On 12 October 2011, Burma released more than 6,000 prisoners but only about 200 of those released were political prisoners or prisoners of conscience (people being held for peacefully exercising their human rights). All prisoners of conscience must be released immediately!

Why should YOU(th) take action?

Zarganar, a popular comedian who was imprisoned in 2008 for his humanitarian efforts in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, was one of the 120 political prisoners released on 12 October 2011 ©AAPPB

There are around 1,800 political prisoners still behind bars in Burma who are being held in awful conditions, some are being tortured and subject to unfair trials too. This has to stop!

Last year, the first elections in 20 years were held and political reform was promised. After this initial release of prisoners, our expectations are high BUT there are still thousands of people being held unfairly. Let’s urge Burma to do more and release the rest of its political prisoners.

Got 3 seconds?

Add your name to the letter below and ask the Chairman of the newly-established Myanmar National Human Rights Commission to press the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience. Your letters will appear with your details as below and delivered via our friends at AI to the Burma embassy in an ASEAN country on the first anniversary of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s release from house arrest. You have from NOW until 1 November 2011 to add your name!

Got 3 minutes?

Send this link to 30 friends and ask them to do the same.

Want to do more?
Join the APYN Burma Youth Campaign Team! Click here to apply. 

What are others saying about this?

All Burma Federation of Student Unions-Foreign Affairs Committee, The Nationalities Youth Forum and The Student and Youth Congress of Burma
Joint Statement on the 8^th World Youth Day for Democracy

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)
Update on the October 12 prisoner release
Prisoners Release Lacks Sincerity

The Irrawaddy
Burma Amnesty Welcomed, but Calls Grow for Release of All Political Prisoners

More About Burma

Click here to to sign the petition on Facebook NOW! Don't forget to share it with your friends!

Since 1962, Burma has been under military rule. In 1990, there were the first elections, following the 1988 uprisings, where the National League of Democracy (Ann Sang Suu Kai’s Party) won, but the results were not accepted by the military junta who remained in power and refused to step down.

In 2010, the first elections in 20 years took place in which the Union Solidarity and Development Party won (a military backed party). The National League of Democracy was banned from participating and they urged people to boycott the elections which they said were unfair and undemocratic.

Thousands have been arrested over the years for peacefully expressing their views and challenging the government’s total control of the country and its people. There are still laws that criminalise peaceful expression of political dissent and people are frequently arrested without warrant and held. Judicial proceedings against political detainees do not meet international standards for fair trial, and torture is common, especially during interrogation.

By APYN Burma Youth Campaign Team Member, Geetha’ B. Anbalagan
(photos courtesy of Lesly Leon Lee)

The views expressed in the following article are those of the author and the APYN Burma Youth Campaign Team only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Asia Pacific Youth Network.

The author and her partner.

In December 2010, my partner and I found ourselves in Burma. I will admit that the reason we decided Burma would be the destination for a short getaway was because air tickets were cheap, and soon after I got excited at the prospect of being able to experience the country I’ve campaigned about and read about so much, finally. We took extra care in travelling carefully, and making sure we minimized any contribution to the current governing administration. Therefore, we made sure our travelling (inside Burma) , eating, accommodation and shopping were from independently run administrations and not government-run. A very good guide on this (that we also used) was the Lonely Planet’s Guide. Available online through forums here.  My blog also highlights our 10-day trip.

A temple at night.

In Bagan, it was the amount of ancient temples that wowed us. People mostly earned their living by selling handicrafts in most major temples. We soon found out, after talking to a few people that the maintenance of each temple was solely from the families that were the “caretakers” of these temples.Everyone we asked said the government played no role in maintaining them. The UN had appointed a few teams years ago to do some restoration work, and there are some work going on now. We were shocked that these families could afford to take care of the temples. Each temple was fitted with lights, and gates and they paid for the electricity too. Half of their earnings they told us were for Buddha and these were mostly families of 4 and above that made (on a good day) 4 USD per day. Children were forced to keep selling handicrafts till they earned enough to put them through school, which apparently kept increasing as they progressed in their education. University could cost about 1500 USD per year.

