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News
Release, Tuesday 11th August 2009
Burma Action Ireland
Condemns Outrageous and Unjust Conviction of Aung San Suu
Ky
Burma Action Ireland today condemned
the outrageous and unjust conviction of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung Suu Kyi was not given the maximum
5 year prison sentence, but instead will serve 18 months under
house arrest. The regime will try to present this as leniency
in order to avoid international sanctions. This period of
detention keeps Aung San Suu Kyi in detention during rigged
elections due in 2010. The elections bring in a new constitution
which is designed to legalise military rule. The conviction
was the culmination of weeks of a farcical trial which saw
defence witnesses and even the original trial judges dismissed
in an attempt to ensure that the conviction would be secured
with no hitches.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who last month was
awarded the Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience
Award 2009, was arrested in May this year just days before
she was due for release from her current term of house arrest.
The arrest followed an intrusion by American John Yettaw into
the compound of Suu Kyi where she has been held under military
guard for 14 of the last 19 years under house arrest. Daw
Suu Kyi was charged with breaching the terms of her house
arrest by allowing the man to enter her compound, despite
the fact that he was an uninvited and unwelcome intruder.
The arrest sparked a global outcry of injustice and the subsequent
trial and sentencing of Daw Suu Kyi has been widely predicted
by the global community as a ploy by the Burmese military
to keep Aung San Suu Kyi locked up until after the sham 2010
elections due to take place in May next year.
BAI Chairperson Gearoid Kilgallen condemned
the sentencing stating, “it will be a total travesty
of justice if the criminals, who misrule Burma, are allowed
to get away with this preposterous sentence in respect of
an utterly contrived and spurious charge against ASSK. These
outlaws, for such is what they undoubtedly are, show gross
contempt for human rights and democratic values and must be
brought to heel. It is time for all relevant international
bodies to set about imposing comprehensive and effective sanctions
on the recalcitrant regime. There has to be a total and enforceable
ban on the sale to Burma of all arms and military equipment.
I believe that we can count on our Minister for Foreign Affairs
Micheal Martin to pursue early action in this regard within
the EU and the UN”.
Burma Action Ireland joins global solidarity
groups in calling for a UN Security Council arms
embargo on Burma and a UN Security Council commission of inquiry
into crimes against humanity committed by Burma's military
regime including the unlawful arrest and detention of over
2100 political prisoners. Burma Action Ireland will
stage a demonstration at the Dublin embassies of four of the
permanent UN Security Council member countries tomorrow Wednesday
August 12th 2009. Burma Action Ireland members and supporters
will meet at the US Embassy, Elgin Road, Ballsbridge at 3.30pm
and will spend a short time there before moving on to each
of the French, British and Chinese embassies.
*****************************************************************
Minister
for Foreign Affairs Condemns the Conviction of Aung San Suu
Kyi
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr
Micheál Martin T.D., has condemned the conviction today
of Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Burma’s National League
for Democracy and Nobel Peace laureate. Aung San Suu
Kyi was sentenced by a Burmese court to three years hard labour,
commuted to 18 months under house arrest, in connection with
the illegal intrusion of a US national into her compound in
May. The Minister said:
‘I deplore the trial over the last
few months, and conviction today, of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,
leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma, esteemed
Nobel Peace laureate and a woman of outstanding courage who
has earned worldwide respect.
The verdict is a clear confirmation that
the Burmese junta is determined to continue its illegal rule
without regard for the will of the Burmese people, in blatant
disregard of the demands of the international community, including
the UN Secretary General, and in breach of international law
and its own laws.
The conviction of Aung San Suu Kyi serves
only one purpose and that is to exclude her from participating
in the elections scheduled for next year in Burma. It lays
bare the emptiness of the regime’s rhetoric that the
elections will be free and fair. I have repeatedly made clear
my view that these elections will have no credibility unless
all political prisoners are released unconditionally and a
political process is initiated, based on an inclusive, long-term
dialogue in which the opposition and ethnic groups can participate
fully. I call once more for the immediate release of
Aung San Suu Kyi and of all political prisoners and for the
launching of a process of dialogue. As Aung San Suu
Kyi said during the early stages of this trial in May: “It
is still not too late to achieve national reconciliation”.
