we won't forget, we won't give up

17
“We won’t forget, we won’t give up!” August 8, 2008

Upload: forthem

Post on 30-May-2018

234 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 1/17

“We won’t forget,we won’t give up!”

August 8, 2008

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 2/17

AUGUST 8, 1988

Young people in Burma launchedmassive nationwide rallies, callingfor an end to military rule and theestablishment of a democraticgovernment.

Military response : 3,000 peoplekilled, mostly students and monks.Thousands jailed.

The “8888 generation” has bravelycontinued work - from prison, inexile, and “inside”.

Since 1988, the movement hasgrown & diversified. Groups worktogether across sectors to”* improve situation of communities,* foster reconciliation, and

* develop capacity & commonframeworks for Burma’s future.

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 3/17

THE SPIRIT OF 88

IS ALIVE & STRONG!

September’s Saffron Revolution- against brutal repression,economic exploitation &

mismanagement.

Between 19 August and 2October: 227 rallies defied militaryrule in 66 cities across all of

Burma's States and Divisions.

The SPDC arrested up to 6,000people, including at least 1,400monks.

All over the world, activistsprotested in solidarity –200actions in more than 30 countrieswithin 8 weeks.

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 4/17

20 YEARS AFTER 8888

Unconditional engagement, discreetdiplomacy and ASEAN’s so-calledconstructive engagement has failed.

Under SPDC: a country gifted withnatural wealth and talented peoplesbecame one of the poorest.

The international community must stand

united with us and block regime fromweapons & money to continueoppressing and killing civilians.

This must begin with:

1. The unconditional release all politicalprisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi.2. The cessation of repression andhostilities against ethnic groups.3. The commencement of tripartite

dialogue.

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 5/17

Regional and the international

community must genuinely supportdemocratic reforms and nationalreconciliation in Burma.

This includes solutions proposed by

Burma’s democracy movement, e.g.transitional power-sharing formula -ALL STAKEHOLDERS includingSPDC must be part of the solution.

The international community mustadopt a common position to ensurethat Burma’s military regime deliversgenuine reforms within a clearly-stated timeframe.

National League for Democracy(NLD) and ethnic nationalityleadership must be able work freely

as legitimate partners with themilitary regime.

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 6/17

20 YEARS OF MISSPENT WEALTH

(RICHER ARMY, POORER PEOPLE)

•The SPDC has seriously damagedthe country’s human infrastructure andsquandered its natural resources.

• Burma has world’s 10th largest

natural gas reserves and gets US$150million/ month income.

• The Shwe gas project will earnbetween US$580 and $824 million per

year when completed.

• In September 2007, TransparencyInternational ranked Burma as theworld’s most corrupt country,

alongside Somalia.• The SPDC has made massiveinvestment to double size of military. Itspent at least US$1.69 billionimporting military equipment from

China between 1988 and 2006.

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 7/17

Consumer P rice Inflation (% av) (E IU 2007)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

RAMPANT INFLATION,

MULTIPLE EXCHANGERATES

•By the end of 2007, Burma’sinflation rate reached 50% - upfrom an already crippling 20% in2006.

•In the aftermath of cycloneNargis, rice prices doubledagain.

•The regime imposes an illogicaldual exchange rate, with 6.23kyat to US$1 at the official rate,and a black market rate that has

fluctuated between 1,100 and1,350 kyat to US$1.

• The junta has manipulated theexchange rate to steal more thanUS$10 million from cycloneNargis aid.

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 8/17

GETTING HUNGRIER

•In 2007, it was reported that90% were living on less than $1per day (below poverty line).

•Before the fuel price hikes of

August 2007, averagehousehold incomes in Burmawere around US$1.10, but costof feeding a household was$1.15.

• Before cyclone Nargis, peoplein the Irrawaddy delta wasalready suffering – about 30%of people had chronic and 9%acute malnutrition.

•Arakan and Chin villagersrecently fled to Bangladesh and

India because of foodshortages.

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 9/17

Military expenditure as a percentage

of health and education (UNDP - 2008)

131%

63%

60%

32%

29%

22%

17%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% 140%

Burma

Indonesia

India

United States

Malaysia

Philippines

Thailand

DISASTROUS HEALTH

•40% of annual budget tomilitary spending, less than3% to health and education- collapse of humanservices.