In Yangon, we realised that almost every building that bore the name or symbols of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party, the National League forDemocracy, had been abandoned or used for storage. We tried asking people about Aung San Suu Kyi, but everyone said they couldn’t comment because they were afraid of what would happen to them. They said they were not allowed to even say her name. A few taxi drivers we asked though, openly commented on how the Burmese government was bad and did not take care of its citizens.

The remains of a building bearing the NLD name.

There was undying support for Aung San Suu Kyi when we talked to the few people who wanted to about it. We were wondering where they got their information about the change that she is bringing, as the internet service was very slow and every website except Google Mail was blocked. Occasionally Facebook would work. When we were there, we had no link to the outside world. TV programs were mostly only Burmese comedies. There were hardly any reports on Burmese politics in their news and if there was, it was all very pro-government.

Burma is a beautiful country and its people even more so. They are full of life and spirit and have all the intentions in the world to make their country a safer and better one.

Political prisoners in Burma are at risk of torture and ill-treatment – we hear from our friends at AI that seven of them were put in ‘dog cells’ after peaceful protests! Outraged? Scroll down to take action!

What happened at Insein prison?

On May 17
At least three female political prisoners started a hunger strike to protest against the government’s decision to reduce all prison sentences by only one year.

On May 22
22 other political prisoners started a protest about prison conditions. 17 went on hunger strike and five protested in other ways.

On May 24
Seven hunger strikers were put in solitary confinement in dog cells – small cells that were designed for keeping military dogs.

On May 26
They were returned to their usual cells.

On May 27
It was reported that official started talks with the protesters but when the talks broke down, some political prisoners decided to continue the hunger strike and they were put in the dog cells again. Outraged? Scroll down to take action!

Political prisoners in Hkamti prison and Kale prison are also involved in protests and are at risk of torture and ill-treatment too!

What are the ‘dog cells’ like?

The dog cells are about 10 feet in length and seven feet wide. There are no windows and it’s sound proof. There is no proper sanitation, no bed and mats on the floor. One political prisoner who was held in a dog cell said that the space was covered in white lice and smelt like a sewer. Sometimes, as many as four prisoners are forced into one dog cell. Outraged? Scroll down to take action!

YOU(th) can do something about this!

Send letters to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and ask for an end to this! We will deliver your letters by fax and post and copies will be sent to the Chair of ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights.

You only have from now until July 14 to do something – let’s get YOU(th) from all over Asia Pacific to make some noise! Add your name quick!

“Please, for God’s sake do not open fire on us. We are not enemies here on war. We are your own countrymen assembled peacefully for a cause. At least keep us alive to rule on us. I am sure you will not like to rule a country full of corpses?”

- A young activist of 8-8-88

“I am not a criminal; do not hate me. I am just participating in a peaceful assembly of monks to bring to the notice of our ruler our woes and sufferings, which I think are our rights.”

- A monk activist of Saffron Revolution, 2007

“Police blocked the road and fired tear gas, soldiers shot bullets into the air, and the fire brigade blasted water hoses at us. Both the police and the Union Solidarity Development Association beat protesters, while the fire brigade washed away the blood.”

- A monk activist of Saffron Revolution, 2007

Thousands of such words are pleaded by them on a regular basis. They are tortured and treated like slaves. They do not have the basic rights of expression, peaceful assembly and association.

A few of them are not even allowed to write their names anywhere or even say it loudly in public to avoid prison for years.

Their women are regularly raped so that their dignities are deeply mutilated and they do not dare to raise their voices and keep serving as slaves without saying a word.

Their children, some of them as young as 11 years old, are soldiers in state owned army who carry heavy guns to shoot their own countrymen when asked by their commander.

The victims of natural calamities there are not provided with food, clothes, shelters or even medicines. They are left to the nature to find their own ways of survival or perish. And the one who extends a helping hand to these calamity hit people, has to pay with years of imprisonment.

