Today marks an important day for two movements that have their own places in my heart and my consciousness.
August 8, 2008 (an auspicious Buddhist date) is an important date for the Burmese: it will be 20 years since the national uprising that lead to the killing of thousands of people and the imprisonment of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The time I’ve spent with the Burmese human rights group here in Bangkok has been very interesting and has given me the opportunity to grow personally and as an activist. The bravery of the Burmese people – of those who continue to protest inside their country despite definite detention, and of those who have left their lives and families behind to campaign for democracy in exile – has inspired me.
August 8, 2008 is also the opening day of the Olympics in Beijing. Today Tibetans and their supporters have intensified their campaign against the Beijing Olympics, with only 365 days to go (www.studentsforafreetibet.org and www.beijingwideopen.org). Since Beijing put in its bid to host the 2008 games, human rights groups around the world have been vocal that such a country as China should not be given the honour because of its human rights record. The promises made by the IOC or Beijing have not yet been seen. The air quality is horrible in the capital, media reporting is not free, and millions of “ethnic nationalities” continue to live under the yoke of oppression. As my friends gather around the world to mark this important date, I wish I was there with them. I’m thinking of them and waiting anxiously for news that the “Great Wall 6”, and Lhadon and Paul, have been safely released from detention in Beijing.
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