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Burmese Court Agrees to Aung San Suu Kyi Appeal

2009-09-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

A small step...but in the right direction...

From VOA:

A Burmese court has agreed to hear an appeal from detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi against her criminal conviction last month for violating her house arrest.

Her lawyer, Nyan Win, said Friday that Rangoon's Division Court will hear the appeal on September 18. He said he was satisfied with the court's decision to hear the appeal.

The Nobel Peace laureate was convicted August 11 of violating state security laws after giving shelter to American man who swam to her lakeside Rangoon home uninvited in May. She was sentenced to 18 months house detention.

Kyi Win says the appeal will focus on the fact that her conviction is based on the 1974 state constitution, which is no longer in effect.

The verdict was condemned by the international community. Burma's ruling military junta was accused of using the trial as an excuse to keep her out of next year's elections.

John Yettaw says he swam to Aung San Suu Kyi's home to warn her about an attempt on her life. He was sentenced to seven years of hard labor, but was released by Burma's military junta last month after a visit from U.S. Senator Jim Webb.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been in some form of detention for 14 of the past 20 years.

Click here to continue reading.

Burma's Karen unable to return home

2009-08-17T22:20:00.001-07:00

More than 4,000 ethnic Karen in eastern Burma have fled to Thailand after renewed fighting between Burmese government forces and Karen rebels.

Many of those who have fled over the past week were living at the Ler Per Her camp for internally displaced people in Burma - and had already left their home villages.

Rainbow, who is the secretary of the camp and the headmaster of the school there, told the BBC News website about what is forcing the Karen to flee and the difficult circumstances they now face:

Last week government troops attacked our camp. They were shelling every day. The fighting between the Burmese army and the Karen rebels was taking place close to the camp. It became a dangerous place. So we decided to leave.

There were 1,264 people living in the camp. Since October 2008 we've had about 300 new arrivals.

The Democratic Karen Buddhist Amy (DKBA) [allied to the Burmese army] have been trying to force people in the area to join them in the last few months.

Click here to continue reading.

Burma deports Suu Kyi US 'guest'

2009-08-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

From the BBC:

The US man jailed for visiting Burma's detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been released and deported.

John Yettaw, whose health is described as fragile, left Burma on a plane with visiting US Senator Jim Webb, who negotiated the deal on Saturday.

Mr Webb was the most senior US official to meet the Burmese leader. He also met pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mr Yettaw was jailed for seven years over the visit and Ms Suu Kyi was given an additional 18 months' house arrest.

Mr Yettaw flew with Senator Webb to Bangkok, where he was taken to hospital in a US embassy van.

Senator Webb told reporters 53-year-old Mr Yettaw was "not a well man".

"He had a medical incident this morning when they read him his orders of deportation," the senator told reporters at Bangkok airport.

"He's now undergoing a thorough medical review here in a hospital, and soon he will be able to return to his family."

His wife, Betty, told the BBC on Saturday she was happy to hear the "wonderful" news that he would be released.

Click here to continue reading and to watch the video.

Welcome to the golden land of Myanmar...

2009-07-01T05:23:00.000-07:00

And it's propaganda.

I just went to myanmar.com, the ultimate guide to Myanmar and was greeted by the following:

Senior General Than Shwe sends message of congratulations to Iranian President

NAY PYI TAW, 1 July - Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar, has sent a message of congratulations to His Excellency Mr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his re-election as the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran on 12 June, 2009.[ more + ]

Senior General Than Shwe accepts credentials of Iranian Ambassador

Educational staff, the driving force to achieve goals, objectives and procedures of national education promotion plan Special Refresher Course No (34) for Basic Education Teachers opened

Ministry of Health copes with the patient found infected with New Influenza A (H1N1) with great care People urged to take part in preventive measures against possible spread and outbreak of disease

Obvioucsly...this is the ultimate guide to Myanmar.

Just rumors?

2009-05-25T21:52:00.001-07:00

I just read an AP article that Aung San Suu Kyi was supposed to be released the week she was then charged with violating her house arrest terms (Background: American John Yettaw swam across the lake to Suu Kyi's house uninvited and didn't leave when asked to).

Here is the article to check out.

I find Brig. Gen Myint Thein's statement about her release pretty unlikely and just a cover-up to calm Myanmar's partnering countries, who think that the reputation of the government, since Suu Kyi's arrest and trial, is at stake

Aung San Suu Kyi arrested

2009-05-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

This is atrocious.

From our friends at the Burma Campaign UK:

Dear Friend,

Yesterday Burma’s democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested by the regime and moved to Burma’s notorious Insein prison. It appears she will face trial for breaking the terms of her house arrest which forbids visitors, after an American man, John Yettaw, swam across Inya Lake and refused to leave her house.

Aung San Suu Kyi has committed no crime, she is the victim of a crime. There was an intruder in her house who refused to leave, yet she is the one being imprisoned.

HELP AUNG SAN SUU KYI - TAKE ACTION NOW
The United Nations and ASEAN must dispatch envoys to Burma to demand the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all Burma’s political prisoners.

Please go to this page where you can email the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon and ASEAN leaders to urge them to send envoys immediately. http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/ASSK_action.html

As you know Burma’s generals will use any excuse to keep Aung San Suu Kyi detained. If strong action isn’t taken, Aung San Suu Kyi could face the rest of her life in jail.

Please take action now. Aung San Suu Kyi could now spend the rest of her life in jail. http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/ASSK_action.html

One year later...

2009-05-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

And Cyclone Nargis is forgotten, Burma is out-of-mind.

This is an update from our partner Doctors Without Borders:

On May 2 last year, Nargis Cyclone destroyed everything in its path in the south of Myanmar. It left behind 140,000 dead and missing, as well as immense damage. To help those who survived cope with their grief and suffering, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have been providing mental health support to populations in the Irrawaddy delta for the past 10 months.

Myanmar 2009 © MSF

MSF councelors provide a therapeutic group session in a village near Setsan in the Irrawaddy delta.

One year after cyclone Nargis massively damaged the Irrawaddy delta, reconstruction work is in process, thanks to the efforts of many national and international agencies. After the first emergency phase ended, emphasis is now put on rebuilding shelters and restoring livelihoods, especially agriculture and fishing. It will still take many years until the situation gets back to normal in the mostly rural areas that compose the southern tip of Myanmar.

No more dead bodies are floating in the river branches that plunge into the Andaman Sea, but the memories of the dreadful event that cost the lives of 140,000 people last year still haunt the two million people who survived and lost their loved ones. To alleviate this suffering, MSF has been providing mental health support to populations in the delta for the past 10 months.

Click here to keep reading.

Myanmar opposition meets on next year's election

2009-04-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

Via the AP

Myanmar's military government tightened security as the country's pro-democracy party of detained Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi gathered Tuesday to discuss political issues including next year's planned election.