Their people, who raised their voices for their rights and dignity through peaceful assembly and association, are serving years of jail; where they are not provided proper meals and clothes. Not even medicines when they are sick. On top, they are tortured like mad dogs on a regular basis. To add more woes to their pain and sufferings, now they are not allowed to meet their families who have come to see them from hundreds of miles.

In short, they are allowed to live but, without dignity and honour. In every possible ways, it is ensured that their dignity ceases to exist.

They are the people of a small country, which is in the neighbour of one of the largest democratic & republic nation of the world. The people there are so simple that they do not bother about politics or power. They are primarily concerned about only one thing, which is “that they, their women and their children are born with something called dignity and therefore, they, their women and their children should live and die with that same dignity”. Accordingly, some of them are trying hard to raise their voices against the brutal torture they regularly face but, it seems that the voices of these few are either not heard or are ignored.

Therefore, I am requesting you all to add your voices with mine so that our voices become loud enough to be heard; so that these simple people can at least die with dignity and honour if they have not been allowed to live with it.

Arjun Swarah, Burma Youth Campaign Team.

DO SOMETHING NOW Click here to to sign the petition on Facebook NOW! Don't forget to share it with your friends! Human rights violations are numerous, and 2,200 individuals remain behind bars on the basis of their peaceful political activity, some of them like Zarganar, and some of them are young people like YOU(th). Just because Burma held elections for the first time in 20 years, it doesn’t mean our work is done! What YOU(th) can do to make a difference:Join hands today and demand the 3 freedoms ofexpression, association, and assembly Click here to sign the petition on Facebook Click here to add the petition widget to your blog

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article represent those of the APYN Burma Youth Campaign Team and do not necessarily reflect those of the Asia Pacific Youth Network or its members.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION ON FACEBOOK FOR THE 3 FREEDOMS

CLICK HERE TO ADD THE PETITION WIDGET TO YOUR BLOG FOR THE 3 FREEDOMS

Greetings APYNers!

We are pleased to announce the launch of our Burma Youth Campaign! Our campaign team is currently made up of 15 young people from countries across the Asia Pacific region and we are developing a campaign to promote the 3 Freedoms of expression, association and assembly in Burma. We have many exciting plans, which we will be sharing with you in the near future, but we’d like to kick things off with an article by one of our members from Thailand. Please check back here soon to see what we have planned.

Is it a merciful regime?
This article is also available in Thai

©Generation Wave

“I want to be a loudspeaker for many Burmese who suffer from rights abuses” These are the words that seem stuck in my brain and always come out whenever I hear or think about “Zarganar” – the main actor of the documentary film named “This Prison Where I Live”.

Last Thursday, I got a chance to paticipate in the “Burmspective” talks at the Art and Cultural Center in Bangkok, Thailand which is the nearest capital city from Naypyidaw. This event had a screening of this impressive film about “Zarganar” or “tweezers man” in English – a famous Burmese comedien. His politically scratchy jokes always point to the Burmese military regime. Therefore he was banned and sentenced to imprisonment several times for many allegations. One of the allegations is that he organized a group of Burmese to provide volunteer disaster relief aid to damaged areas during Cyclone Nagis – while the government turned a blind eye on that issue. Imprisonment was the result of his act. Which nation on earth treats its own people likes this? Becoming a prisoner because you are too generous!! Nowhere except Burma. 59 years in jail is his total sentence. But recently the court reduced the prison sentence by “up to 24 years”, bringing his sentence down to 35 years.

Is it a merciful regime?

“No!” is the exactly right answer – if you were an ethnic group who lived along the border of Burma – “Brutal” doesn’t seem a strong enough word to describe Burmese soldiers and their regime. Rape and killings are always happening. “No!” is the best answer – if you were a father of a political activist who stayed on the opposite side of Than Shwe and their government – “Contrite” can not make you satifisfied when your son was sentenced to jail for decades and faces cruel treatment by prison guards everyday.

