in Burma is only the affair of the Burmese government just like Iraq under Saddam.

[Southerner]

You are right Southerner, there is oil in Burma, and actually the US oil companies have bought some despite knowing that it involves forced/slave labour, so they arent interfering because THERE is oil in them there Burmese hills and to hell with the Burmese people's suffering!!!!
Tess

So once again the evil USA is in a lose lose situation, do nothing and they're ignoring the plight of the people, do something and they're the illegal agressor, it seems that they are the whipping boys for all the worlds ills.

[Mills Chapman]

From Myoe, my Burmese friend in Thailand who used to teach physics at a Rangoon university before the govt closed all universities in Burma in 1990:
“At these days I always go to the following websites. You can download the video about the real the government troop shot the monks and people. And the monks bow to the soldiers. I'm sure they all will go to the hell in the next life.
www.voanews.com/burmese
www.bbc.co.uk/burmese
www.rfa.or/burmese
You can also read many interesting news about burma. Don't forget to watch video news. I think only praying isn't effective. Actually should fight back with the weapons is the best way for this kind of government.”

Another friend of mine, who is part Burmese, sent me this e-mail, which had been forwarded to her:
Recent protests of over 100,000 people of Burma peacefully demonstrating against the military regime (ironically named the SPDC- "State Peace and Development Council") became violent yesterday. Nine protesters were killed in Rangoon, including a Japanese video journalist who was shot by a soldier as a crowd looked on.
(see pics in link below.. he is the one lying on his back taking video with a soldier standing over him in one picture.... and then he is dead in the next picture)
http://www.irrawaddy.org

Burma has been ruled by a military dictatorship since 1962, Aung Sun Suu Kyi is the pro-democracy campaigner, leader of the opposition National League for Democracy party, and 1991 Nobel Prize Winner. She won the 1990 elections in Burma's first multi-party election in over 30 years. She has spent 11 of the last 18 years under house arrest.

For the first time since thousands of people were shot in the streets during the August 8, 1988 protest- international attention spotlights the oppressive military government. You have probably seen it on the news- but you can get up to date information from citizens inside Burma at the link from the irrawaddy site above. The UN is now meeting in NYC- and the US along with most other countries, are leveling sanctions against Burma, and also trying to appeal to China to do the same.

So what can you do?

Well, if you are in Thailand... citizen protests will begin this afternoon, so you can join... OR you can help in a slightly less direct, but equally important way.

The school where I work spends a lot of time teaching American university students about human rights abuses. Yesterday our students met with students from the School for Shan State Nationalities Youth (one of about 6 different underground schools in Chiang Mai, Thailand that educate refugees from Burma). These students are ethnic minorities from a state in Burma that borders Chiang Mai and they have sneaked into Thailand to get training as activists so that they can create change in their country. Our American students and instructors are always amazed when we sit down with refugees from Burma as they talk about their villages being burned and working in forced labor camps run by the SPDC Government.

Here is a link to their site to get some more details(somewhat under construction)
http://www.sssny.org/main.html

The school was started about 7 years ago by Nang Charm Tong- a refugee from Burma- when she was still a teenager! She was won many global awards for her human rights work, including being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Much of what Pres.and Laura Bush have said regarding the problems in Burma come from a meeting that Charm Tong had with them a few years ago.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases ... -515h.html

With the US at war in Iraq.... why talk about Burma? Easy... because this issue is very clear. Complete oppression of the people of Burma by their government dictatorship will only be reversed when the "opposition" can be supported by the outside world. By supporting the students at SSSNY, you are directly helping a Burmese refugee become a political activist so they can fight for democracy and someday go back home. It would be easy to donate via the website... but it is not yet functional.

I will make it easy to donate to the School for Shan State Nationalities Youth:
1.) You send me an email with the amount you want to donate
2.) I give the school the equivalent amount of money in Thai baht ($1=34baht)
3.) I mail you confirmation of your donation reaching the school.. and email you info on where to send your donation check in the USA.
4.) If you would like, I can also mail you a CD of student music and/or T-Shirt- please let me know.