The EU, as the Presidency statement today
makes clear, is taking immediate action to extend its sanctions
against the regime and the judges involved in the trial and
sentencing of Aung San Suu Kyi.
I will continue to speak out within the
EU and the UN and in my contacts with the countries of the
region for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and for the goals
of justice, democracy, reconciliation and prosperity for the
people of Burma.
Ends+++
Press Office
11 August 2009
*****************************************************************
3 Aug 2009
Sentence Suspense in Burma
The postponement of a verdict in the trial of Aung San
Suu Kyi is more likely due to the junta’s fear of unrest
rather than any second thoughts about a guilty verdict, writes
Simon Roughneen for ISN Security Watch.
It has been dismissed
as a “show trial” by US President Barack Obama.
Even the normally reticent heads of state in ASEAN - the Southeast
Asian regional bloc which includes Burma as a member-state
- have chimed in, saying that the release of Aung San
Suu Kyi is imperative if elections due to be held next year
are to be free and fair.
Suu Kyi is on trial for violating the terms of her house arrest,
after a US citizen swam - undetected by the military security
that keeps a close watch on her residence - across Rangoon's
Lake Inya to reach her lakefront bungalow. The man, John Yettaw,
is on trial separately, after being picked up by police after
swimming back across the lake.
Two weeks ago, Suu Kyi’s defense team said that they
did not expect a verdict until mid-August. Then, on 28 July,
the Burmese Supreme Court announced a decision would come
as early as 31 July. With pro-Suu Kyi crowds gathering in
Rangoon, and increased security on the streets, officials
in Napyidaw reportedly phoned the Court last Friday morning
to compel a delay in announcing the verdict.
That telling and unsurprising insight into the absence of
judicial independence in Burma aside, the rationale for all
the suspense and uncertainty is unclear, as is the case with
much of what the secretive, astrology-obsessed generals ruling
Burma do on a day-to-day basis.
They have repeatedly said they care little for what the “international
community” thinks – though this likely refers
to the western countries that have imposed sanctions on the
junta. When UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Burma
recently, General Than Shwe refused him access to Suu Kyi.
China, India, Russia and Southeast Asian states continue to
engage with the regime, investing in and importing oil and
gas. And there are growing concerns that hermit state North
Korea is assisting the junta with its ambitious military expansion
program, including weapons-use nuclear technology, according
to accounts given by ex-military defectors.
The US position on Burma seems contradictory. In Thailand
recently for a meeting of Asian foreign ministers, Secretary
of State Hilary Clinton sparred verbally with the junta, and
with Pyongyang, but then said, "If [Suu Kyi] were released,
that would open up opportunities at least for my country to
expand our relationship with Burma, including investments
in Burma." Meanwhile, playing hardball, Obama signed
renewed US sanctions into law last week, in advance of the
expected Friday verdict.
So is the junta mulling the possibility of an altered US policy
on Burma and a reversal of sanctions?
It seems unlikely. For all the US talk of seeking to help
the Burmese people, if only the regime would facilitate, it
is clear the regime could not care less about such matters.
Regional trade partners ensure it can generate ample revenue
to maintain its military-driven grip on power.
It seems more likely that the Suu Kyi verdict has been postponed
for other reasons. The 21st anniversary of Suu Kyi-led
protests against military rule is Saturday, 8 August. The
junta's response to the 1988 uprising was to gun down around
3000 mostly student protestors and jail thousands more. International
outrage – in as much as there was sustained pressure
on the junta – led to elections in 1990, which Suu Kyi’s
National League for Democracy won in a landslide. However
the junta overturned that result and kept the Nobel laureate
under house arrest for 14 out of the 19 years since.