Attendees will consider proposals for the 2010 elections, but might not decide about whether to take part, party spokesman Nyan Win said.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy maintains that the polling will take place under a constitution aimed at ensuring the military's domination of politics. The document also has clauses that bar Suu Kyi from office.

The party has repeatedly urged the government to review the military-backed constitution, saying it was "approved by force" in a referendum last year.

Click here to keep reading.

BURMA UPDATE

2009-03-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

A recent email from our friend S---,

"It's a common joke in Burma that the best way to find out what's happening in the country, is to leave...now writing from outside, I question that.

The little recent news that has leaked out of Burma's whisper-tight borders has left me less than optimistic. NGO's have been so far allowed to continue their reconstruction work, although the officially recognized disaster area has significantly lessened in size. It seems that aide is being held from particular areas, mainly Karin villages, possibly to "starve" off "undesirable" elements. It has also been reported that Aung San Su Kyi was allowed to meet with UN envoy Mr. Gambari, with no success to speak off. Many see such meetings as the Junta's way to gamble Su Kyi to rid western sanctions on party big wigs, and it is easy to assume that the State Peace and Development Council is waiting for Su Kyi to die under house arrest, as she is perhaps the only one able to unify Burma's remaining scattered and crippled resistance groups.

About two months ago I met a man who had just left the country, and sadly, his impressions were also a bit bleak. "Things seem to be sliding backwards, there's a feeling that we're heading back to the 'ol Ne Win days," he told me. Ne Win was the Junta's previous leader who oversaw a time when imports were outlawed and foreigners were lucky to obtain 48 hour visas. A time that most Burmese prefer to forget. It seems that as the current Junta head General Than Shwe grows older, his paranoia increases as his underlings tussle over power to take his throne. As for talk of democracy, like Su Kyi, it appears to be just another playing card in negotiations with concerned nations- unlikely to bring about any significant change.

But...all in all it is really hard to say. As we in the "outside" world cruise into this future of nearly free information access, Youtube now available in rural Pakistan and Google in the northwest coast of Ecuador, Burma somehow maintains their bizarre information hegemony. The only acceptable email services are run by the government, and all privately run Internet cafes are required to take a screen shot every 7 minutes to be submitted to the intelligence agency NIB. Sites such as Youtube, Yahoo and MSN are almost always blocked off. Local telephone lines are heavily monitored, and receiving an international phone call is highly unlikely. (Although, for a thousand US dollars one can acquire a cellphone sim card, a system entirely run by the government.) As for news, a few copies of last months Economist can be found at the bookstore- about a 4th of the pages gone. Some hotels do have the New York Times, with patchwork holes where articles about China, democracy, rebellion...or whatever...have been scissored out.

And of course surely it makes the SPDC comfortable that no one knows their ACTUAL ability to monitor. (I often wonder where the warehouses with rows of people cutting apart the newspapers are ....How do they feel about such a job?) I can say that in about a month's time, three undercover foreign Journalists were unmasked and deported, each leaving behind a reverberating paranoia among anyone they had spoken to. Confiscated bags, film cards and notebooks are left to the military-green uniformed airport staff (standing near a desk of already outdated computers still shrink-wrapped in original packaging). Helping a foreign journalist usually means prison, and sometimes violent harassment of family and friends.

So the updates I receive from friends and associates in country are almost always self censored- "things are ok...just ok" is a recent one. If someone were to write "Things are horrible, everyone is unhappy" the email likely wouldn't get through, even an interrogation could follow. On the other hand even if things are going relatively well, as long as the Junta is still calling the shots, things will be, at best "just ok".

Ultimately, inside the country or out its nearly impossible to know what's going on, how things work, who's in power when, etc ...and outside of the hyper paranoid ruling Junta, no one ever really has a clue. But one good thing about being outside Burma, is that one can be openly critical...and say things like "free burma" with out being deported and compromising the safety of others. Therefore:

FREE BURMA."

Mandate of UN-backed group supporting Myanmar cyclone recovery extended

2009-03-04T21:10:00.000-08:00

At least we're moving one step...a slow and steady step...but at least it's forward.

From the UN News Center via SaveBurma:

4 March 2009 – The United Nations-backed group assisting the reconstruction of Myanmar after it was devastated by Cyclone Nargis, which left around 140,000 dead or missing and uprooted 800,000 from their homes, has been given another year in its role facilitating the recovery work in the South Asian country.

The mandate of the Tripartite Core Group (TCG) – which consists of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Government of Myanmar and the UN – has been extended until next July to allow it to continue its efforts in supporting Myanmar in its recovery.

The TCG developed the three-year Post-Nargis Response and Preparedness Plan (PONREPP), which was launched last month and provides a blueprint for the reconstruction of communities devastated by Cyclone Nargis.

The medium-term recovery needs identified in the PONREPP amount to $691 million over the next three years and called for the extension of the TCG as a basis for providing continued funding.

Click here to keep reading.

Environmental + Community Initiatives Launches by HToo Foundation

2009-02-17T06:43:00.000-08:00

This is one of the first articles I've come across which addresses the environment/wildlife situation in the Mandalay region:

From the Myanmar Times
By Zaw Winn

THE Htoo Foundation has launched a series of community development projects to conserve Myanmar’s natural forest and wildlife, as well as local customs, languages and dialects.

The foundation was originally created to provide emergency aid in the wake of cyclone Nargis. “Soon after the storm, we organised all companies under Htoo Trading and started donating to victims. Then we decided to keep on doing community development in other regions,” said the foundation’s project director, U Ye Min Oo.

The project will be carried out in Kachin, Kayah, Chin and Shan states, and Pyin Oo Lwin district in Mandalay Division.

“We have now commenced operations in Kachin, Shan and Pyin Oo Lwin,” he said, adding that operations would start in other regions within months.

U Ye Min Oo said the aim of the project was to conserve Myanmar’s natural forest and wildlife in the regions, to develop local ethnic communities in remote regions, encourage the languages and cultures of Myanmar ethnic groups, including minorities, and to help meet emergency needs in natural disasters.

“A primary school and a small hospital are under construction in Mulashidi village, in Kachin State’s Putao region, and are scheduled to be completed by June,” U Ye Min Oo said.

He said the Htoo Foundation was encouraging the wider use of local dialects. “We will persuade local communities to speak their own dialects,” U Ye Min Oo said.

The foundation would also encourage communities to wear traditional dress, he said. “We will try to persuade them to preserve their national identity by wearing national dress at least once a week, to speak their own dialects occasionally, and to work their traditional crafts,” he said.

Global Justice Center Update

2009-02-09T07:07:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

We need you to join us in making Nicholas Kristof's wake up call on Burma this week the first step in sending the ruling criminal junta to the International Criminal Court.

On February 4, 2009, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof highlighted the ongoing devastation of the people of Burma by the criminal regime, which has ruled with rape and murder for over forty years. There is now a way to end impunity. The UN Security Council can send Burma to the International Criminal Court for investigation and prosecution of war crimes.