“No!” is the wonderful and powerful answer – if have finished this article and are interested to learn more about our friends in Burma. How difficult is the life that they meet daily? And how many rights do they miss daily?

Believe in yourself; “You can be a loud speaker for many Burmese who suffer from rights abuses”…..like Zarganar has done!

Watchara Intrasombat, Burma Youth Campaign Team

DO SOMETHING NOW Click here to to sign the petition on Facebook NOW! Don't forget to share it with your friends! Human rights violations are numerous, and 2,200 individuals remain behind bars on the basis of their peaceful political activity, some of them like Zarganar, and some of them are young people like YOU(th). Just because Burma held elections for the first time in 20 years, it doesn’t mean our work is done! What YOU(th) can do to make a difference: Join hands today and demand the 3 freedoms of expression, association, and assembly Click here to sign the petition on Facebook Click here to add the petition widget to your blog

นี่คือการปกครองที่มีเมตตาใช่ไหม?

©Generation Wave

“ผมต้องการที่จะทำหน้าที่เสมือนเป็นเครื่องขยายเสียงให้กับชนชาวพม่าทุกคนที่ถูกย่ำยีและถูกละเมิดสัทธิมนุยชน” วลีประโยคนี้มักจะลอยออกมาให้ผมได้นึกถึงอยู่เสมอในยามใดก็ตามที่ผมติดถึงหรือได้ยินชื่อ “ซากานะ” ตัวเอกในหนังสารคดีเรื่อง “นี่แหล่ะคือคุกที่ฉันอยู่!! (This prison where I live)”

เมื่อวันพฤหัสบดีที่ผ่านมา ผมได้มีโอกาสเข้าร่วมงานเสวนาเกี่ยวกับทิศทางของประเทศพม่า
งานเสวนานี้จัดขึ้นที่หอศิลปวัฒนธรรม กรุงเทพฯ ในประเทศไทย
ซึ่งนับได้ว่าเป็นเมืองหลวงที่ใกล้กรุงเนปิดอล(เมืองหลวงของพม่า) มากที่สุด
โดยในงานนี้ได้มีการจัดฉายหนังคุณภาพเยี่ยมเรื่องหนึ่งที่มีเนื้อหาเกี่ยวกับ “ซากานะ” หรือ “คีมคีบ”
ในความหมายของภาษาไทย เขาผู้นี้เป็นนักแสดงตลกชาวพม่าที่โด่งดังและมีชื่อเสียง
มุขตลกของเขามักจะเป็นการล้อเลียนเสียดสีรัฐบาลเผด็จการทหารพม่าเสียซะส่วนใหญ่
ดังนั้นเขาจึงถูกทางการแบนและจับขังคุกหลายต่อหลายครั้งในหลายต่อหลายข้อหา
หนึ่งในข้อกล่าวหาอันไร้ซึ่งเหตุผลที่สุดของเขา ก็คือ
การที่เขาได้รวบรวมกลุ่มอาสาสมัครผู้ใจบุญเข้าให้การช่วยเหลือและบริจาคสิ่งของต่างๆให้แก่ชาวพม่าผู้ที่ประสบภั
ยจากพายุไซโคลนนาร์กีส ซากานะและเพื่อนอาสาสมัครลงพื้นที่เข้าไปช่วยเหลือเพื่อนร่วมชาติที่ทุกข์ยาก
ขณะที่รัฐบาลทหารของพวกเขาไม่มีความแยแสเลยแม้แต่น้อย ซากานะถูกจับและถูกจำคุกด้วยเหตุผลตื้นๆแบบนี้!!