If Suu Kyi was found guilty before 8 August, it could spark
repeat protests, redolent of 1988, and of the 2007 Saffron
Revolution, the anniversary of which also looms.
Suu Kyi herself is braced for an apparently certain guilty
verdict, which would see her receive a 5-year jail term and
removal from the political scene ahead of 2010 elections.
These look set to be little more than a rubber stamp for continued
military rule. The junta is seemingly just playing for time,
hoping to string out the process beyond the upcoming anniversaries,
with the same pre-ordained outcome likely. NEWS RELEASE - MAY 14TH 2009
Aung San Suu Kyi arrest
Aung San Suu Kyi has been arrested and
charged with breaching the terms of house arrest. Last week
an American man, John Yettaw, swam across Inya Lake to her
home on University Avenue and entered her property. The man
was uninvited and Daw Suu Kyi repeatedly asked him to leave
but he refused saying he was too tired to swim back. He slept
on the ground floor of the house and was arrested by the Burmese
military the following day as he attempted to swim back across
the lake. Incredulous as this story may sound, it is true
and as a result Daw Suu Kyi has been arrested and charged
with breaching the terms of house arrest. She is being held
at the notorious Insein Prison and is due to stand trial on
Monday 18th May 2009.
Burma Action Ireland has issued a press
release condemning her arrest and calling for the UN Secretary
General Ban Ki Moon to send an envoy to Burma immediately
to end this unjust farce and secure her release and indeed
the release of all political prisoners in Burma.
It seems that the Burmese generals will
go to any lengths to ensure that Daw Suu Kyi stays incarcarated
prior to the 2010 elections. Her current term of house arrest
ends on May 27th 2009 although the generals seem to have several
different "legal" release dates to suit themselves.
Burma Action Ireland will hold a protest
outside the GPO, O'Connell Street, Dublin this Saturday 16th
May at 11am calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. BAI
will also collect signatures for a petition calling for UN
Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to act immediately to secure
the release of Daw Suu Kyi and all political prisoners.
BAI PRESS RELEASE
Thursday 14th May 2009
Outrageous and Unjust Charge
to be Brought Against Aung San Suu Kyi by Burmese Generals
Burma Action Ireland calls for urgent
international action and intervention to secure the release
of Nobel Peace Laureate and Freeman of Dublin and Galway Aung
San Suu Kyi who has been transferred to the notorious Insein
Prison where she is being detained for an alleged breach of
the terms of her house arrest.
Aung San Suu Kyi received an uninvited
and unwelcome visit from an American intruder, John Yettaw,
who swam across Inya Lake to her house on University Avenue
last week. The intruder was uninvited and refused to leave.
He was apprehended by the Burmese military as he swam back
across the lake the following day.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial has been
set for May 18th and if convicted, she could spend the rest
of her life behind bars, where prison conditions and lack
of access to medical services could prove lethal to her already
ailing health condition. Reports suggest that she could face
between 5 years and life imprisonment if convicted.
A spokesperson for the National League
for Democracy has condemned her arrest stating that she was
the victim of an intruder and that her current term of house
arrest had ceased but that she was still being detained unlawfully.
They further stated that the military government will stop
at nothing to ensure that Aung San Suu Kyi remains incarcerated
prior to their sham elections scheduled for 2010. However,
the Burmese generals insist that the release date for her
current term of house arrest is May 27th.
Burma Action Ireland calls on the Irish
government, the EU, the UN, ASEAN and all concerned nations
and organisations to demand that UN Secretary General Ban
Ki Moon send a personal envoy to Burma immediately to attempt
to end this tragic farce and to secure the release of Aung
San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners in Burma.