We ask you to not only commend Nicholas Kristof, but respond to his column with a call for justice. Although Mr. Kristof commendably calls for "new approaches" on Burma, there is already an available solution. The International Criminal Court was created by the global community precisely to end impunity and remove criminal dictatorships. Learning from history, criminal dictators do not respond to pleas of envoys or sanctions. Ongoing impunity has made General Than Shwe more powerful than ever. Moreover, the call to the ICC is what all of the exile Burma groups are asking of the international community.

GJC Burma Researcher Phyu Phyu Sann posted one call for criminal accountability on Mr. Kristof's blog this morning:

We do not need a new approach, just the old approach - justice.

We people of Burma deserve it. Many of my friends are in prisons calling for justice. This is the dictatorship that put 20 year olds in prison for 104 years and many others.

Not only me but all of my colleagues of 88 generation and monks are calling for justice. There is the International Criminal Court as a way to bring justice for people of Burma. Why do we need a new approach???? We need "Justice", a very fundamental and old one.

-Phyu Phyu Sann
Member of '88 Students

The '88 Generation Students, International Burmese Monks Organizaton, National Council of the Union of Burma, Women's League of Burma, Burma Lawyers' Council and other representatives of Burma's people are calling for justice, as is the European Union. We are asking for you to do the same.

The people of Burma need our help by responding to Mr. Kristof and letting him know that the "new approach" we need is right before our eyes. The crimes that the SPDC is committing are crimes not just against the people of Burma, they are crimes against the entire world. If we do not stand up for people of Burma we are encouraging the next criminal dictator and endangering the next vulnerable population.

Click here to make your voice heard on how we can end the suffering in Burma!

Thank you,
Global Justice Center

UN envoy meets ministers, diplomats in Myanmar

2009-02-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

From the AP/IHT:

YANGON, Myanmar: The United Nations' special envoy to Myanmar met Sunday with government ministers and diplomats in a renewed effort to promote political reform in the military-ruled country, officials and diplomats said.

It remained unclear whether U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari would be able to meet with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi during his four-day visit, which started Saturday. The trip, his seventh, comes amid criticism that he has failed to produce significant results.

Gambari told diplomats that his objectives are to urge the release of political prisoners, discuss the country's ailing economy and revive a dialogue between Suu Kyi and the junta, a Western diplomat said.

The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of protocol, said Gambari was also preparing for a possible visit by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, but did not elaborate.

Ban visited Myanmar last May after Cyclone Nargis devastated coastal areas and persuaded the junta's top leader, Senior Gen. Than Shwe, to ease access for foreign aid workers and relief supplies.

Click here to continue reading

The clamping down of Christians in Burma

2009-01-22T15:52:00.000-08:00

From Compass Direct:

Burmese authorities last week increased restrictions on Christian activity in the capital city of Rangoon and surrounding areas, including the closure of several churches, Compass sources confirmed yesterday.

Orders issued on Jan. 5 had already forced many Christians meeting in residential homes or apartments to cease gathering for worship. Officials last week ordered several major Rangoon churches, including Wather Hope Church, Emmanuel Church and the Assemblies of God Church, to cease holding services and continued enforcing the Jan. 5 ban on meetings held in unauthorized facilities.

In the late 1990s authorities stopped issuing permits for land purchase or the construction of new churches, leading many Burmese Christians to conduct services in rented apartments or office buildings, according to the Burmese news agency Mizzima.

The Kyauktada Township Peace and Development Council on Jan. 5 invited pastors from more than 100 Rangoon churches to a meeting where they were told to sign documents pledging to cease operation of their churches. About 50 pastors attended, according to Mizzima.

The documents threatened punishment, including potential jail terms and the sealing of church facilities, for pastors who refused to obey the closure orders.

Click here to keep reading

Student gets 104-year sentence

2009-01-16T06:28:00.000-08:00

The Burmese government just sentence a student in his 20s to 104 years in prison!
104 years...For going to the Thai border to contact a group in exile.

Students and activists are getting hefty terms for helping Cyclone Nargis victims or rally for Aung San Suu Kyi. How can we protect them?

Click here to keep reading

MYANMAR RECOVERY TO TAKE UP TO 4 YEARS!

2009-01-15T22:46:00.000-08:00

I just saw this on IRIN's website:

YANGON, 15 January 2009 (IRIN) - Cyclone survivors in Myanmar will likely need up to four years to fully recover from the impact of Nargis, according to the UN.

“Full recovery will take three to four years, depending on the availability of funds,” Bishow Parajuli, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, told IRIN in Yangon, the former Burmese capital.

His assessment runs from May 2008 when the cyclone struck to 2011, the recovery period now being envisioned by the upcoming Post-Nargis Recovery and Preparedness Plan, a strategic framework for the international community’s recovery assistance.

More than eight months after Nargis left close to 140,000 people dead or missing when it hit the http://www.blogger.javascript:void(0)com/img/blank.gifAyeyarwady delta on 2 and 3 May, life remains a struggle for thousands of the 2.4 million people affected, many of whom lost their homes, property and livelihoods.

Despite a massive outpouring of humanitarian assistance, recovery will not be quick. Indonesia took four to five years to recover from the Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed some 167,000 people in the western province of Aceh in 2004, Parajuli explained.

Click here to keep reading.

Unsung Heroines - The Women Who Fight For Rights

2009-01-03T21:06:00.000-08:00

By Farah Milhar, media officer, Minority Rights Group International

Defending human rights is a risky business, but for women on the job the threat is much greater. In every country, amid the deepest crisis - be it in eastern Congo or Sri Lanka - women human rights activists are at the forefront, challenging governments, military forces, militants, community leaders and men in their societies.

At the Hague, Netherlands, late last week Dutch funding agency CORDAID and Justitia et Pax brought together some 30 women rights defenders from across the world to share experience and generate solidarity for their groundbreaking work.

The women were from diverse backgrounds and struggling for a range of issues including extra-judicial killings, evictions, torture, sexual violence, female genital mutilation and domestic violence. Many were from ethnic and religious minorities and indigenous communities, meaning they face multiple levels of discrimination.

"People see you as the enemy. I had to stop going to my parent's house because it was too dangerous for them," said a pastoralist woman from an east African country. Together with other women in her community, this activist - whose name has been ommitted for her safety - has challenged attempts by her government to forcibly take away their land to build a tourist resort.

The price she paid was severe. A member of her family was killed, she has been questioned and interrogated several times by the police, and she has been forced to cut ties with her parents out of fear of their security.

Click here to continue reading

The ongoing human rights violations in Myanmar

2008-12-24T21:22:00.000-08:00

Can you imagine what it's like to spend 13 of the past 19 years under house arrest?! Just ask Aung San Suu Kyi.

These are the stats I just read in a recent IHT/Associated Press piece:

"Myanmar's military, which has ruled since 1962 when they country was known as Burma, tolerates no dissent and crushed pro-democracy protests led by Buddhist monks in September 2007. It holds more than 2,100 political prisoners, up sharply from nearly 1,200 before the demonstrations, human rights groups say.

