It’s been strange returning to my work for Burma after being submersed in everything Tibetan for two weeks. And like the last time I took some time off work, I missed a lot of exciting news.
While I was away, I received an e-mail from my friend who had been detained in Rangoon, and thankfully released. He couldn’t write much about his experiences, but he said that he is okay. For the last 2 weeks I have been compiling a list of all the people who have been detained or killed since the protests began in August. It made my work a little easier knowing that some of those released are okay, despite being seriously shaken up. However, being aware of the horrible detention conditions, I know that my friend’s definition of “okay” is very different from my own. Nothing about being detained for expressing a peaceful political opinion is “okay”, let alone the inhumane treatment of men, women, children and monks in detention centers around the country. The Burmese people’s bravery to continue the struggle for democracy and human rights is an inspiration.
The Telegraph recently published a great article about the monks and activists inside Burma, who have not given up on their Saffron Revolution, but who are regrouping and planning the next protests. There have been stories that people have been hanging pictures of junta leader Than Shwe on street dogs – a serious dishonor to the general… and to the dogs!! People have been handing out political leaflets at markets, and painting anti-junta statements on trains. And on October 31st, 200 monks protested again in Pakokku. They have not given up!
Two UN envoys have visited Burma to gather information on the crackdown and to promote genuine negotiations between the SPDC and Aung San Suu Kyi. My colleagues are cautiously optimistic – this is a step in the right direction, however the junta is not to be trusted. This could all be a face saving effort. The junta is definitely still spewing out the same fantastically horrible propaganda on Aung San Suu Kyi, the NLD party, meddling external agitators and “big countries”. For anyone with a cynical sense of humour, I highly recommend the state-run newspaper, the New Light of Myanmar, for a good laugh at the junta’s ridiculous propaganda. It has become a good source of entertainment here at my office.
For all the Canadians reading this:
Today, our government imposed complete sanctions on Burma (the only exception being humanitarian aid). While our country’s trade with Burma is quite small it is a perfect gesture. The more countries do this, the more crippled the junta will be, and the quicker change will come to Burma. Today, I am very proud to be Canadian – more than usual, of course!
Knowing that so much is happening in Burma – and that so much more is bound to happen in the near future – makes it hard for me to leave at this point in time. Part of me will miss this work very much. It’s been a fantastic opportunity for me to strengthen my skills, and an immense source of inspiration that change is possible… and right in front of us all!
While I was away, I received an e-mail from my friend who had been detained in Rangoon, and thankfully released. He couldn’t write much about his experiences, but he said that he is okay. For the last 2 weeks I have been compiling a list of all the people who have been detained or killed since the protests began in August. It made my work a little easier knowing that some of those released are okay, despite being seriously shaken up. However, being aware of the horrible detention conditions, I know that my friend’s definition of “okay” is very different from my own. Nothing about being detained for expressing a peaceful political opinion is “okay”, let alone the inhumane treatment of men, women, children and monks in detention centers around the country. The Burmese people’s bravery to continue the struggle for democracy and human rights is an inspiration.
The Telegraph recently published a great article about the monks and activists inside Burma, who have not given up on their Saffron Revolution, but who are regrouping and planning the next protests. There have been stories that people have been hanging pictures of junta leader Than Shwe on street dogs – a serious dishonor to the general… and to the dogs!! People have been handing out political leaflets at markets, and painting anti-junta statements on trains. And on October 31st, 200 monks protested again in Pakokku. They have not given up!
Two UN envoys have visited Burma to gather information on the crackdown and to promote genuine negotiations between the SPDC and Aung San Suu Kyi. My colleagues are cautiously optimistic – this is a step in the right direction, however the junta is not to be trusted. This could all be a face saving effort. The junta is definitely still spewing out the same fantastically horrible propaganda on Aung San Suu Kyi, the NLD party, meddling external agitators and “big countries”. For anyone with a cynical sense of humour, I highly recommend the state-run newspaper, the New Light of Myanmar, for a good laugh at the junta’s ridiculous propaganda. It has become a good source of entertainment here at my office.
For all the Canadians reading this:
Today, our government imposed complete sanctions on Burma (the only exception being humanitarian aid). While our country’s trade with Burma is quite small it is a perfect gesture. The more countries do this, the more crippled the junta will be, and the quicker change will come to Burma. Today, I am very proud to be Canadian – more than usual, of course!
Knowing that so much is happening in Burma – and that so much more is bound to happen in the near future – makes it hard for me to leave at this point in time. Part of me will miss this work very much. It’s been a fantastic opportunity for me to strengthen my skills, and an immense source of inspiration that change is possible… and right in front of us all!
No comments:
Post a Comment