Burmese Walking Across US for Human Rights

Global Day of Action for 8.8.08 Update:
We are a few weeks away from our Global Day of Action on 8.8.08. There will be actions for Burma in a dozen cities around the world. Check out the 8.8.08 page of our website for a list of events as well as action tools to help you spread the word. Want to get your city involved - contact us today!

We want to spotlight some strong activists who have been engaged in an amazing feat to spread word in America about their home of Burma.

On March 1, 2008, two men set out on an extraordinary journey to help free Burma. Athein and Zaw Min Htwe set out on a rainy morning from Portland, Oregon, with plans to walk on foot to the United Nations offices in New York city. Taking turns walking, together they have already walked over 2,000 miles through rain, snow, mountains, and deserts. They are not marching for fame or glory, but to raise awareness of the plight of the Burmese people, and to demand change.

Along their march, Athein and Zaw Min Htwe are speaking to the people they meet about Burma and collecting signatures on a petition calling for freedom and liberty in Burma. On August 8, 2008 - the day of the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics and the 20th anniversary of the 8-8-88 protests in Burma - they will present their petition to representatives at the UN headquarters in New York.

Athein and Zaw Min Htwe are marching for all the people of Burma, but they can't do it alone.

You can show your support and follow the Walk for Freedom at the blog, http://88portland.wordpress.com/. For more information on how you can support the Walk, or to see if Athein and Zaw Min Htwe will be passing through your town, please email freedom@solidarityprojects.org

Aung San Suu Kyi's 63rd Birthday

Dear friends,

We want to quickly thank everyone who helped out on Aung San Suu Kyi's birthday.

Also, we want to share with you a short but powerful essay written by a woman human rights activist who is "on the run" hiding from the military dictators in Burma. She has been separated from her young daughter now for over 10 months as the military regime is trying to arrest her. This courageous woman risked her life by exposing her conscience in the writing of the essay -- reminding the world that we are working not only to change statistics about human rights, but to help our fellow human beings -- everyday people who share our values and beliefs in liberty and human rights.

Her essay is pasted below. First though, quickly, we wanted to highlight a few things that happened leading up to Aung San Suu Kyi's birthday. Our goal of "celebrating" her birthday is to keep her in the news and at the forefront of discussions in governments, at the United Nations, and everywhere else we can. Burma campaign groups throughout the world worked very hard on this.

A few highlights:

- Because of our work, Aung San Suu Kyi's birthday was reported by over 500 news organizations throughout the world

- Inside Burma, the All Burma Monks Organization issued a call for the leader of the military dictatorship in Burma, Than Shwe, to be taken to the International Criminal Court and tried for committing crimes against humanity

- Also inside Burma, hundreds of protestors led a demonstration calling for Aung San Suu Kyi's release -- at least one dozen were arrested and we greatly fear for their well-being

- Our campaign Burma It Can't Wait was profiled on the MySpace celebrity section (http://celebrity.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=celebrity.impact)

- French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown issued a joint call for Aung San Suu Kyi's release. It is very uncommon for French and British leaders to unite on any issue, so we are quite pleased.

- In the United States, we organized over 200 events across the country. At most events, participants "arrested themselves" -- staying at home for 24 hours in solidarity with Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest. During a portion of their "arrest", they invited friends and family over to watch videos on Burma, enjoy Burmese food, and raise money for US Campaign for Burma.

- Many women Nobel Peace Prize recipients (from Kenya, United States, Iran, etc.) issued a joint call for Aung San Suu Kyi's release.

- After pressure from Congress, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice spoke about Aung San Suu Kyi at the UN Security Council

- In the U.S. Congress, over 100 supporters of human rights, members of Congress, and others gathered to issue a joint, public demand for Aung San Suu Kyi's release

- A few weeks ago, Anjelica Huston held a press conference inside the United Nations building calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi -- the first-ever press conference by a entertainment/cultural figure on Burma.

All human rights struggles are long and difficult, but with your support the efforts of Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese people are growing stronger by the day. For example, over the past year, our email list has expanded from under 6,000 supporters to over 50,000.

There is still much work to be done, but we wanted to take a minute to THANK YOU for all of your work, compassion, and dedication.

Many warm thanks,

Jeremy and Jack

==================================
Who Will Save Burma's Women and Children?