The General Assembly "strongly" called on Myanmar's government "to desist from further politically motivated arrests and to release without delay and without conditions those who have been arbitrarily arrested and detained, as well as all political prisoners."

The resolution said those freed should include Suu Kyi and other leaders of her party, leaders of the 88 Generation, a group at the forefront of a 1988 pro-democracy uprising, leaders of ethnic groups, and all those detained as a result of the September 2007 protests."

Keep reading...

Myanmar cyclone survivors struggle to rebuild lives

2008-12-24T20:18:00.000-08:00

It's December and we are still seeing articles like this...

KUNGYANGON, Myanmar: With tents still serving as homes and schools seven months after Cyclone Nargis lashed Myanmar, survivors say they are struggling to rebuild their lives as international aid trickles in.

Fisherman Htein Lin Aung, a father of three, says a new roof is out of the question as he fixes the engine of his boat beneath the tarpaulin covering of his bamboo tent outside the town of Kungyangon.

"We have been in difficulties since Nargis. The weather is also unusual now," said Htein Lin Aung, 37, whose house was one of hundreds of thousands destroyed by the cyclone.

The storm left 138,000 people dead or missing and affected more than 2.5 million, while Myanmar's government provoked outrage by initially hampering international aid efforts with red tape.

The military government relented after a visit from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. But rebuilding the southwestern Irrawaddy Delta, which suffered the brunt of the cyclone, is dragging on.

Click here to continue reading

2.5 million isn't a small number

2008-12-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

The population of some countries can be way below 2.5 million...and this is just the number of people who were displaced by Cyclone Nargis.

They still need aid - What are we doing about it?

From the Myanmar Times:

Donor nations gather in Yangon for Nargis roundtable

MYANMAR hosted a meeting last week to update potential donors on the funding requirements for ongoing relief and recovery efforts in areas of the Ayeyarwady delta affected by cyclone Nargis in May.

Senior government officials, aid experts and representatives of donor countries met in Yangon on Wednesday, amid reports by the United Nations of continuing shortfalls in funding to support livelihoods for 2.4 million cyclone victims.

The High-level Roundtable on Post Nargis Relief and Recovery Efforts in Myanmar, as the meeting was officially called, was the second of its kind organised by the Tripartite Core Group (TCG), which is overseeing the relief efforts.

Click here to continue reading

Mumbai and human rights

2008-11-26T16:06:00.000-08:00

Dear BuildBurma.org members and friends,

It is with a heavy heart that I write this message to you as our friends and family in Mumbai, India witness the devastation of their beloved city.

In the midst of these terrorist attacks, civilians have been killed and harmed, and their basic human rights have been violated.

And whether it is in Myanmar or Mumbai or any other part of the world, we must always stand together to fight for justice and against the violation of our right to live.

Smriti Mundhra, one of our core members, is in Mumbai right now, in the heart of the attacks, and has been keeping us updated on the situation through the night.

We pray for her and her family's safety and that the attacks end soon. Tomorrow will be a new day as the dust settles by the Taj hotel and the Gateway of India, and we hope for the recovery of the city and its people.

Please visit BuildBurma.org for updates on the situation in Myanmar and please visit the website of our partner, Alertnet.org, for regular updates on Mumbai and other humanitarian issues.

Warm regards,
Shruti

Myanmar junta jails comedian for 45 years

2008-11-26T15:47:00.000-08:00

A secret court in military-ruled Myanmar sentenced popular comedian and activist Zarganar to 45 years prison on Friday, the latest in a series of lengthy jail terms handed down on more than 100 dissidents, relatives said.

Zarganar, whose real name is Ko Thura, was detained in June after coordinating private aid in Yangon for the victims of Cyclone Nargis, which devastated huge swathes of the Irrawaddy Delta in May, killing 140,000 people.

Police seized his computer and several banned films, including the latest Rambo movie, featuring the U.S. Vietnam War veteran taking on the former Burma's ruling military on behalf of Christian ethnic Karen rebels.

Click here to read more

MSF report - People dying due to lack of treatment

2008-11-26T15:36:00.000-08:00

Thousands of people are needlessly dying due to a severe lack of lifesaving HIV/AIDS treatment in Myanmar, says international humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontiere (MSF) in a report released today. Unable to continue shouldering the primary responsibility for responding to one of Asia's worst HIV crises, MSF insists that the Government of Myanmar and international organizations urgently and rapidly scale-up ART provision.

An estimated 240,000 people are thought to have HIV/AIDS in Myanmar. Of these people, 76,000 are in urgent need of antiretroviral treatment, yet less than 20 percent of them are currently able to access it.

Click here to continue reading

Do these videos help...?

2008-10-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

Or do they cheapen the cause?

Woody Harrelsen + Jennifer Aniston on Burma

2008-10-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

We're still waiting for Burma...and Woody Harrelson

UN chief Ban may drop plans for Myanmar visit

2008-10-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 7 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday he would drop plans to make a long talked-about visit to Myanmar unless he is confident it would achieve tangible results in promoting democracy.
Ban has been asked by the U.N. Security Council to do his utmost to pursue reforms in military-ruled Myanmar, which drew international condemnation a year ago for a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters led by monks.
Ban's special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, made a sixth visit to the former Burma in August, but failed to meet the 63-year-old Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi who has been under house arrest for most of the past five years.
A visit by Ban has long been discussed but no date had been set. Ban made a first visit to Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis in May to pressure the junta to cooperate more with international aid workers. Ban said he would remain "constantly and personally engaged" in Myanmar. "I would be willing to (make) a return visit to Myanmar at an appropriate time, but you should also know that without any tangible or very favorable result to be achieved, then I may not be in a position to visit Myanmar," Ban told reporters. "I'm now in the process of making some groundwork which may allow me to consider my own visit, but ... I need some more time. I will have to consider all the circumstances, (and) when would be appropriate timing for me to visit," he said.
Western countries have condemned as a sham a May referendum on Myanmar's army-drafted constitution, part of a seven-step "roadmap to democracy" that is meant to culminate in multiparty elections in 2010 and end a nearly 20-year political stalemate.
Gambari has met government officials on his visits to Myanmar but has made little progress in promoting dialogue with Suu Kyi or the release of political prisoners.

B8 EVENT - 8-8-08 GLOBAL JUSTICE FOR BURMA

2008-07-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

Meet monks. See art. Connect.

Learn about Burma. Collaborate for justice.

B8 - GLOBAL JUSTICE FOR BURMA

8-8-08.
The first day of the Olympics.

The 20th anniversary of the 8-8-88 protests and massacre in Burma.

Join the Global Justice Center, the International Burmese Monks Organization, alldaybuffet, Serene Communications, U.S. Campaign for Burma, the 88 Generation Students of Burma and hundreds around the world to help bring Burma's Senior General Than Shwe and his military regime to justice at the International Criminal Court.