มีรัฐบาลของประเทศไหนในโลกนี้บ้างที่ปฏิบัติต่อประชาชนของพวกเขาเยี่ยงนี้???
มีรัฐบาลในประเทศไหนอีกที่จับประชากรของตัวเองติดคุก พร้อมยัดข้อหาว่า เขาหรือเธอมีความเมตตาเกินไป!!
ไม่มีอีกแล้ว ไม่มี….นอกจากรัฐบาลเผด็จการทหารพม่า!!!
59 ปีในคุก คือโทษทัณฑ์จริงจริงที่ซากานะจะได้รับ แต่เมื่อเร็วๆนี้รัฐบาลทหารได้ลดโทษของเขาลงไป 24 ปี ทำให้ตอนนี้เขาต้องใช้ชีวิตในคุกแค่ 35 ปี เท่านั้นเอง!!

นี่คือการปกครองที่มีเมตตาใช่ไหม?

คำว่า “ไม่!!” ถือเป็นการตอบที่ถูกต้อง ถ้าคุณเป็นชนกลุ่มน้อยที่อาศัยอยู่ตามรอยตะเข็บชายแดนพม่า ที่ที่คำว่า
“ป่าเถื่อน” ดูจะมีน้ำหนักน้อยไปสำหรับใช้นิยามการกระทำของทหารพม่าและรัฐบาลของพวกเขา
การข่มขืนและฆ่าเกิดขึ้นทุกวันในพื้นที่แถบนั้น
คำว่า “ไม่!!” ถือเป็นคำตอบที่เยี่ยมที่สุด
ถ้าคุณเป็นพ่อของนักเคลื่อนไหวเพื่อประชาธิปไตยผู้มีแนวคิดตรงข้ามกับนายพล ตาน ฉ่วย และรัฐบาลของเขา
“การสำนึกผิด” ของรัฐบาลจะไม่สามารถทำให้คุณพอใจได้ในเมื่อลูกของคุณยังอยู่ในคุกอีกหลายสิบปี
อีกทั้งเขายังถูกทารุณกรรมด้วยวิธีต่างๆจากผู้คุมอยู่ทุกๆวัน
คำว่า “ไม่!!” ดูจะเป็นคำตอบที่ยอดเยี่ยมและทรงพลังที่สุด
ถ้าคุณอ่านบทความนี้ตั้งแต่ต้นจนจบและมีความสนใจที่จะศึกษาชะตากรรมของเหล่าเพื่อนๆเราในประเทศพม่า

“สนใจว่าพวกเขาใช้ชีวิตประจำวันกันอย่างยากลำบากแค่ไหน?”
“ดูสิว่าพวกเขาถูกพรากสิทธิอะไรไปบ้างในทุกทุกวันที่ยังหายใจ”

ขอเพียงแค่คุณเชื่อมั่นในตัวเองว่าคุณทำได้
“คุณก็จะสามารถเป็นเครื่องขยายเสียงให้กับชนชาวพม่าทุกคนที่ถูกย่ำยีและถูกละเมิดสัทธิมนุยชน” แบบที่
ซากานะ มุ่งหวังให้มันเกิดขึ้น……ได้จริงจริง

Watchara Intrasombat, Burma Youth Campaign Team

What do YOU(th) think?

In 2010, over 7,000 young individuals were involved in Asia Pacific Youth Network in at least 27 countries in the Asia Pacific region (& even welcomed some global friends) and together, we campaigned for human rights change in so many different ways!

Some of your amazing achievements this year:

• More than 10,000 actions for human rights
• campaigning activities in local communities in at least 24 countries
• 4 Youth Campaign Teams for 4 campaign issues: Comfort women, anti-death penalty, MDGs, and Burma and many other youth involvement
• 30 APYN-er’s completed Youth Ambassador projects
• 142 of you hosted local activities for Stand Up against poverty
• 1000’s of YOU(th) took part in online actions
• You(th) invited friends, used your networks and organisational contact and represented APYN at local, national, regional and international  forums!
• YOU(th) made videos, musics, public art installations, films, stories, plays, demonstrations, leaflets, online applications, petition deliveries, postcards, stories, posters and so much more!

But our work doesn’t stop here. In 2011, YOU(th) will continue to take the lead on campaigning for human rights change with the Asia Pacific Youth Network!. Follow us on Facebook to stay up to date with our human rights actions!