By Nilar Thein
Published on June 19, 2008 (The Nation)
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/06/19/opinion/opinion_30075891.php

"I woke up from a dream in the middle of the night. I was with my daughter, playing in a small garden.

We were playing hide and seek. I was looking at her from behind a tree. She was so beautiful, with the prettiest smile on her face, looking for me happily. I couldn't hide anymore. I wanted her to find me. I wanted to hold her in my arms and kiss her face gently. I started to show myself to her, but, suddenly I saw three men -with black coats and ugly faces - watching from the shadows near my daughter. I stepped back. I wanted to be found by my daughter, not by them. I still saw my daughter, still looking for me with her innocent smile. I didn't want to hide anymore. I wanted her to find me, but these men would take me away and put me in hell. Then I woke up, with tears on my cheeks.

I have been separated from my daughter for nearly ten months. A midnight knock at our door in August last year changed our lives dramatically. The military junta's security forces took my husband Kyaw Min Yu (also known as Jimmy) on the night of August 21, 2007. He is a leader of the prominent dissident group, the 88 Generation Students, comprising former student leaders and former political prisoners. He and other leaders were taken from their homes that night by the authorities. As a former student activist and a former political prisoner myself, I knew very well how my husband and friends would be treated in the junta's interrogation cells. Therefore, when they came back to arrest me, I went into hiding.

But I must continue to lead the 88 Generation Students with my other colleagues, so that Burma may realise its freedom, and find justice and democracy someday. I must avoid being arrested. However, there are so many difficulties and hardships in moving secretly from one hiding place to another, and I didn't want my daughter to share these hardships. Therefore, I decided to send my three-month-old baby to my parents. Now, I miss her so much.

My mind wanders to University Avenue, where "the Lady", Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, has been detained under house arrest for so many years. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient, will have to spend her 63rd birthday today alone in detention. She will be missing her two sons, too. Her strength and determination helps me and many women in Burma stand up for justice. I thank her for being with us and leading our movement. She is a great reminder to the world that the military junta that rules our country forcibly separates mothers and children.

Coincidentally, the UN Security Council will hold a debate in New York today on "Women, Peace and Security". This debate is a discussion of UNSC Resolution 1325, which was passed unanimously in October, 2000. Resolution 1325 "Calls on all parties to armed conflict to take special measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, particularly rape and other forms of sexual abuse, and all other forms of violence in situations of armed conflict." It also "Emphasises the responsibility of all States to put an end to impunity and to prosecute those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes including those relating to sexual violence against women and girls, and in this regard, stresses the need to exclude these crimes, where feasible from amnesty provisions."

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to chair the debate, with many world leaders discussing the development of women, peace and security. Will they discuss Burma? Will they remember Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the women of Burma who are suffering all forms of abuse by the military junta?

Burma is now in the midst of two conflicts. One is the 50-year-old civil war, raging between the Burmese military and the minority resistance forces, predominately in the eastern part of the country. Burmese troops are raping with impunity tribal women and girls, some as young as eight years old. Burmese soldiers use women in conflict areas as porters to carry their military equipment and supplies during the day, and use them as sex slaves at night. Many women have been brutally killed to erase the evidence of these crimes.

The other conflict is a 20-year old war, waged by the Burmese junta against its own unarmed citizens, who are calling for freedom, justice and democracy. Women activists are beaten, arrested, tortured and then put in prison for many years. Many female activists are mistreated and sexually assaulted by their interrogators and jailers. Children are used as bait by the authorities to get their mothers arrested. Of the 2.5 million people severely affected by Cyclone Nargis - many of whom the military junta simply left to die through starvation and disease - at least a million are women and girls. Recently, a UN expert said that up to 35,000 pregnant women, all cyclone survivors, are at extreme risk of death. However, they will never receive any care from the military.

I hope that Secretary of State Rice and other leaders at the UN Security Council will give consideration to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the women of Burma during their debate. Resolution 1325 is a great development, but implementation and enforcement is still in question. When the government itself is the abuser of human rights and the perpetrator of rape and other forms of gender-based violence, who will protect the victims? Who will end their tragedy? Who will secure the joyful reunion of mothers with their children?

The appeasement policy of some bureaucrats is shameful. Effective and urgent action from the UN Security Council is necessary to help the women in Burma. No more debate. Take action. Please let me be happily reunited with my daughter."

Nilar Thein is a former student leader in the 1988 democracy uprising in Burma and spent more than nine years in prison.