Gearoid Kilgallen, Chairperson of Burma
Action Ireland said today that, “this totally unwarranted
action against Aung San Suu Kyi is yet another example of
the cruelty and inhumanity of the military thugs who have
been ruling Burma for the last 47 years. It is clear that
they will do anything to hold onto power as they go on enriching
themselves at the expense of their poverty stricken people.
This evil regime once again shows its utter contempt for civilised
norms and human rights’ laws as they continue to defy
the world community of nations”.
Burma Action Ireland will be holding
a protest on Saturday 16th May outside the GPO, O’Connell
Street, Dublin from 11am onwards, where they will be collecting
signatures for a petition to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon
calling for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and
all political prisoners in Burma.
For further information, please contact:
Niamh Rooney, Burma Action Ireland: +353
(0) 87 126 1857
Gearoid Kilgallen, Chairperson, Burma Action Ireland: +353
(0)1 280 0866
E-mail: info@burmaactionireland.org
Burma Campaign UK Urgent Action Alert
Please visit the Burma Campaign UK website
at the following link to send an e-mail directly to the UN
calling for their immediate action in this regard: http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/ASSK_action.html
Assistance Association for Political
Prisoners (Burma)
Press Release
May 14 2009
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi currently
held in Insein prison
[Mae Sot, Thailand] The Assistance Association
for Political Prisoners (Burma) can today confirm that Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi, her two live-in party members Daw Khin Khin
Win and her daughter Win Ma Ma and an American man, John William
Yettaw were all charged under section 22 of the State Protection
Act. The charges relate to violating the rules and regulations
surrounding her house arrest. All four appeared at a special
court in Insein Prison compound to hear the charges against
them.
Today, the judge read out the charges
to them in court. The judge did not ask any questions.
The judge ordered the defendants to return to court again
on May 18, 2009. The court is located in Insein prison
compound. The court was presided over by the Rangoon Western
District Justice Thawng Nyunt, and Nyi Nyi Soe, in the presence
of district legal advisor Myint Kyaing. The defendants are
allowed to have lawyers. They are U Kyi Win and U Hla Myo
Myint.
The American John William Yettaw also
faces an additional charge under immigration law, although
the details are not yet known. He appeared at a separate
court hearing on this charge.
According to the latest information,
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Daw Khin Khin Win and Daw Win Pa Pa
were not sent back to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s home. All
of them are being held in Insein prison now.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Daw Khin Khin Win
and her daughter Win Ma Ma were taken to Insein prison from
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s home early this morning by armed
escort.
John William Yettaw was taken from Aung
Tha Paya police interrogation center to Insein prison to appear
at the court hearing this morning.
-ENDS-
AAPP
For more information:
Joint Secretary Bo Kyi - +66(0)81-3248935
Secretary Ko Tate - +66(0)81-2878751
*******************************************************************************
15th May 2008
Burma: Action needed to prevent
calamitous human tragedy
Burma Action Ireland (BAI) has today
(11 May 2008) said that Burma was heading for a tragedy of
an unimaginable scale unless all food aid and equipment which
has been impounded by the military regime is immediately distributed
within the country by humanitarian personnel.
The Irish solidarity group was commenting
after reports today that some aid is beginning to be distributed
– a week after Cyclone Nargis struck the region. The
UN estimates that only a quarter of survivors have received
any aid so far.
More than one million people are believed
to be homeless in the country and at risk from waterborne
disease, hunger and lack of drinking water, and more than
100,000 could have been killed. Many survivors are reported
to be badly dehydrated, with children in particular sick with
diarrhoea.
Chairperson of BAI, Ms Eileen Seymour
said: “We welcome indications that the military junta
may be easing restrictions on foreign aid and access but with
vital supplies having languished for days after being impounded
immediate action must be taken. It is unthinkable of the human
tragedy which is facing this already oppressed country. If
the regime hesitates to grant uninhibited access by all aid
workers, the international community must deliver the aid
anyway. We cannot let thousands more die.”