Can’t wait that long to take action? Check out these quick actions:

Act now for 3 Freedoms in Burma
For as long as the people in Burma can remember, they have been living in fear and darkness. Human rights violations are numerous, and 2,200 individuals remain behind bars on the basis of their peaceful political activity, some of them young people like YOU(th). Although Burma held elections for the first time in 20 years, the country remains grim. But young people in the region can make a difference. Join hands today and demand the 3 freedoms of expression, association, and assembly.
»Sign the letter to ASEAN Foreign Ministers here
»Add the widget to your blog

You ♥ human rights too? Send us your image!

I ♥ Human Rights
Do you ♥ human rights? It is important that YOU(th) let the region know that YOU(th) love human rights and it is cannot be ignored! Tell the whole world! This is what you can do:

1. Add in “I ♥ human rights” in  your language on a comment on the I ♥ human rights page, or
2. Share your ♥ on Flickr! If you feel like being more creative, you can send us (apyncampaigns [at] gmail [dot] com) an image of “I ♥ human rights” in your language and we will upload it to Flickr.

Join young people in the region and share your ♥ for human rights!

Quick actions not enough for you? Do more!

Burma Youth Campaign Team
APYN is looking for young people throughout the Asia Pacific who want to work with other young people to develop, implement and evaluate a campaign on 3 Freedoms in Burma.
»Click here to find out more

Commit to APYN
Ready to to be a change agent?? Sign up TODAY to join a network of YOU(th) in the region to campaign for human rights change. There are a number of ways for YOU(th) to get involved, just let us know what you’re most comfortable with!
»Click here to sign up

Volunteer your skills to help APYN work
Pledge to share your skills by helping others to learn new ones and develop creative and communications products for APYN!
»Click here to sign up

What will YOU(th) do for human rights in 2011? Join the discussion!
Here is your chance to talk to young people in the region. Tell us what YOU(th) will do in 2011 for human rights!
»Click here to start talking

Skype School 2011
Interested in campaign skills? In 2010, we held 4 Skype School sessions and each was very well received. In 2011, we will hold 6 more sessions in the first half of the year. Topics include campaigning and mobilizing, proposals and resource mobilization, media skills, and many more! We will update you on the website, so keeps your eyes out for these very useful sessions!
»Click here to find out more

Best wishes for a happy holiday and New Year! See you in 2011!

Stay tuned for January with:

• the announcement of 2011 Youth Ambassadors
• NEW ways to volunteer and get involved
• Schedules of campaigning activities and opportunities to take action
• and so much more!

What do YOU(th) think????

Co-founder of the National League of Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been under house arrest for 15 of the last 21 years.

Why Burma?
Although the country held its first elections last month and recently released Aung San Suu Kyi, this is not enough for the people (See our work to date on this!).

There are at least 2,200 political prisoners who remain behind bars. Most of them were imprisoned merely for exercising their 3 Freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. More importantly, they are not the only ones in danger. Everyone in Burma is at risk of having their 3 Freedoms violated. The Burmese authorities have many restrictions on these 3 Freedoms. Any one who shows any opposition face harassment, arbitrary arrest, torture, imprisonment and extrajudicial executions.

We must not stop now, and it is up to YOU(th) to join the call for the 3 Freedoms in Burma!

Join the Burma Youth Campaign Team NOW!

What is a Youth Campaign Team? It’s a group of people from the Asia Pacific Youth Network (APYN) who develop, implement and evaluate campaign activity plans and lead on these within the APYN, encouraging others to participate for human rights impact.

What are the preferred selection criteria for a Youth Campaign Team member?

• Passionate about the campaign issue
• Aged (ideally) between 18-25 years of age (but it’s OK if you are older!)
• Able to access the internet at least weekly.
• Able to commit 2-3 hours per week to campaign work
• Able to engage at least 5 other young people (your friends) in the campaign (through networks) – or at least try too!
• Able to share skills with other young people (online skills, activist skills, design skills, creative campaigning ideas, translations, administration and many more!)
• Able to communicate in English, and (preferable) translate into local language

What will I need to do?
Work remotely and virtually with a team to plan campaign activities and then work in your local community to organize these activities!