The End of Intervention

"Op-Ed Contributor

By MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT
Published: June 11, 2008

Washington

THE Burmese government’s criminally neglectful response to last month’s cyclone, and the world’s response to that response, illustrate three grim realities today: totalitarian governments are alive and well; their neighbors are reluctant to pressure them to change; and the notion of national sovereignty as sacred is gaining ground, helped in no small part by the disastrous results of the American invasion of Iraq. Indeed, many of the world’s necessary interventions in the decade before the invasion — in places like Haiti and the Balkans — would seem impossible in today’s climate.

The first and most obvious reality is the survival of totalitarian government in an age of global communications and democratic progress. Myanmar’s military junta employs the same set of tools used by the likes of Stalin to crush dissent and monitor the lives of citizens. The needs of the victims of Cyclone Nargis mean nothing to a regime focused solely on preserving its own authority.

Second is the unwillingness of Myanmar’s neighbors to use their collective leverage on behalf of change. A decade ago, when Myanmar was allowed to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, I was assured by leaders in the region that they would push the junta to open its economy and move in the direction of democracy. With a few honorable exceptions, this hasn’t happened.

A third reality is that the concept of national sovereignty as an inviolable and overriding principle of global law is once again gaining ground. Many diplomats and foreign policy experts had hoped that the fall of the Berlin Wall would lead to the creation of an integrated world system free from spheres of influence, in which the wounds created by colonial and cold war empires would heal.

In such a world, the international community would recognize a responsibility to override sovereignty in emergency situations — to prevent ethnic cleansing or genocide, arrest war criminals, restore democracy or provide disaster relief when national governments were either unable or unwilling to do so.

During the 1990s, certain precedents were created. The administration of George H. W. Bush intervened to prevent famine in Somalia and to aid Kurds in northern Iraq; the Clinton administration returned an elected leader to power in Haiti; NATO ended the war in Bosnia and stopped Slobodan Milosevic’s campaign of terror in Kosovo; the British halted a civil war in Sierra Leone; and the United Nations authorized life-saving missions in East Timor and elsewhere.

These actions were not steps toward a world government. They did reflect the view that the international system exists to advance certain core values, including development, justice and respect for human rights. In this view, sovereignty is still a central consideration, but cases may arise in which there is a responsibility to intervene — through sanctions or, in extreme cases, by force — to save lives.

The Bush administration’s decision to fight in Afghanistan after 9/11 did nothing to weaken this view because it was clearly motivated by self-defense. The invasion of Iraq, with the administration’s grandiose rhetoric about pre-emption, was another matter, however. It generated a negative reaction that has weakened support for cross-border interventions even for worthy purposes. Governments, especially in the developing world, are now determined to preserve the principle of sovereignty, even when the human costs of doing so are high.

Thus, Myanmar’s leaders have been shielded from the repercussions of their outrageous actions. Sudan has been able to dictate the terms of multinational operations inside Darfur. The government of Zimbabwe may yet succeed in stealing a presidential election.

Political leaders in Pakistan have told the Bush administration to back off, despite the growth of Al Qaeda and Taliban cells in the country’s wild northwest. African leaders (understandably perhaps) have said no to the creation of a regional American military command. And despite recent efforts to enshrine the doctrine of a “responsibility to protect” in international law, the concept of humanitarian intervention has lost momentum.

The global conscience is not asleep, but after the turbulence of recent years, it is profoundly confused. Some governments will oppose any exceptions to the principle of sovereignty because they fear criticism of their own policies. Others will defend the sanctity of sovereignty unless and until they again have confidence in the judgment of those proposing exceptions.

At the heart of the debate is the question of what the international system is. Is it just a collection of legal nuts and bolts cobbled together by governments to protect governments? Or is it a living framework of rules intended to make the world a more humane place?

We know how the government of Myanmar would answer that question, but what we need to listen to is the voice — and cry — of the Burmese people.