Commenting on yesterday’s referendum
on the Constitution, Eileen Seymour said: “The people
should be the priority at this time as they are suffering
the devastation caused by a natural disaster, not a sham referendum.
It is reported that the military junta used all of its resources,
including security forces, police and local authorities to
maximize a “yes” vote in their voting process”.
Ms Seymour concluded: “The people
of Burma remain in desperate need after the devastation of
this natural disaster compounded by a lack of assistance from
a government focused on its own survival rather than that
of its people.”
Current Status in Burma from
www.coe-dmha.org/apdr
Tropical Cyclone Nargis struck southwestern
Myanmar (Burma) at around 16:00 Friday (May 2) local time,
packing sustained winds of 120 mph (190 kph). Myanmar's official
state-run media reported the death toll Monday (May 5) at
3,934 people, with 41 injured and 2,879 missing. Myanmar's
Foreign Minister has unofficially put the death toll at higher
than 10,000 and media sources have cited government agencies
as saying the toll is around 15,000. The UN says hundreds
of thousands of people have been left homeless in the countryside
while the country's main city and former capital, Yangon (Rangoon),
was devastated by the storm.
Nargis touched down in Irrawaddy Division,
about 155 miles (250 km) southwest of Yangon. The Irrawaddy
towns of Bogalady, Laputta and Patanaw were reported destroyed.
The Irrawaddy delta is the country's major rice-producing
area and officials anticipate extensive damage to crops. After
making landfall, the storm passed directly over Yangon late
Friday night local time, causing widespread destruction to
buildings and infrastructures. It then tracked toward the
northeast on Saturday (May 3), skirting northwestern Thailand
before dissipating in Myanmar's Mon state. Yangon, Irrawaddy
Division, Bago (Pegu) Division, Kayin (Karen) state and Mon
state have all been declared disaster zones. Twenty-four million
of the country's 53 million people live in those five regions.
Some 6 million live in Yangon.
Myanmar's government has said that it
will welcome international aid, although it is not clear whether
it has accepted the pending UN disaster relief mission. The
UN says that it appears at this stage that the assistance
envisaged is primarily bilateral, with aid going directly
to the government relief agencies.
Plastic sheeting, water purification
tables, cooking sets, mosquito nets, emergency health kits,
food and fuel are all considered urgent needs.
A UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination
(UNDAC) Team has been dispatched and members were assembling
and meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday. Terje Skavdal,
regional director of the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), headed the meeting and said
the operation was being based out of Thailand because the
UN support system inside Myanmar is insufficient. Due to blocked
roads, flooding and downed communication and electricity lines,
UNOCHA says it is difficult to assess the extent of damages,
especially outside of Yangon.
In a statement Sunday (May 4), UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon expressed his sympathy for those affected by Nargis
and said in addition to the UNDAC team, the UN was prepared
to offer necessary assistance.
Authorities are concerned over profiteering
in the aftermath of the storm, with prices of food, fuel and
building supplies already having risen about 300 percent,
according to the Associated Press. Like other Asian nations,
Myanmar had already been affected by the rising global price
of rice.
Myanmar officials said Monday that a
constitutional referendum scheduled for Satuday (May 10) will
go ahead as planned, despite the cyclone's devastation. Myanmar
has been ruled by the military since 1962. The junta has refused
to allow international observers to monitor the election and
many analysts and opposition members have dismissed the document
as a sham designed to entrench military rule.
Impact
Sunday's death toll had been reported
at just 351, but aid workers and officials are beginning to
gain access to some of the devastated rural areas and by Monday,
the official toll was 3,934 dead. Foreign Minister Nyan Win
has said the death toll is easily 10,000. Some media outlets
cited official sources as saying the death toll had risen
to 15,000 by Monday evening local time, but the reports could
not be verified. The UN also says that there may be more than
3,000 missing in Irrawaddy Division alone. The UN says several
hundred thousand are estimated to be without shelter and safe
drinking water.
