Stand with the Burmese Protestors!

[EFerrari]

After decades of military dictatorship, the people of Burma are rising – and they need our help. Marches begun by monks and nuns snowballed, bringing hundreds of thousands to the streets. Now the crackdown has begun, but the protests are spreading...

When the Burmese last marched in 1988, the military massacred thousands. If the world stands up and supports their struggle, this time they could win. We're in a race against time-- targeting the dictatorship's main backer China in a global advertising campaign, delivering the petition to the UN secretary-general and sending the Burmese our support via radio--




To Chinese President Hu Jintao and the UN Security Council:

We stand alongside the citizens of Burma in their peaceful protests. We urge you to oppose a violent crackdown on the demonstrators, and to support genuine reconciliation and democracy in Burma. We pledge to hold you accountable for any further bloodshed.

Add your name to the list of supporters at this link:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/tf.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK

[Donnachaidh]

1. Done - K&R n/t

[EFerrari]

2. Thank you.

:kick:

[seemslikeadream]

3. ...

[EFerrari]

4. Kick

[EFerrari]

5. kick

[Breeze54]

6. "...DVB, showed a monk, covered in bruises, floating face down in a Yangon river"...

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1666918,00.html">U.N., Burma Opposition Head Meet

Sunday, Sep. 30, 2007

(AP / Rangoon, Burma) —

Burma's government unexpectedly allowed the country's leading opposition figure, Aung San Suu Kyi,
to leave house arrest briefly on Sunday and meet with a U.N. envoy trying to persuade the junta
to ease its crackdown against a pro-democracy uprising.

But thousands of troops locked down Burma's largest cities, and scores of people were arrested overnight,
further weakening the flagging movement. And Ibrahim Gambari, the U.N.'s special envoy to Burma, failed
to see either the junta leader or his deputy in his scheduled meetings. The diplomat was returning late
Sunday to the military government's headquarters for a possible third meeting.

snip-->

"On Sunday, the number of troops in Yangon, the largest city, swelled to about 20,000
after reinforcements arrived overnight, ensuring that almost all demonstrators would remain
off the streets, an Asian diplomat said on condition of anonymity. "I think the chance of
protesters coming to the road and mobilizing enough people to topple the junta is zero," he said. "

K&R

[EFerrari]

11. Thank you, Breeze.

I'm so proud of and worried for these good people. :(

[LeftishBrit]

7. Done - k&r

[EFerrari]

13. Thank you!

:kick:

[uppityperson]

8. k&r, checking in for 3 reasons, Burma news being one.

OMC second, mmmm pie the third.

[EFerrari]

9. Thank you! It was getting lonely on this thread.

(((((((((((((((LOVE TO OMC AND TO HIS FAMILY)))))))))))))))))))))))

[uppityperson]

10. Here is an interview with a Burmese activist in exile.

http://www.abc.net.au/sundayprofile/stories/s2046431.htm?backyard
Burmese activist in exile: Aung Naing Oo

Sunday, 30 September 2007

Presenter: Monica Attard

Tonight, as Burma, known now as Myanmar, reels from a violent uprising, we speak to one of the leaders of the 1988 uprising, which human rights activists say left 3,000 people dead.

Aung Naing Oo was a young man in 1988 - a student who wanted to stare down the ruling military government which had taken power in 1962. Then, as now, the uprising was born of economic mismanagement.

It's a fascinating and tragic history.....

[EFerrari]

12. You know, I just asked Octafish if my memory that Tom Delay

and his circle of felons have investments there. There's a nagging, near memory that I read that. :shrug:

That would explain Mr. Danger's non response response. But, I'm not 100% sure.

[EFerrari]

14. I think I found the AP story about BushCo's investments in Burma!

The Associated Press

By JIM DRINKARD
WASHINGTON (AP) - When four senior House Republicans landed in
Burma three months ago as guests of the country's military
dictators, their official mission was to inspect drug interdiction
efforts. But that was not the only agenda.
During part of the trip, Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and an
aide flew by helicopter over the remote area where a U.S. oil
company, Unocal, and its French partner, Total, are building a
natural gas pipeline.
That $1.2 billion project, Burma's largest foreign investment
deal, could be in jeopardy because of possible U.S. sanctions
against the southeast Asian country.
The trip by Hastert, House Majority Whip Tom DeLay of Texas, New
York Rep. Bill Paxon and Ohio Rep. Deborah Pryce was paid for by
the Asia Pacific Exchange Foundation, a tax-exempt organization in
Washington.
The group's president, Richard G. Quick, declines to say where
its money comes from. But Unocal acknowledged it is among the
foundation's sponsors.

http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/reg.burma/archives/199703/msg00247.html


I HATE THESE MOFOS!

[Breeze54]

16. I posted a topic today about Burma and the oil companies.

Oil companies look to exploit Burma

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Oil-companies-look-to-exploit-Burma/2007/09/30/1191090915956.html

September 30, 2007 - 7:14AM

While Burma's military junta cracks down on pro-democracy protests, oil companies are
busy jostling for access to the country's largely untapped natural gas and oil fields.

snip-->

Both Total and Chevron have broadly defended their business in the nation.

