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Free Burma; Free Aung San Suu Kyi
A Burma
Human Rights Day Benefit
(For BADA Children Education Fund)
Saturday, March 10, 2007;
6:00pm-10:00pm
Berkeley Fellowship of
Unitarian Universalists Hall,
1924
Cedar (at Bonita),
Berkeley,
CA
94709-2022, USA
Burma, once known as the “Golden Land”, is now a land of
terror and despair, due to more than four decades of military
dictatorship. The Burmese junta has
denied human
rights of its citizens and has
been widely condemned by nations and
institutions as one of the most brutal regimes in the world. Join us
to see the featured film and to hear the
dynamic speakers focusing on the courage and the suffering of the people
of
Burma. Your support will help bring attention to the imprisoned
democracy activists of Burma, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is
again under house arrest in Rangoon.
FILM
SCREENING-- Burma
- Inside the Secret City
Description: Burma's
new capital of Naypidaw is one of the most mysterious cities in the
world. Few foreigners have been inside and now there are signs a chain
of underground bunkers are being built nearby. Buried deep within the
remote jungle is Naypidaw, Burma's new capital. The Generals are so
paranoid about it they've imprisoned journalists for trying to do what
the reporter did: film the city being built. Foreigners are banned from
the nearby city of Pyinmana where sources say the military are building
a network of underground bunkers. Tremors are often felt at night. Since
moving the capital, the army has intensified its battle against the
Karen, clearing out surrounding villages in an attempt to dominate the
area. Nearly 3,000 Karen villages have been destroyed in the past decade
and a million people displaced. Those who speak out risk imprisonment or
torture. "The situation of people all over the country gets worse by the
hour", laments journalist Ludu Sin Wein. "The whole country is sitting
on a power keg that can explode at any time." But there are signs of
resistance. Half a million Burmese residents signed a petition calling
for the release of their political leaders. As Burmese reporter Ludu Sin
Wein states: "Someone has to take risks to let the world know what's
going on."
***
SPEAKERS ***
-
DR. SALAI TUN THAN: "My continued effort against Military Rule
in Burma" Dr. Salai was arrested in November 2001 for
staging a one-man protest in front of the Rangoon government building,
during which he called for a multiparty general election and the
unconditional transfer of state power to the winning party. He was
sentenced in March 2002 to a seven-year prison term; but released on May
4 2003 after staging a hunger strike from his bed in Insein Prison
Hospital. After leaving Burma in 2005, he has launched solo campaigns
against the military rule in Burma, and last year, military regime
responded by revoking his passport and citizenship.
-
DR. THEIN
LWIN:
"The
Plight of Burmese Children under the Military's Education, Public
Health, and Economic Policies" A student activist
since 1975, Thein
Lwin was
dismissed from Rangoon Institute of Technology after a student
demonstration in 1976, and became a teacher in a small village in
Irrawaddy Division. He participated again in the 1988 democratic
movement. During the national election campaign in 1990, he was an
organizer in Pegu Division for the National League for Democracy, led by
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. After the post-election military crackdown he left
Burma, and in 1995 entered the University of Newcastle in England .
Five years later he had a doctorate in Education, and relocated to
Chiang Mai, Thailand, to establish an ongoing training program for
Burmese teachers. He also runs a popular language and computer school
for local migrant workers, and, with his colleagues, gives advice and support to Burmese students trying to further their
education. Visit:
www.educationburma.net
-
JEREMY WOODRUM:
"Campaigning for Burma’s Freedom in
the US”
Campaign Director, Co-Founder
of US Campaign for Burma (USCB): Before founding USCB (www.uscampaignforburma.org)
Jeremy worked in the Washington, DC office of the Free Burma Coalition
from 1999-2003, serving as Washington Director for the final two years.
During that time, he organized over one dozen delegations of Americans
to the Thailand-Burma border and led a nationwide boycott effort that
resulted in 45 companies withdrawing from Burma. He has been nominated
for the Reebok Human Rights Award.
-
SAW MYAT
PYI SONE HTUN: Presentation, “Schools in Dumpster”
A presentation
by a BADA Youth who recently visited schools at Thai-Burma Border. Some
schools are really located in the middle of pile of trashes and most of
the schools can be dumped by Thai Authorities at anytime because all
schools are illegal. And most of the teachers and students are
illegally stay in Thail's soil.
$15-$20
Donation (dinner included) to benefit BADA Children Education Fund
Dinner
(6-7 pm), Speakers (7-9 pm), Film (9:00-9:30), Q&A (9:30-10:00)
Dinner
is vegetarian friendly; Talks will be in English; Contents are OK for children
Organized by Burmese American Democratic Alliance; Co-sponsored by Asian Society
of San Francisco, Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Social Justice
Committee.
Contact:
510 220 1323; 510 485
3751
info@badasf.org; Website:
www.badasf.org
Directions
Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists
1924 Cedar Street (at Bonita)
Mailing address: 1606 Bonita Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94709-2022
510-841-4824
Email: office@bfuu.org
-
Online map and directions are available from Mapquest.
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By car: there is plenty of on-street parking
near the Fellowship. (Please do be courteous to our neighbors and your
fellow parkers.)
From I-80 take the University Ave. exit.
Go east (toward the hills) on University.
Turn left on Martin Luther King (MLK).
2 traffic lights to Cedar. Turn right on Cedar.
1 block east of MLK, at Bonita.
-
On foot: We are located within a few minutes
walk of the Downtown Berkeley and North Berkeley BART stations.
From the North Berkeley BART:
Walk north on Sacramento. Pass Virginia and Lincoln streets. Turn
right on Cedar street.
Heading east on Cedar, cross California, Magee, Edith, Josephine, and
Martin Luther King streets. There is a traffic light at Martin Luther
King.
BFUU is one block east of Martin Luther King, at the corner of Cedar
and Bonita.
Mapquest.
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From the Downtown Berkeley BART:
Walk north on Shattuck. Cross Center, Addison, and University.
(University is a major street with a traffic light.) Continue north on
Shattuck. Cross or pass Berkeley, Hearst, Delaware, Francisco,
Virginia, Lincoln. Turn left on Cedar, at the Andronico's.
Heading west on Cedar, pass Henry and cross Milvia street.
BFUU is three blocks west of Shattuck on Cedar, at the corner of Cedar
and Bonita.
Mapquest.
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