• Junta’s mismanagement,corruption, bad policies,oppression and militaryattacks are root causes of

humanitarian crisis .Recent blocking, and thestealing of of CycloneNargis aid is an example.

• In Eastern Burma: basichealth indicators same asthose of the world’s worstdisaster zones of

Afghanistan and Sudan.

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 10/17

KILLING THE CHILDREN

•Burma 70,000 child soldiers,the highest number in theworld.

•Second worst child mortality

rate in Asia, after Afghanistan.

•Between 100,000 to 150,000children under-five years ofage die every year and most

of the deaths are frompreventable diseases.

• In Eastern Burma, 20% ofchildren die before their fifth

birthday. Nearly half of thedeaths are from malaria.

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 11/17

POLITICAL PRISONERS

• In June 2008, Burma had1,900 political prisoners.

•This is a 65.2% increasefrom July 2007, when therewere 1,150 political prisonersin Burma.

• Since June 2007, 60 peoplehave died in custody -including 16 politicalprisoners.

• Since 1988, 137 politicalprisoners have died incustody.

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 12/17

FORCED LABOR

•Despite ratifying the ILO Convention29 on forced labor, the regime isguilty of systematic forced labor.

• Forced labor situation has not

improved since the ILO first raised theissue in November 2000.

•The regime forces civilians, includingwomen, children and the elderly, toserve as military porters, act ashuman mine detectors, and work oninfrastructure projects involving theconstruction of roads, dams,railroads, and military barracks with

little or no pay.• Reporting forced labor practices hasresulted in the persecution, arrest,and the detention of the complainant.

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 13/17

DRUGS

• Burma - the main opiumproducer in Southeast Asia andthe second largest opium

producer in the world.• In 2007, opium poppycultivation in Burma increasedby 29%.

• Burma is also the top producerof amphetamines in SoutheastAsia.

• In 2004, Burma produced

approximately 700 millionamphetamine tablets - about7.5% of total globalmanufacture.

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 14/17

WORLD’S LONGEST-

RUNNING WAR

• The ongoing military attacks inEastern Burma are part of theworld’s longest-running war.

•Over the last year, the SPDCArmy deployed 85 new battalionsin Karen State.

• There are 273 SPDC Army

battalions (more than 30% of theArmy’s battalions nationwide) inEastern Burma.

• The current offensive displaced

76,000 people in 2007, causing25,000 people to face starvation.

• Burma has one of the world’s 10worst displacement situations.

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 15/17

Source: UNHCR

Main origin of asylum seekers worldwide - 2005

55,800

36,200

30,300 27,900

25,400

23,100

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

BURMA Somalia Serbia Russia DRC China

REFUGEES

• Burma is the world’s third largestsource of refugees afterAfghanistan and Iraq.

• Between 1995 and 2005, theflow of refugees has increased upto 800% in Burma’s neighboring

countries.

•In the last year, the number ofBurmese refugees in Thailandincreased a further 3% to

138,970.

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 16/17

BurmaInfo (Japan)http://www.burmainfo.org/ 

Initiatives for International Dialogue(Philippines)

http://www.iidnet.orgAlliance for Reform and Democracy inAsia (ARDA) (Singapore)

http://www.asiademocracy.orgTaiwan Free Burma Network

http://tasskn.blogspot.com/ Forum Asia (Thailand)http://www.forum-asia.org

Burma Campaign UKhttp://www.burmacampaign.org.uk

US Campaign for Burmahttp://www.uscampaignforburma.org

and many more 

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Groups & Individuals can show theirsupport for the people of Burma and theirstruggle for democracy.

• Join campaigns – UNSC Campaign, FreePolitical Prisoners Campaign, Peace

Campaigns, etc

• Support Burma organizations in yourcountry and in Burma’s border areas

• Participate in Burma-solidarity actions

• Learn more about the oppressive regimein Burma and its allies

• Learn more about what happened inBurma in 1988 and what has happened

since

• Sign petitions, write letters tonewspapers and politicians raisingawareness about how your country

supports the regime in Burma, and what itshould be doing to support democracy

8/14/2019 We Won't Forget, We Won't Give up

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/we-wont-forget-we-wont-give-up 17/17

“We won’t forget,We won’t give up!”

August 8, 2008