"To those who ask us to leave the country, we reply that far from solving Myanmar's problems, a forced withdrawal
would only lead to our replacement by other operators probably less committed to the ethical principles guiding
all our initiatives," Jean-Francois Lassalle, vice president of public affairs for Total Exploration & Production,
said this week in a statement.

Earlier this week, French President Nicholas Sarkozy urged Total to refrain from new investment in Burma, prompting
the French concern to say it had not made any capital expenditure there since 1998.

Chevron's interest in the Yadana project is "a long-term commitment that helps meet the critical energy needs
of millions in people in the region," said Nicole Hodgson, corporate media adviser for Asia.

Total and former partner Unocal Corp were accused of being complicit in forcibly relocating people while a pipeline
was being built across Burma to Thailand in the 1990s. They were also accused of using forced labour and cooperating
with the military in creating a militarised zone where rape, torture, murder and other human rights violations occurred.

Both companies have denied the accusations. However, in 2005, prior to being acquired by Chevron, Unocal settled
a lawsuit brought against it in US courts for the alleged abuses.

more at link..


---------------

What Americans (rethugs) are invested in any of these companies? :shrug:

[EFerrari]

Surprise, no. Hastert, Delay and Friends, too.

:puke:

[uppityperson]

20. wtf? off to read. Me too

[FloridaJudy]

15. Already done.

Almost all the members of the Buddhist study group wore red or maroon in church this morning (Unitarian, as if that wasn't obvious). We're all pretty much in shock, but we need to get the message out. Thanks for posting.

[EFerrari]

17. You Unitarian Jihadis are always ahead of us.

:)

:hug:

[FloridaJudy]

23. Absolutely!

Sister Shotgun of Moderation.

[EFerrari]

29. Nice to meet you, Sister.

Sister Flyswatter of Persistent Hope

lol

[Imagevision]

18. This is bad, even Bush wasn't able to shut down the internet...

[EFerrari]

21. Not yet. But you gotta know, if BushCo cronies can do it to Burma

they can do it here.

[cosmicdot]

69. apparently he did in Somalia

BBC reported it ... no ebay, online commerce or blog chat, etc., for those folks ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1672220.stm

[shadowknows69]

19. done

[EFerrari]

22. Thank you, shadow.

:hi:

[shadowknows69]

24. now if you could my friend

get your ass over to my thread "The Fight" and at least give me a rec. Feeling no love today.
S

edit to add: pleeeeaaaassssseeee????

[EFerrari]

25. Gimme the link!

[shadowknows69]

26. pssssst, it's on the home page

or my journal

[shadowknows69]

27. thank you

[EFerrari]

28. Done. Sorry for this slow brain. n/t

[EFerrari]

30. Kick

[babylonsister]

31. K&R&Done! nt

[EFerrari]

32. Thank you! emlev is off line today and I appreciate the support.

:hug:

[emlev]

60. Thank you for all you did! n/t

[dkofos]

33. Send me a plane ticket and I will!!

[EFerrari]

34. Sign on and give the protesters the numbers to present

to the UN, to the World Court, to the court of public opinion. :hi:

[EFerrari]

35. Kick

[EFerrari]

36. I'm sorry to keep kicking. I don't know what else to do.

:kick:

[EFerrari]

37. Kick

[LeftishBrit]

38. kick

[EFerrari]

39. Kick

[scarletwoman]

40. Signed the petition -- thanks for posting this! (k & r) (nt)

[EFerrari]

41. Thank you.

[scarletwoman]

44. Oh yeah, I also sent the link to the petition on to some other folks. (kick)

[lovuian]

42. done

:kick:

[EFerrari]

46. Thank you.

:kick:

[Time for change]

43. Done, thank you

[EFerrari]

48. Thanks, TFC.

[Kajsa]

45. Done and Thank you, sfexpat2000.

n/t

K&R

[EFerrari]

47. Kick

[emlev]

49. Thank you!

Signed this one a few days ago. Great to see it high up on the Greatest page.
The eyes of the world must be felt upon Burma.

[EFerrari]

50. My friend sent it to me this morning. Ask and you shall receive!

:hi:

[lonestarnot]

51. Done

[EFerrari]

52. Thank you.

[lonestarnot]

56. Con mucho gusto!

y Ten jew berry muds.

[emlev]

53. Link to Amnesty Int'l Burma info/action page, and more

Amnesty International

And here's another DU thread with more links and info.


Edited for application of Link Repair fluid. (That's Liquid Paper for the 21st Century.)

[nam78_two]

54. K&R.nt

[EFerrari]

55. Kick

[AZBlue]

57. Done. K&R.

Thank you for posting this!

[EFerrari]

59. Thanks for your help!

:hi:

[G_j]

58. Done

thanks

[robinlynne]

61. signed and kicked. now a stupid question: why do we hold the chinese president accountable, and not

the Burmese gov't? Is it because the Burmese govt is so out of control that there is no more reasoning with them, and China is large and powerful and next door, and has the power to coerce the burmese govt?

[EFerrari]

63. Yes, in a nutshell.

[Forkboy]

62. It's did.

[EFerrari]

64. Thank you.

:)

[Forkboy]

65. no...thank YOU.

:)

[EFerrari]

66. kick

[EFerrari]

67. Very bad news in LBN:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3012305&mesg_id=3012305

[EFerrari]

68. kick