Madeleine K. Albright was the United States secretary of state from 1997 to 2001."

taken from The New York Times

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 30: Tila Tequila

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 28: Damian Marley

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 27: Famke Jannssen & Jason Schwartzman

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 26: Joseph Fiennes

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 25: Michelle Krusiec

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 24: Kim Kardashian

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 23: Maradonna

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 22: Felicity Huffman

The filmmakers from creative production company Shilo (www.shilo.tv) recently collaborated with an extraordinary group of individuals and organizations to create a powerful animated 90 second PSA. The piece, entitled "Burma Viral", uses footage of warplanes bombing Burma with flowers as a dramatic call-to-action. As the US Campaign for Burma is doing in our 30 day "Burma: It Can't Wait" campaign, the filmmakers at Shilo are inviting viewers to visit their Burma Arts Board website, noneofusarefree.org, where one can send messages of support to the people of Burma. We are happy to support our fellow artists and activists as we all lend a hand of support in honor of Burma's continuing struggles against the notorious practices of their oppressive military government.

BURMA VIRAL

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 21: Sylvester Stallone

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 20: Ellen Page

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 19: Steven Seagal

Paranoid Burmese junta steps up security around Suu Kyi

By Andrew Buncombe, Asia Correspondent
Friday, 16 May 2008


"It used to be you could ask any taxi driver and they would show you her house.

There could be no stopping and no taking photographs, but they would drive you along Rangoon's University Avenue and you could glimpse the property where Aung San Suu Kyi has spent almost 13 years under house arrest.

Now you cannot even do that. The day after Cyclone Nargis struck, the military authorities ordered that the security around her house be increased. So long a prisoner in her own home, she is now even more isolated from the Burmese people.

Given the devastation wrought by Nargis, one might have assumed the authorities had more pressing priorities. But their decision to block off the house of the leader of Burma's political opposition reveals the junta's concern over the power the 62-year-old woman holds.

After hundreds of monks gathered outside her house during September's pro-democracy demonstrations, the junta is apparently keen to ensure she does not again become a rallying point for people angry and frustrated by the regime's ineffective response to the damage caused by the storm.

Suu Kyi lives with two maids. Her meals are brought in every day – checked by guards outside her house. Foreign diplomats were once permitted to call but that was stopped; her doctor is her only regular visitor. But even those visits, every three weeks, have been halted.

"Whenever they are worried about her influencing the current situation they stop her doctor's visits," said a Western diplomat based in Rangoon. "After last September, her doctor was not allowed to visit until December."

Her unique position is partly the result of an absence of alternative political leaders. Almost all of the organisers of several demonstrations held in Rangoon last summer before the larger protests in September have been jailed. Of the remainder, some have left the country while others are in hiding. Suu Kyi remains the only visible opposition figure.

"Burma's half-million-strong army is terrified of her. She has the love and support of the people. She unites Burma's different political and ethnic groups. This makes her their greatest threat – she unites the people against the regime," said Mark Farmaner, of the Burma Campaign UK.

"The generals are trying to keep her completely isolated from her people and from the world. Her phone line is cut, they intercept all her post. No visitors are allowed. Her sons are not even allowed into the country and she has grandchildren that she has never seen."

Suu Kyi was last detained in May 2003. In the Alice-in-Wonderland world of the Burmese regime, the generals annually renew her imprisonment with a detention order delivered to her house.

"There may be a lot of younger people who do not agree with everything she says," said another Westerner who lives in Rangoon. "But if she was released everybody would rally around her. The regime is paranoid of the West and they are paranoid of her."

The opposition leader reportedly fills her time reading and meditating. It is unclear whether she still has a radio. She used to play the piano in her house but complained many years ago that it had fallen into disrepair."

from: The Independent

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 16: Mana

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 15 - Rosanna Arquette

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 14: Thich Naht Hanh

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 13 - Judd Apatow

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 12: Graffiti Wall

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 11: Jackson Browne

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 10: Davood

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 9: Wally Langham

100,000 Dead: Regime Still Blocks Aid, China Complicit

Here's What You Can Do

Dear Friends,

The news is staggering and in many ways unfathomable. Yesterday, Shari Villarosa, the leading US diplomat in Burma said that 100,000 may have died and 95% of the buildings in the affected areas could be wiped out. The death tolls could increase as water born diseases such as cholera are beginning to spread, and in these worst hit areas aid has not to arrive.

The Burmese regime's blocking of aid is beyond horrendous. Minimal aid is being allowed in. There are still many people and supplies waiting to go, but the Burmese regime continues to deny access. Yesterday, the French government launched a push in the UN to try and enforce aid delivery, but China blocked the effort. If you haven't already, email UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and urge him to step in. Yesterday, within hours after thousands of our members writing in, Ban Ki-moon did start speaking out about Burma. However, more must happen.