Wear red in solidarity.

B8 GJB Locations

Delhi, India
Delhi Habitat Center
Lodhi Road, New Delhi
www.indiahabitat.org

London, United Kingdom
TBD

New York City, United States
Eli Klein Fine Art
462 West Broadway, New York City
www.elikleinfineart.com

San Francisco, United States
Frey Norris Gallery
456 Geary Street, San Francisco
www.freynorris.com

More info:
www.globaljusticeforburma.org

A ray of hope - Inside Myanmar - Part 4

2008-07-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

From our friend S- in Yangon

I had better say 'happy holidays' from Myanmar. Over the past few weeks two important holidays have occurred. The first, Wazo, arrived with an auspicious Burmese full moon, an occasion when many young men exchange faded t-shirts and loungyi's for an apprentice robe, entering the monastery to spend the next few months in religious study and meditation. (and for many- relief work) Across the country well-wishers donated robes, bowls and burgundy velvet sandals to the soon to be monks. Appreciative of the monasteries' continuous hurricane relief work, there was quite a turnout this Wazo. (It's been a long year for the monks.)

In a slight contrast, the second holiday, Martyr's Day, was non-celebrated. Anticipating a different sort of appreciation, larger cities and towns observed trucks brimming with riot patrol police and militia on patrol....festivities we limited for the most part.

There are a multitude of reasons to celebrate,however. It is not hard to be overwhelmed when looking at the vastness of the situation in the south of the country, especially as it seems affected population estimates increase daily-as the food supply continues to decline. But the many small efforts and successes also seem to be ever increasing. It was a pleasant surprise that the national newspaper reported last week that 'everyone may make donations freely'. Just as surprising, in Southern Bogalay, one of the worst affected areas, a prominent monk was able to obtain permission to bring in a group of foreign doctors- the first to have visited the area.

I learn of more and more local business's and individuals that have stepped in and set up small scale relief/reconstruction efforts in some of the most remote areas, some of who are now partnering with NGO's. At an even more local level local NGOs, of which there are few, are inundated with local volunteers, many who have overcome the most tragic of circumstances to assist others...I met one man who lost his wife and all four children to a storm surge- he’s now coordinating prevention efforts in his village. It is astonishing that the in face of such difficult circumstances hope is far from being lost.

Stay tuned - Global Justice Center

2008-07-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

We will be working on an initiative and series of events with the Global Justice Center - Titled B8 - on 08-08-08.

Details to follow shortly.

Inside Burma - Part 3

2008-07-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

A recent email from S-

"The stories currently floating around, range from tragic to almost unbelievable. Not long ago masses of high nutrition biscuits were donated for distribution to those in need, ultimately they ended up being rationed to a particular uniformed group...given without instruction, many were hospitalized from consuming too many. (As the story goes) Another story is one of a small extremely rural village that only recently had a school built. For the first time ever two young students studied and took a medical exam to begin nursing school. To the surprise and pride of the village both passed. They would have been the village's first graduates- had the two survived the Nargis...So here, over a cup of sweet burmese tea I find comedy and tragedy both.

Those working on the relief effort have stories too, although quite a bit more technical and numerical. It seems that as a few days ago some 50,000 people have run out of food. Hopefully through cooperation relief will be provided until the next harvest, but it will be an effort. Some of the outlying island areas have towns that have lost seventy percent of their population, with only a few children remaining. But slowly, help seems to be reaching those sort of people. All and all, its pretty hard to tell, but I can attest that there are many dedicated people doing the best they can."

Monsoons and chainsaws

2008-07-10T07:20:00.000-07:00

I was just on the AlertNet website and came across this blog post by Chris Northey - CARE's Emergency Team Leader in Myanmar. It just shook me awake from the comfort of my office in Manhattan.

Rain and sadness in cyclone-ravaged Myanmar
10 Jul 2008 11:33:00 GMT10 Jul 2008 11:33:00

It's raining every day now in Myanmar, very heavily; monsoon season has clearly arrived. It's not the gentle rain we're used to at home - more like someone tipping a bucket of water over your head. I can't help but think of people stuck outside in this rain with no shelter and it pushes you to do more.

Since I came back from the delta, I've been very busy in the office and we've had more staff join the emergency programme. It's very easy to get caught up in the detail of budgets, proposals, warehouses, planes, cars and procurement, and forget that a line on a budget sheet represents a village that CARE is helping, that it represents a person and their family. The sound of the rain reminds you of this.

Click here to read more

Ferry sinks in Irrawaady Delta

2008-07-04T07:24:00.001-07:00

Click here for the full story

Inside Burma - Part 2

2008-07-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

From my fellow high school alum who is in Yangon right now:

"The rain beating down on the corrugated roofing here is so vigorous it sounds like the white noise of a disconnected television. It's currently the monsoon season, meaning that at least four times daily huge clouds purge themselves of a tremendous amount of rain. Normally, this is a good thing- bringing fresh water to the rice paddies and other crops while washing away the hot season and the red betel nuts stains from the streets. Now, it seems that the thunderclaps bring about anxiousness. For many people memories of the hurricane are still fresh.

As the streets and ditches flood here in the city, I can only hope that the temporary repairs and tarpaulin roofs will keep those in the delta dry, many who recently have had to return home prematurely.There are certainly more relief agencies here than ever before, and it’s the first time I've ever seen so many foreigners (of the professional kind) meandering about Yangon's dilapidated streets (searching for products they are unlikely to find.) Not being able to travel many places without hard to obtain special permission, they are working with local staff and preexisting agencies to get supplies and assistance into the worst hit areas. Organizations have also had to contend with the rain.

I'm told that many roads are nearly impassable in the rural areas, flooded and turned to mud. Combined with the restrictions, that has kept help from reaching all who need it- confining most efforts to the larger towns and cities. Regular citizens, are compassionately filling in the gaps as much as they can, (which is absolutely beautiful.)

One ray of hope, is that one local, having just returned from a marginalized region told me 'they are tough people, if anyone can figure out how to survive, they can. They've been doing it for years...' I hope so, as the current and biggest concern is food. The hurricane not only destroyed many rice paddies and seed stock, but has also saturated much land with sea water, which until pumped out effectively destroys the lands fertility. Not great news for those entirely dependent on crops for food and income- which is most.

I've noticed that troubles aren't just in the South. Prices everywhere have risen. Bus fares have doubled and food costs have risen rather substantially. A 75 pound bag of rice that cost 16,000 kyat before the hurricane is now 25,000 kyat. While certainly a lot of rice, enough for a family of four for a month, many earn as little 30,000 kyat a month and are concerned about the future. In Burmese language, after saying 'hello, how are you?' it is customary to ask 'have you eaten?' pronounced, 'Saw bee pee la?' the normal response is 'Saa Bee'-'I have eaten' Everyone is hoping that, to that definition at least, things will get back to normal."