Although the UN reports that hundreds
of thousands of homes were destroyed, there is no official
estimate of the number of people displaced by Nargis.
Thousands of people in Yangon, a city
of about 6 million, are reportedly camping out in government
school buildings. Authorities closed the city's one airport
because of damage and flooding. The government has said about
98,000 people were made homeless on Haing Gyi island in the
Irrawaddy Delta. Moving inland along the delta, several sources
reported that 95 percent of homes were estimated to have been
destroyed.
According to the government, at least
57 ships sunk in the Irrawaddy River and dozens of smaller
boats were also lost.
Electricity and communication lines were
taken out in the storm and UNOCHA says it will be several
days before either are repaired.
Officials say an insufficient supply
of potable water will be a major problem as very little running
water is available in Yangon. Without drinking water, health
authorities fear the potential spread of water-borne diseases.
The IFRC, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors
Without Borders) and the NGO Christian Aid said their staffs
were able to warn many people ahead of the storm. Warnings
also ran on state-run television and in local newspapers,
although local media say many people have access to neither.
Despite initial fears, neighboring Bangladesh
was not affected by Nargis. India experienced heavy rains
in its eastern coastal states as the storm formed in the Bay
of Bengal. Thailand reported five districts in Tak province
along the border have encountered serious flooding conditions
from continuous heavy rains. More than 100 houses have been
inundated and over 1,000 left homeless.
Background
Cyclone season is the Bay of Bengal typically
runs from May through November. Nargis was the first cyclone
to hit the Bay since category-4 Cyclone Sidr struck Bangladesh
on November 15, killing nearly 3,400 people and devastating
the southeastern coastline. In May 2004, the junta made a
rare request for assistance after a cyclone hit Rakhine state,
killing at least 140 people and displacing around 18,000 others.
Some casualty estimates put the death toll for the 2004 storm
at more than 1,000. It was reportedly the worst storm to hit
Rakhine since 1968 and carried sustained winds up to 100 mph.
Country Profile
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has
a population of about 53 million and has been ruled by a succession
of military juntas since 1962. It is one of Asia's poorest
nations. The current junta, ruling since 1988, has isolated
the country from the outside world, making it difficult at
times to extract information about events taking place in
the country. The capital city, Naypyidaw, is located about
240 miles (390 km) north of Yangon.
Many Western nations have imposed sanctions
on Myanmar in protest of its alleged human rights abuses and
a crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy protests in September
2007 in which at least 31 people were killed. Myanmar receives
far less foreign aid - about $US2.50 per capita - than regional
neighbors Cambodia ($47) and Laos ($63) and below the $14
average for low-income nations, according to Reuters.
Government Response
Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win has
said his country will welcome international aid.
The government has so far pledged US$5
million for relief. Military and police units have been deployed
as part of rescue and relief operations
An Emergency Committee has been established,
headed by the prime minister. The committee has declared Yangon,
Irrawaddy Division, Bago (Pegu) Division, Kachin state and
Mon state all disaster zones. The committee has also mobilized
military and police units for rescue, rehabilitation and clean-up
operations in the Yangon area.
Myanmar's minister of social welfare
met with UN officials on Sunday (May 4) to discuss the terms
of accepted assistance.
National Response
Myanmar's Red Cross planned to dispatch
five assessment teams Monday to Yangon, Irrawaddy, Bago East,
Bago West, Mon and Kayin. The agency is distributing 5,000
liters of drinking water to schools and pagodas where people
have sought temporary shelter in Yangon.
International Response
United Nations
A five-member UNDAC team, led by Eliane
Provo Kluit from OCHA, has been dispatched and is convening
in Bangkok. The team is making plans for a relief operation
in Myanmar, but it is not known whether the UN has received
official acceptance from the Myanmar government to conduct
the mission.
The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is deploying
five teams Monday to assess damages in Yangon, Pathein (the
capital of Irrawaddy Division) and Bago.