In situations as grave as this, many people cannot sit by and watch.

Here's what you can do

Hold a fundraiser. Many of you are already working on this, and we greatly appreciate it. While the Burmese regime isn't allowing international aid in, you can fundraise. We will then send the money directly to trusted Burmese organizations inside who are working to help the people. You can send checks to us or make online donations.

Get your community involved. Here are some events that are going on around the country. Check out the page on the US Campaign for Burma website about the cyclone, for updated news, other info about the situation, and word about upcoming events. On that page at the bottom you can easily add a comment about what you are doing.

Please let us know what you are planning so we can post it on our site. This is a very difficult time, but we can work together to try and save lives.

New York City
Friday, May 9th
UN Demonstration for Cyclone Victims
Time: 3:00-5:00 pm
Location: Ralph Bunche Park, United Nations. 434d and 1st Ave
http://nyburmaroundtable.googlepages.com
Candle Light Vigil
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Union Square

San Francisco
Friday, May 9th
(4-6pm Protest & Rally; 6-7pm Speakers; 7-8pm Prayers & Vigil)
San Francisco Federal Building/Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Office
450 Golden Gate Avenue (@Larkin), San Francisco, CA
www.badasf.org

Washington DC
Sunday, May 11th
Protest in front of SPDC attache (2300 California Ave)
6:00pm

Prayer Vigil at Burmese Buddhist Temple at 10:00 am

Boston
Saturday, May 10th
Fundraiser 12-4pm
Yoma Restaurant
5 N Beacon St
Allston, MA 02134
http://harvardbam.blogspot.com

Dallas
Saturday May 10th
Prayer Service and fundraiser
Thanksgiving Square
1627 Pacific Ave (between Akard and Bryan), Dallas

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 8: Voices

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 7: Eric Szmanda / Jorja Fox

Cyclone Update and Why Burma Needs a Million Supporters

"Many, many thanks to the hundreds of supporters that have donated money to help victims of the cyclone in Burma.
Sadly, news reports are indicating that the military regime is hampering relief efforts. The headline of USA Today reads "Cyclone Aid Hurt by Junta in Burma." It appears the regime is delaying travel visas for aid workers and letting aid supplies sit unused at airports. Considering this is the same military regime that continues to carry out a scorched-earth war on civilians in eastern Burma that has destroyed 3,200 ethnic minority villages -- and refuses real access to aid agencies that could help -- we are not suprised. It now appears that the death tolls have reached over 22,000 -- and perhaps up to 63,000.

We have spoken with some people inside Burma and they are very angry at the military regime. Everyday Burmese are furious that the military regime turned out tens of thousands of troops to attack peaceful Buddhist monks and demonstrators in September-October 2007, but failed to adequately warn its own people of the oncoming cyclone -- a real humanitarian disaster.

The regime's lack of response to the cyclone begs the question: how has the military regime gotten away with destroying Burma for so long? If you look at our website or at burmaitcantwait.org, you will see that we, the Human Rights Action Center, and Fanista.com have organized a 30-day video campaign to educate Americans and others around the world about the military regime in Burma. The goal of this campaign is to mobilize 1 million people to sign up to take action, so that the regime can no longer crush the Burmese people behind closed doors. Just as the world came together to help free Nelson Mandela and South Africa in the 1980s, we are now organizing an effort to help Burma's imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma.

Today, you will see a video by comedian and actor Eddie Izzard, directed by Oscar-winning actress Anjelica Huston. The powerful, moving video explains that the young people in Burma have led the effort to end military rule in Burma. Yesterday, we posted a video by Julie Benz, which explained the military regime's attacks on civilians in eastern Burma. You can also see four previous videos at www.burmaitcantwait.org There will be one every day for 30 days, and today is the 6th day.

We urge you to share these videos with as many people as possible, to help people understand how and why this started in the first place. Then, urge them to sign up for the campaign of one million. Burma needs you."

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 6: Eddie Izzard

Appeal for Donations to Help Victims of Burma Cyclone

Dear friends,

As you know from our previous message, a massive cyclone hit Burma on Friday night, leaving many people homeless, hungry, and without water. Thousands were killed and many more are now in grave danger.

Many of our members and supporters have asked us to begin a fund to help the victims of the cyclone in Burma. The military regime gave very little warning to the people of Burma and we expect the regime will also do very little to help respond to the humanitarian disaster.