News from Myanmar

2008-06-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

This is from a former classmate of mine from boarding school whose name, for security purposes, will not be mentioned. He/she is currently in Myanmar right now and will be giving us first hand updates on the situation there. He/she will be trying to go to the hard-hit region, however that may be difficult right now.

"Arriving in Yangon over a month after Nargis' fury, I was surprised to find the former capital city still in state of disarray, as the airplane circled over Yangon International's two shaky airstrips, I could easily see that huge trees had been blown over and uprooted throughout the city. The new lack of greenery laid an aerial view to parts of the city previously concealed. Many ramshackle houses and smaller buildings had clearly sustained damage from the storm with large sheets of corrugated iron roofing lying about. Upon landing, the airstrips were the busiest I've yet seen- with one other airplane arriving from Bangkok and a few UN helicopters furiously heading south, there are five or six in total I'm told. Once on the ground the randomness of the destruction became more evident, large mansions were obviously quite damaged with repair crews hanging from bamboo scaffolding, while scantily constructed teashops ten feet way are untouched. Small wooden Buddhist stupas stand tall next to massive ancient trees uprooted with branches broken and stripped entirely away.

You wouldn't believe it ...By some stroke of randomness I unintentionally arrived on Aung San Su Kyi's birthday, and from the taxi window i could see the streets were well guarded to prevent any dissent. As a result the traffic was nearly standstill being that some of the main roads were blockaded with barbed wire barriers. (The next day, I heard that indeed there were some happenings- but were dealt with quickly.) The peoples general attitude seems to be pretty glum as almost everyone in the city sustained some damage, and many have relatives further south- which is well known to have to taken the brunt of Nargis. Many have donated much to monasteries and local efforts, but now don't have adequate funds to fully repair their homes, so the reconstruction is a slow process. In the nicer areas of the city electricity and water have been restored, but in many areas that hasn't happened.

There are the odd crews of soldiers and groups cutting away at some of the larger trees and clearing rubble from the streets, so its nice to see the two working on the same cause for once...OK well thats all I have to say for now, as you may gathered all is safe here, and I am enjoying the fresh air after the grey bangkok smog and the hellish heat of Islamabad."

Burmese Blogging About the Cyclone

2008-06-17T04:46:00.000-07:00

I remember meeting some remarkable Iraqi leaders a few years ago. They were all women. There was the only female judge, who had also survived an assassination attempt, women who promoted arts and culture, and women who blogged, among others.

Blogging has become an important part of news reporting and communicating - I just read this article on the BBC website about victims in Myanmar blogging about the dire situation there. Check it out

BuildBurma shout out

2008-06-17T04:45:00.000-07:00

Check out istheresomethingicando.com. Thank you to Kanani Yates for the BuildBurma mention.

We still have a long way to go folks.

Meeting of minds

2008-06-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

Last evening I went to the Global Fund for Women's 20th anniversary gala at Cipriani. It truly was quite something. Not just the decor, attention to detail, fabulous meal and program, but the energy in the room.

Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan and Africa's first female president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Libera were being honored. The remarkable women from the head of the Global Fund Kavita Ramdas to the Abigail Disney to former Irish President Mary Robinson were truly inspiring in their speeches and efforts.

I went with my friend Suphala who performed (fabulously) at the dinner. Afterwards she and I spoke about non-profit events, galas, moneys spent and in this sea of charities, how does one select certain causes? Is there a satiation point?

What was actually refreshing about the event was the lack of "society" which is quite typical of many New York-based galas.

Instead, at the dinner last night, messages were clear, personal agendas were contained, and the looming issue of women's rights advocacy in repressive countries was discussed at length.

In the same way, peoples' rights have been horribly violated in Myanmar. And now even foreign aid workers, agencies and news services are being accused of mis-representing the actual situation in Myanmar - stating that they are exaggerating. You can get the latest update here

4 weeks later...

2008-05-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

And barely a fraction of the 2.5 million displaced people have received aid.

Instead they are now being evicted from camps, as government officials believe that these villagers may get 'too used to' this type of lifestyle, living off donations.

What a sick sick world this is.

But we must still persist and do everything we can in our power. Whether it is volunteering, fundraising, or even putting up comments on instant messenger or social networks - it's the least we can do as we sit as our desks, in our protected homes in first world countries and complain about chipped manicures and our lukewarm coffee.

Click here for a complete update

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-28T09:42:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, families and friends across America gathered together to barbeque and celebrate. But what often lacks in these get-togethers is observing the reason behind Memorial Day - honoring the lives lost in military service.

Not to put a dampner on this traditional holiday, but how often do we really remember the history behind such days?

I spent my Sunday at a friend's birthday party. While we did have our fair share of revelry, what was special at that gathering was the discussion we had about Myanmar, about international affairs, and about what people could do to get involved.

We've made a few BuildBurma.org Tshirts in various designs and sizes (which can be seen in our Facebook group) and have been distributing them around.

Whether it's online or offline, getting your friends and those around you to take an interest in human politics is important - we should all be human rights advocates by nature else we are committing a grave crime against our own being.

Myanmar Video

2008-05-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Click here

MSF in Myanmar

2008-05-26T09:42:00.001-07:00

Click here to read the interview with Medecin Sans Frontiere emergency coordinator Jean-Sebastien Matte on what MSF is doing in the Irrawaddy.

Latest Myanmar Updates

2008-05-26T09:38:00.001-07:00

Click here for complete coverage

Ban Ki-Moon in Myanmar

2008-05-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

Reuters: U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon is seeing first hand the suffering and devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis, as he tours the worst-affected Irrawaddy Delta in Myanmar. Relief teams have reached only a quarter of the victims, so while the country's officials say that the situation is under control, Ban Ki-moon is hoping to convince the junta to accept more outside help.

As Myanmar requests a staggering $11 billion in aid pledges, Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan warns that donor countries will be reluctant to commit money until they are allowed to assess the damage for themselves. Meanwhile, the European Union has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution urging the U.N. Security Council to consider forced aid shipments.

Click here for the whole story

Fundraising target raised!

2008-05-21T14:18:00.001-07:00

It's really been exciting that within a few days of launching we were already halfway to our original fundraising target of 10K. Yesterday Alson Capital offered 5k to help us reach that goal! Yes, they are amazing.

So we have raised our target amount to 15 K.

Another highlight was the comment from Irene Lee who made a donation - "I'm from Myanmar. Thank you"

This is why we started this effort and will continue raising money and more importantly continue to raise awareness.

A big thank you to all our generous donors.

Reuters: Myanmar mourns dead, U.N. reports aid progress

2008-05-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

20 May 2008 19:24:52 GMT 20 May 2008 19:24:52 GMT* Myanmar starts three days of mourning

* WFP gets permission to use helicopters for relief

* U.N. chief Ban on his way to Yangon

* Myanmar to allow Japanese aid workers (Recasts with WFP helicopters, adds U.S. comments)

By Aung Hla Tun

YANGON, May 20 (Reuters) - Myanmar's junta has given the World Food Program permission to use helicopters to send aid to cyclone survivors, the United Nations said on Tuesday, as flags flew at half-staff across the country to mourn the dead.