A United Nations Disaster Management
Team (UNDMT) with assistance from an Inter-Agency Standing
Committee (IASC) has developed a cluster system in the country
that shared information on preparedness levels last week.
More information will be released after further meetings.
The World Food Program (WFP) has 500
metric tons of food stored in Yangon that it plans to distribute,
along with generators stored in Cambodia.
A UN Coordination Team in Myanmar is
examining the situation to determine whether to allocate money
from the UN Central Emergency Reserve Fund.
NGOs / IOs
The British Red Cross has released US$59,100
(30,000 pounds) from its disaster fund.
Church World Service (CWS) is appealing
for US$50,000 to start its relief operations in Myanmar.
The International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has released an initial
US$189,000 (200,000 Swiss Francs) to help with the Red Cross
response in Myanmar. Red Cross teams are now on the ground
assessing damages in all five affected regions of Myanmar.
IFRC plans to release 2,000 shelters and 2,000 family kits.
IFRC lists its top relief priority as shelter.
Malteser International is providing US$15,490
(10,000 Euros) in assistance.
World Vision estimates that nearly 2
million people were affected by Nargis and has declared shelter
and water the most urgent needs. It is appealing for US$3
million in global donations to support its relief efforts.
Initial supplies handed out will include zinc sheets, tents,
tarpaulins and medicines.
Foreign governments
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) has called on its member nations to provide urgent
assistance to Myanmar.
India will soon send two naval ships
loaded with food, tents, clothing, blankets and medicine,
according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA) is sending tents and generators to arrive Thursday.
Thailand has donated an initial US$50,000
and planned to use C-130 aircraft to airlift nine metric tons
of food and medical supplies worth US$284,400 (9 million Thai
baht) to its neighbor.
The United States has provided an initial
US$250,000 and has an emergency response team on standby.
A State Department spokesperson was quoted by Reuters as saying
that the Myanmar government had not given the US team permission
to enter the country yet Monday. The US embassy in Myanmar
has issued a disaster declaration in the country.
Mrs Hayden's Class Ballyroan
Boys' National School, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 heard
the story of the families who came to Ireland from Burma and
thought it would be nice to make these families feel welcome
by sending them Christmas cards. They worked really hard as
is evident from the cards they made. Click on the thumbnails
to see larger images.
   
The Launch of the Photographic
Exhibition, BURMA: Forgotten Nation - Forgotten People' at
Ballina Public Library on February 4th, 2008.
Karen refugees find a new home
in Mayo
Under the UN Refugee Resettlement Scheme, the Irish Government
has accepted over a hundred Karen refugees from camps on the
Burma-Thailand border. The refugees are based in County Mayo
where as part of their integration, they have been facilitated
with a two month orientation course as they face the challenge
of adapting to their new life in Ireland. Many of the refugees
have little or no English and some have spent long years of
struggle and deprivation on the move away from the Burmese
army and subsequently in refugee camps on the border. Even
in camps, they may have suffered further attacks by the Burmese
army which does not scruple to make incursions into Thai territory.
Meitheal Mhaigheo, the area based partnership company for
County Mayo and the Mayo Intercultural Action group have established
a mentoring programme to assist and support the Karen people.
Very recently Burma Action Ireland had the opportunity to
exhibit the Philip Daly photographic collection, ‘Burma
– Forgotten Nation, Forgotten People,’ at public
libraries in both Castlebar and Ballina.
Ireland receives refugees each year under this UN resettlement
scheme and is one of 18 countries and one of only six EU member
states which participate in the programme.
Trouble at Karenni Refugee Camp
Recently problems have arisen between Karenni refugees and
the Thai
authorities, resulting in the death of one refugee on 15th
December
2007. Expressions of concern and the involvement of UNHCR
and NGOs in trying to resolve the situation are ongoing. Click
on the website address for information and photographs.