We are already requesting that the US government step in with a major relief package that will reach directly to the people of Burma (and not fall into the pockets of the military regime).

At the same time, if you would like to make a private donation to help the victims of the cyclone, you can now do so by clicking here. The funds will be delivered directly to those in need. The Burmese people are going to be picking up the pieces of their country for quite some time, and your donation can help.

Be sure to indicate on our donation page that your donation is intended for the victims of the cyclone (there is a clear and obvious "check box" you can select before you hit "send").

Many thanks for your generosity and for standing by the people of Burma during this very difficult time.

Massive Cyclone Hits Burma -- US Campaign for Burma Calls for U.S. To Help Burmese People Since Military Regime Will Not

Dear Friends,

On Friday night, a massive cyclone (hurricane) hit Burma. It is estimated that between 4,000 and 10,000 people have been killed. Hundreds of thousands are without water and food prices have skyrocketed. We believe that hundreds of thousands are without shelter and many more homes lost their roofs. Tens of thousands of people are missing.

Worst, the military regime did practically nothing to warn the Burmese people of the cyclone, and 48 hours after the "hit" the regime has still not asked for any international aid. The Burmese people are in deep trouble and very, very angry. This behavior is fully consistent with the military regime's denial of access for aid agencies to help victims of the military regime's war on civilians in eastern Burma.

We are using all of our tools and contacts to organize an urgent call for the U.S. government -- which has very generously donated to help the millions of refugees that have fled Burma's military regime over the past 10 years -- to step forward and provide major, emergency assistance. It is critical that this assistance goes to the victims of the cyclone and not the notoriously corrupt military regime, which will siphon off funds and support for itself.

Please see our press release from today, below this message. We will let you know about the U.S. response.

In the meantime, we are setting up a mechanism so that you can help if you want to make direct donations to the victims of the cyclone. Stay tuned for more on that.

Sincerely,

Aung Din, Jeremy Woodrum, Jennifer Quigley, and Thelma Young

================
Press Release: May 5th

U.S. Campaign for Burma Press Release

Activists Call for US Government to Provide Emergency Assistance to Cyclone
Victims in Burma

Contact: Jeremy Woodrum (202) 246-7924

(Washington, DC) The United States Campaign for Burma today called for the U.S government to respond to a major humanitarian crisis in Burma made by tropical cyclone Nargis, by providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Burma. The military regime has placed disastrous restrictions on humanitarian organizations operating inside Burma, forcing some to stop their operations. During this humanitarian crisis the regime must allow relief organizations to reach the most vulnerable populations. Delivery of assistance must be immediate and unfettered by the authorities.

The Burmese military regime did almost nothing to warn the people of Burma. Instead, the regime's newspapers have been chock-full of propaganda about why the people of Burma should vote "yes" on a referendum that is an attempt to entrench military rule for many years to come.

The junta's security forces and militias, who have been quick to attack and arrest democracy activists, are playing no role in helping the victims of the cyclone. According to Aung Zaw, editor of the respected Irrawaddy magazine based in Thailand, said "People are very angry with the slow response coming from the military government."

In contrast, everyday villagers and citizens are beginning to clear the debris by hand. Buddhist monks, who led nationwide, peaceful protests aimed at ending military rule in Burma last autumn, are now on the streets, cleaning debris together with the people and helping the victims.

Cyclone Nargis devastated major parts of Burma, including major damages in the country's largest city of Rangoon and throughout the Irrawaddy Delta region, Bago (Pegu) Division, Karen State and Mon State. Wind speeds of 120 mile per hour (190 Km/hr) and rain lashed the region from the night of May 2nd to the morning of May 3rd. During over seven hours of turmoil, up to half of the houses in Rangoon were destroyed and many others lost their roofs. Satellite Townships (similar to suburbs) in Rangoon, such as Hlaing
Tharyar, Shwe Pyi Thar, Dagon Myothit North, and Dagon Myothit South were hit hardest. In Irrawaddy Division, two Townships -- Kyaik Lat and Latputda -- were almost completely destroyed. On Heingyi Island, there are nearly 100,000 people without homes or shelter. In Pyinsi Village in Pyar Pone Township, out of 3,000 villagers, at least two thousand are missing. The Burmese military junta claims that 4,000 were dead, but the actual number of deaths is believed to be much higher.

