Today, the verdict was announced from the sham trial of Aung San Suu Kyi. She was found guilty, and placed under house arrest for another 18 months. While that isn't much time compared to her 20 years she has already spent, her sentence also includes that should the regime find another problem, it will be extended.
Aung San Suu Kyi's story can be seen here:
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. The UK and US are going to be head of the UN Security Council in September and October, consecutively. This is an opportunity for action.
2. Learn more about Aung San Suu Kyi , and tell her story to your family, your friends. Let them know what's happening in Burma, and why it's so important we take action.
4. PASS THIS INFORMATION ON! The more people who are aware, who can sign the petition, who can pressure our leaders, the more action that will happen! Forward the link to the petition to your friends, family, coworkers! Post it as your facebook status!
Shepard Fairey, the man who created the HOPE posters for Obama, has now created a new work of art, in support of Aung San Suu Kyi.
“This Human Rights cause is something I believe in strongly,” said Fairey. “I created this portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi to raise awareness of her on-going house arrest and the oppressive nature of the military regime ruling Burma.”
Who is Aung San Suu Kyi?
1) She is THE ONLY Nobel Peace Prize Recipient currently IMPRISONED, and has been under house arrest for 13 years
2) She is a leader for the rights of the people of Burma, a country with a regime that has destroyed over 3,300 ethnic minority villages, forced at least 1.5 million people to flee their homes, becoming refugees and internally displaced persons, recruited tens of thousands of child soldiers, and employ modern-day slave labor.
3) Her political party, the National League for Democracy, won 82% of the seats in parliament in Burma's last election, however, none of those people were allowed to take their seats. 2,100 political prisoners, including some of those members of parliament, still remain locked up today.
Please look at this new website has been created to heighten awareness of the cruel situation of Burma, and the role of Aung San Suu Kyi, found at http://freedomtolead.causecast.org/
Read, learn, and pass it on! Link the website as your status on facebook or myspace, send out an email, blog it! The more people who know about the situation, the more who can act!
Summary execution, torture, rape, forced labor,
extortion, and displacement are among the daily realities for the people of
Burma. When they try to speak out, ethnic minority rebels are met by the
"four-cuts strategy" from the government.
Cutting off food.
Cutting off funds.
Cutting off intelligence.
Cutting off recruits.
In other instances, the military gains control of
an area and establishes a base, using forced labor. From that base, they attack
and burn other nearby villages. Areas outside this government control are
established "black zones", where soldiers can shoot anybody on sight. As if
that wasn't horrific enough, there is a new campaign of "Burmanization", where
government troops are using rape against ethnic minority women to force
pregnancy.
530,000 are internally displaced.
700,000 have been forced to seek refuge
abroad.
3,200 villages have been DESTROYED or abandoned since 1996
Why doesn't the world know?
We must spread the word about Burma, the stories of
what the people experience and suffer. Think about how you can take action and raise awareness
in your life. Some ideas...
Sign this petition to free Aung San Suu Kyi, a leader in action for Burma!