"The BAI demonstration last Saturday
at O'Connell Street Bridge,
showing the monks with the flowers to cast into the water,
in
solidarity with the monks and people of Burma."
Protest Demonstration at the
Chinese Embassy, Dublin
40 Ailesbury Road, Dublin 4.
Tuesday, 25th September, 2007
8.30am - 10.30am.
Burma Action Ireland is protesting at
the Chinese Embassy in Dublin against China's continuing support
for the military junta in Burma. We shall be handing in a
letter of protest to the Chinese Ambassador.
Please come and support us in this protest.
Even if you are unable to come to the
demonstration on Tuesday morning, it would be extremely valuable
if you would write to the Chinese Ambassador personally, adding
your voice to the protest. You might wish to include some
of the following points in your letter:
China is one of the largest suppliers of arms to the Burmese
military regime;
The Burmese junta is selling natural gas to the Chinese at
very cheap rates to maintain China's political support, but
this effectively robs the Burmese people of the benefits from
their own natural resources;
China has vetoed the inclusion of Burma on the UN Security
Council Agenda and even vetoed a peaceful UNSC resolution
to strengthen the Secretary General's mandate in resolving
the crisis in Burma;
China is one of the largest investors in Burma, supporting
the military regime which is heavily involved in 'private'
companies in Burma;
Burma imports more goods from China than from any other country
(31% in 2006);
China bankrolls the Burmese junta with loans and credit arrangements;
China is depleting Burma's natural resources and supports
the military regime in using forced labour, forced relocation
and human rights abuses;
China has said that the detention of political prisoners in
Burma (the most prominent being Aung San Suu Kyi) is 'Myanmar's
internal affair.'
Please send your letter to:.
H. E. Mr. Zhang Xinsen
Ambassador Extraordinary
Chancery (People's Republic of) China
40 Ailesbury Rd.
Ballsbridge
Dublin 4.
Tel: 353 1 269 1707
Fax: 353 1 283 9938
Email:
chinaemb_ie@mfa.gov.cn
June 2007
Aung San Suu Kyi's 62nd Birthday
was marked by BAI with a birthday cake and music at the Stephen's
Green Hotel in Dublin on 19th June 2007. Our Honorary President,
John Boorman, hosted the event which was attended by many
distinguished guests, supporters and well-wishers. Burma Action
Ireland would like to thank Keith Donald (clarinet) and Gerry
Lynch (guitar) for generously providing beautiful music to
accompany the event. Burma Action Ireland also wishes to thank
O'Callaghan Group Hotels for their support.
(photo 13): 'Honorary President of BAI,
John Boorman, and Aung San Phyo cut the birthday cake.'
(photo 10): 'Keith Donald and Gerry Lynch
get the birthday swinging in fine style.'
(photo 9): 'Among the distinguished guests,
BAI welcome the Ambassador of South Africa to the Birthday
Event.
The exhibition, ' Burma: Forgotten
Nation, Forgotten People' continues to publicize
the plight of the thousands of Burmese refugees. The exhibition
first opened in Cork Vision Centre in May 2006 and since then
it has been shown at two major venues in Dublin in June and
July, followed by Derry in September and Kinsale in November,
where the Kinsale Fair Trade Committee generously hosted it.
Several more exhibition venues around Ireland are planned,
continuing into 2007. The exhibition is especially relevant
as the escalation of aggression against ethnic minorities
in Burma by the Tatmadaw (Burmese Army) is constantly reported
from border regions of the country.'
The launch of the exhibition,
'Burma: Forgotten Nation, Forgotten People' at the Blue
Haven Hotel, Kinsale, November 6th 2006. Left to right:
The Mayor of Kinsale, Fred Treacy, Janet Twomey of Trocaire,
Padraig Fitzgerald, Chairman of the Kinsale Fair Trade
Committee, Justin Kilcullen of Trocaire, Simon Coveney,
MEP, TD, Mary Montaut Co-ordinator BAI and Michael from
Burma.
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