The first day of a three-day mourning period passed in torrential rain and diplomatic prodding of the reclusive generals to allow more international aid after Cyclone Nargis hit in early May, leaving 134,000 people dead or missing.

The junta in the former Burma has allowed relief flights to deliver supplies to Yangon, the largest city, but had balked at aerial access to the southwestern Irrawaddy Delta, where an estimated 2.4 million people were left destitute.

"We have received government permission to operate nine WFP helicopters which will allow us to reach areas that have so far been largely inaccessible," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon told reporters before departing for a visit to Myanmar.

Continue reading here

Why do we care about some disaster's and not about others?

2008-05-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

A great piece on Yahoo/Live Science

Also to note: Yahoo.com has really been active in updating its news feeds and has consistently featured Myanmar in its pressing news section.

Reuters: ASEAN to coordinate Myanmar aid effort

2008-05-19T11:11:00.001-07:00

* ASEAN to coordinate international relief effort

* U.N.'s Ban to visit Myanmar on Wednesday

* Myanmar declares three days of mourning

* Donor conference in Yangon on May 25 (Adds U.N. secretary general visit on Wednesday)

By Aung Hla Tun
YANGON, May 19 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian nations will take the lead in an international aid effort for cyclone-hit Myanmar, but the military junta will not give Western relief workers unfettered access to disaster areas, Singapore said on Monday.

"We will establish a mechanism so that aid from all over the world can flow into Myanmar," Foreign Minister George Yeo said.

He was speaking after hosting a regional meeting to prod the generals to accept large-scale foreign aid and expertise for up to 2.4 million people left destitute by Cyclone Nargis.
The details were to be worked out with the United Nations, which announced later on Monday that a donor conference would be held in the cyclone-hit former capital, Yangon, on May 25.

Myanmar agreed to accept nearly 300 medical personnel from its neighbours in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the foreign ministers said in a statement.
A few have already sent teams two weeks after the disaster which left 134,000 dead or missing. But aid workers from outside ASEAN will only be granted visas on a case-by-case basis.

"We have to look at specific needs -- there will not be uncontrolled access," Yeo said after the meeting which named ASEAN chief Surin Pitsuwan to work with the United Nations on aid delivery.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit Myanmar on Wednesday, when he plans to visit the country's Irrawaddy delta area which was hit hardest by Nargis, his spokeswoman Michele Montas told reporters.

"His objective is to reinforce the ongoing aid operation, see how the international relief and rehabilitation effort can be scaled up and work with Myanmar authorities to significantly increase the amount of aid flowing through Yangon to the areas most affected by the disaster," Montas said.

Continue reading here

It's all in a name

2008-05-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

We got feedback from various people regarding the choice of our name. Why BuildBurma.org and not BuildMyanmar.org or MakeMyanmar.org, and so on?

We're not using 'Burma' as a way to reject 'Myanmar' as the country's legal name. In fact, we do recognize this difference and one can observe from our content that we consistently refer to the country as Myanmar.

BuildBurma.org is simply a name, a branding tool, something that is easy for people to remember and approach.

Should the world help even if Myanmar pushes back?

2008-05-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

From the Reuters blog

From Reuters: Myanmar's Buddhist monks fill cyclone aid void

2008-05-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

17 May 2008 03:25:45 GMT 17 May 2008 03:25:45 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Aung Hla Tun

KUNTHECHAUNG, Myanmar, May 17 (Reuters) - With a loudhailer in one hand and a clipboard in the other, the bespectacled Buddhist monk calls out names from a long list of villages devastated by Cyclone Nargis.

One by one, maroon-robed monks in the crowd milling round the make-shift relief centre put up their hands before coming forward to accept a carefully measured quota of food for his village.
Welcome to emergency aid delivery, Myanmar-style.

With foreign agencies on a tight leash and only a trickle of relief coming in from the military goverment, the Buddhist monkhood has become a major conduit for help to the 2.5 million people left clinging to survival in the Irrawaddy delta.

Given the monks' unquestioned moral authority in the devoutly Buddhist southeast Asian nation, private donors are happy to see the shaven-headed men in maroon taking charge of goods brought down to the delta in rickety trucks, vans and boats.

"It gives us great pleasure and joy to see our donations transferred directly to the beneficiaries," said Ko Myo, a young businessmen from Yangon, the former capital. "That's all we expect out of our contribution. Nothing else."

Outside the tent, dozens of monks and villagers wait their turn patiently. Many sit in the boats that will take the needed supplies back to their shattered communities.

Praise for the senior monk, or Sayadaw, who establised the relief centre is universal.
"Most people wouldn't have survived long if the Sayadaw hadn't arrived in time," one man told Reuters. "Some places have run out of food completely."

"MAGIC WORDS"

The monk in question, the Venerable Nyanissara, is a Buddhist patriarch who is as close to being "untouchable" as it is possible to be a country run by a ruthless military junta.

The 73-year-old was in Paris the night Nargis struck with its 120 mph (190 kmh) winds and 12-foot (3.5 metre) wall of water that slammed into the delta. He immediately cut short his Buddhist lecture trip to return home to start relief work.

Now, in a tent beside a stagnant waterway in the district of Bogalay, where at least 10,000 people, probably many more, were killed, he personally overseas the handing out of aid.
"Today we distributed rice, salt, clothing, drinking water, and soap to 27 villages," he told Reuters as a mobile phone rang on the table in front of him.

"We have distributed over 100 tons of rice and more than 3,000 tin roofing sheets so far. We are trying to distribute more," said the monk, much of whose funding comes from a global network of rich, well-educated disciples.

As with September's protests against the soaring cost of living, when the going gets tough in Myanmar, people typically turn to the monkhood, the only institution that can stand up to a military machine that has ruled almost unchecked for 46 years.

Nyanissara's elevated status means soldiers at checkpoints on roads into the delta dare not interfere with his supplies. Just the words of his mission -- "Sitagu Missionary Association" -- on the side of a truck are enough to allow it safe passage.

"Bringing things by car here is very difficult now because the authorities ask us to hand them over," Ko Myo, the Yangon businessmen, said.

"But these are magic words," he said, pointing to "Sitagu" painted on the side of a van. "Nobody has laid a finger on it so far." (Writing by Ed Cropley; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

Official toll of the dead and missing hits 133,000

2008-05-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

The numbers keep rising, time keeps passing.

The junta continues to stall and restrict aid despite huge international pressure.

CNN doesn't even mention Myanmar on it's homepage.

BuildBurma.org on Facebook

2008-05-16T13:24:00.001-07:00

Please check us out on Facebook and join our group.

Awareness is infectious. Pass it on.