It is estimated that it will take several weeks to restore electricity and telephone communication in Rangoon. The entire city is paralyzed and hundreds of thousands of people are panicking. It is widely expected that the Burmese military regime will make only symbolic efforts to help those affected. Residents of areas hardest hit by the storm have yet to receive assistance and their basic survival needs are in peril.

"We call on the US Government to provide emergency assistance to the Burmese people immediately through humanitarian agencies," said Aung Din, Executive Director of the U.S. Campaign for Burma. "Cyclone Nargis directly hit Burma; its tsunami-like effect requires the United States and the international community to respond immediately or many more people will die."

"It is critical that any aid provided not be delivered through the notoriously corrupt government. The military and the organizations run by
the wives of the Generals will only siphon off money and keep supplies for themselves. Money and humanitarian assistance should only be provided to trusted, international humanitarian organizations who can reach the victims of the cyclone directly," added Aung Din.

Burma: It Can't Wait - Day 5: Julie Benz

Burma: It Can't Wait. Day 4 - Sarah Silverman

Burma: It Can't Wait. Day 2 - Jennifer Aniston

Starting May 1st, Major New Voices for Burma: Help Us

Dear friends,

We wanted to inform you about a new, exciting effort we are launching next week. For the first time in history, dozens of leading voices from Hollywood, music, and the arts will be joining together to speak up about human rights and democracy in Burma.

Not since the campaign to release Nelson Mandela from arrest and free South Africa in the 1980s have so many people come together to take action for an imprisoned human rights leader and the people of a country. Mandela was locked up for almost two decades before the people of the world truly rallied to his cause.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been incarcerated now for more than 12 of the past 18 years, and the truth is that most people have no idea who she is. Even fewer know that Burma's military regime has recruited more child soldiers than any other country in the world and continues to carry out a campaign of ethnic cleansing against innocent people. Now, all that is about to change.

Every day for 30 days, a video from someone prominent (including Oscar and Emmy winners, comedians, and musicians) will be released. Each video will explain a different aspect of Burma's struggle for human rights.

We are asking you to tune in for 30 days on our website and watch each piece. After you watch each video every day, forward them to your friends, family, and colleagues.

We know that sometimes it is hard to talk to others about Burma; that's why the videos were designed for anyone to watch and be inspired to help. After watching the videos, we are urging people to sign up for the US Campaign for Burma and join the effort to free Burma.

We know that there are more than one million people in the United States and around the world who care about human rights, and we are asking all of them -- even if they are also involved with other issues -- to pitch in and help free Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma.

We are building a team of one million people to stand strong for Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma. Stay tuned, everything begins next Thursday, May 1st.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Woodrum and Jack Healey

Victory: You Made History!

Senate Votes to Award Aung San Suu Kyi Congressional Gold Medal

" Dear Friends,

You did it! After thousands of supporters urged their Senators to support this effort, the US Senate voted unamimously today to award Aung San Suu Kyi the nation's highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal. [The US House of Reps. has already voted 400-0]. Aung San Suu Kyi will be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

This is a historic vote because Aung San Suu Kyi is the first person in the 232-year history of the award to be granted the honor while imprisoned. And hopefully, with the vast international attention from this award, increased pressure will expedite her release.

By being awarded this honor, Aung San Suu Kyi joins the ranks of many great people in history including George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Elie Wiesel, and Mother Theresa.

The Burmese military generals have tried to isolate Aung San Suu Kyi from her own people and from the international community by keeping her under house arrest for over 12 years. However, the generals, who control around 400,000 soldiers, are losing a battle with a single, unarmed woman. Her only tools are courage and loving kindness, yet she has captured the hearts and loyalty of the people of Burma.

Congress usually only gives one or two awards per year, and sparingly to people in other countries. In the entire history of the award (George Washington was granted the first award), only 30 people from other countries have been granted the award.

In a world in which public heroes are few and far between, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is one of the greatest people of our time; she richly deserves this award, an award we hope will show the people of Burma they are not alone in their struggle.

Many special thanks go to Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-NY), who conceptualized and launched this effort along with Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL). In the US Senate, Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) spearheaded, led, and worked very hard to award Aung San Suu Kyi this honor.

Thank you again for supporting the US Campaign for Burma and for all the help in shedding light on Aung San Suu Kyi and the struggle for human rights and democracy in Burma!"

from US Campaign for Burma