Making Movies Out of Molehills

2008-05-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

On our BuildBurma.org Facebook group Vinay Lobo wrote:

"Not just the hurricane....They've been suffering military oppression and murder since the 60s and no one gives a f___. Their women are raped, their kids and men tortured and killed...food burned...highest no. of child soldiers in the world....highest number of internally displaced people...its cambodia all over again and it'll only get attention when its over and someone makes a fucking movie out of it."

I didn't know they had the highest number of child soldiers in the world. Truly. It's amazing how much we know, and how little we also know at the same time.

I'm not pretending to be an expert on world affairs, this is a space and a forum where we can learn such things.

The goal of BuildBurma.org is to encourage dialogue between artists, politicians, construction workers, students, everyone from around the world who want to discuss such issues, using the current devastation in Myanmar as the discussion platform.

Before and After photos

2008-05-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

Look at this! (Courtesy of the BBC)

No names, not even numbers

2008-05-14T14:49:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, I went to a talk put together by the PEN organization titled World Voices Literary Festival. One of my clients Mia Farrow was speaking with French journalist and activist Bernard-Henri Levy about the dire situation in Darfur.

One of the things that Mr. Levy said that struck me and I will never forget is the fact that in situations of genocide, not only are names forgotten, numbers are also miscalculated. Imagine not having even a number on this earth for you.

The number of people who have been killed in Myanmar from Cyclone Nargis varies from 68,833 to even 127,990. Imagine. We're not sure whether we can account for around 55,000 people. That's crazy.

The government's numbers are even more bizarre - Stating that 34,491 people have been killed.

It is true that in times like these, it is hard to calculate numbers...but guesstimates of such varying degrees is what is frightening.

Another storm is coming!!

2008-05-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

I learned today that another storm is heading towards Southern Myanmar, to the same area that was devastated by Cyclone Nargis.

Click here for the details

I cannot even imagine what it could feel like, to have everything taken away from you - family, food, shelter, your friends - and then you see another black cloud approaching. It's one of the most hopeless situations.

In the rebuilding of this region, while people will be given medicine, food and water (hopefully soon), while their houses are being made, they will also need psychiatric care to mend their hurting minds and their broken hearts.

Sunday, May 11th

2008-05-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

We were out buying a Mother's Day gift for my boyfriend's mom when he got a news alert on his Blackberry. It read:

"BODIES FLOW INTO HARD-HIT AREA OF MYANMAR: The bodies come and go with the tides. They wash up onto the riverbanks or float grotesquely downstream, almost always face down. They are all but ignored by the living. In the southern reaches of the Irrawaddy Delta, where the only access to hundreds of small villages is by boat, the remains of the victims of the May 3 cyclone that swept across Myanmar are rotting in the sun. "These people are strangers," said Kyaw Swe, a clothing merchant who said he expected the tides to take away the six bloated bodies lying on the muddy banks near his collapsed home. "They come from upstream." Villagers here say it is not their responsibility to handle the dead. But the government presence is barely felt in the serpentine network of canals outside Bogale and Phyarpon, devastated towns in the delta, one of the areas hardest hit by the storm."

Today a Red Cross boat, after an eleven hour journey into the region, sank. It was carrying food and aid for 1000 people. My heart too sank when I heard about this. The boat had hit a tree that was submerged under the water.

But one can't lose hope. Relief and aid WILL get there. And when it does, we will begin only our first baby step of recovery to build Burma, nurture Myanmar, back to health and to heart.

This time last week

2008-05-10T16:45:00.000-07:00

A chill was sent through the spine of the world on Saturday, May 3rd, a week ago, when Cyclone Nargis hit the southern shores of Burma.

It is now May 10th. A whole week later and those 1.5 million survivors are waiting on aid. They are without shelter, without food, without water.

Imagine every homeless person you've walked by on the streets of New York or your own city and multiply that number a million times. It's hard to believe but it's true. It's a reality -There in that Irrawaddy Delta 100,000 souls were washed away.

It is a crime against humanity to be comfortable in our own skins and not make this disaster our problem.

And that is all we are asking of you. Start to care. Talk about it. And act.

BuildBurma.org

Burmese Court Agrees to Aung San Suu Kyi Appeal

Burma's Karen unable to return home

Burma deports Suu Kyi US 'guest'

Welcome to the golden land of Myanmar...

Just rumors?

Aung San Suu Kyi arrested

One year later...

Myanmar opposition meets on next year's election

BURMA UPDATE

Mandate of UN-backed group supporting Myanmar cyclone recovery extended

Environmental + Community Initiatives Launches by HToo Foundation

Global Justice Center Update

UN envoy meets ministers, diplomats in Myanmar

The clamping down of Christians in Burma

Student gets 104-year sentence

MYANMAR RECOVERY TO TAKE UP TO 4 YEARS!

Unsung Heroines - The Women Who Fight For Rights

The ongoing human rights violations in Myanmar

Myanmar cyclone survivors struggle to rebuild lives

2.5 million isn't a small number

Mumbai and human rights

Myanmar junta jails comedian for 45 years

MSF report - People dying due to lack of treatment

Do these videos help...?

Woody Harrelsen + Jennifer Aniston on Burma

UN chief Ban may drop plans for Myanmar visit

B8 EVENT - 8-8-08 GLOBAL JUSTICE FOR BURMA

Meet monks. See art. Connect.

Learn about Burma. Collaborate for justice.

B8 - GLOBAL JUSTICE FOR BURMA

8-8-08. The first day of the Olympics. The 20th anniversary of the 8-8-88 protests and massacre in Burma.

Wear red in solidarity.

B8 GJB Locations

Delhi, IndiaDelhi Habitat CenterLodhi Road, New Delhiwww.indiahabitat.orgLondon, United KingdomTBDNew York City, United StatesEli Klein Fine Art462 West Broadway, New York Citywww.elikleinfineart.comSan Francisco, United StatesFrey Norris Gallery456 Geary Street, San Franciscowww.freynorris.com

A ray of hope - Inside Myanmar - Part 4

Stay tuned - Global Justice Center

Inside Burma - Part 3

Monsoons and chainsaws

Ferry sinks in Irrawaady Delta

Inside Burma - Part 2

News from Myanmar

Burmese Blogging About the Cyclone

BuildBurma shout out

Meeting of minds

4 weeks later...

Memorial Day Weekend

Myanmar Video

MSF in Myanmar

Latest Myanmar Updates

Ban Ki-Moon in Myanmar

Fundraising target raised!

Reuters: Myanmar mourns dead, U.N. reports aid progress

Why do we care about some disaster's and not about others?

Reuters: ASEAN to coordinate Myanmar aid effort

It's all in a name

Should the world help even if Myanmar pushes back?

From Reuters: Myanmar's Buddhist monks fill cyclone aid void

Official toll of the dead and missing hits 133,000

BuildBurma.org on Facebook

Making Movies Out of Molehills

Before and After photos

No names, not even numbers

Another storm is coming!!

Sunday, May 11th

This time last week

8-8-08.
The first day of the Olympics.

The 20th anniversary of the 8-8-88 protests and massacre in Burma.