How do I apply?
Simply complete this form and we will be in contact with you as soon as possible!
Interested but no time? Click here to add your name to the call to ASEAN to defend the 3 Freedoms!

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“Every country has a success story to tell. Some like to boast about a citizen with no hands who can still write, or another with no legs who can still run. But there is no other country like Burma. Here we have generals able to rule a country for 40 years with no brains!” Zargana, imprisoned Burmese comedian.

I was recently fortunate enough to travel to Thailand to spend some time with some Burmese youth in exile there. Some told me their stories, of how they had survived imprisonment and the customary torture and abuse that accompanies it. Others spoke of how much they missed the families they had left behind and not seen in ten years and perhaps would not get to see ever again. They also spoke of wanting change for their country and how they’d like to return one day.

Meeting these young people I realized that in many ways they represent the future of their country. If change is going to come, it will most likely be through the efforts of youth like these who have already had to suffer the most. But it will also need the help of other young people around the region who can offer this without sacrificing anything of our own lives.

A history of youth demanding human rights

Youth have always been active in promoting positive human rights change in Burma. Students have been organizing since at least 1903 and on December 5, 1920 students held a successful strike for greater access to education which ultimately led to the establishment of National Schools. In the 1930s and early 40s student leaders like Aung San were instrumental in bringing about national independence. Taking inspiration from these earlier successes, university students in the three major cities of Rangoon, Mandalay and Moulmein took part in a number of protests in the 1960s and 1970s.[i]

Of course the demonstrations of 1988 were largely organised and led by young people, including high school and university students. Often the cause of these protests was to demand the release of fellow students, many who had themselves been arrested for exercising their basic freedoms. And again in 1996, students took the streets to mark the anniversary of the death of student Ko Phone Maw and five others who had been killed by the Burmese armed forces while protesting outside Rangoon Institute of Technology in 1988 and later to demand the right of students to form unions to represent themselves.

Most recently, the monk-led protests known as the Saffron Revolution of 2007 were in fact begun by members of the 88 Generation Students Group, consisting of former students who had been part of the 1988 demonstrations. Many leaders from this group received a prison sentence of 65 years for their involvement and still remain behind bars.

Young people today

One active youth movement making itself known inside Burma is Generation Wave. Generation Wave practices non-violent protest by spreading its message through graffiti and music. With many members already imprisoned, the rest must keep their identities secret or risk arrest.[ii]

Overcoming the odds: What is it like to be a young person in Burma?

While none of the following issues are in themselves isolated to Burma alone, the picture painted when considering all of these factors together is perhaps singularly grim. Those things many of us take for granted simply don’t exist for most young people growing up in Burma, a country where one in three is under the age of 15.[iii]

Take education. According to the United Nations, more than half of all children fail to complete a primary school education.[iv] There are many different factors contributing to this such as parents lacking the money needed to pay for their children’s education and internal displacement due to regional conflicts, but this clearly limits options for many young people. Amazingly, sometimes displaced villagers in hiding take the matter of their family’s education into their own hands, even improvising blackboards out of rocks when there are no classrooms.[v]

Take health. Again, relying on UN statistics, we can see that one in three children under the age of 5 suffers from malnutrition.[vi] On top of this, one in ten children will die before their fifth birthday. In conflict zones, this doubles, meaning roughly one in five children living in conflict zones will die before their fifth birthday.[vii]

Take employment. There are still thousands of child soldiers in Burma despite the United Nations receiving assurances from the Burmese authorities that this practice will end and the release and return of 265 children between 2004 and 2009.[viii] Aside from ten ethnic or regional armed groups (non-state armed groups or NSAGs) who are still believed to be bringing children into their ranks, the largest party recruiting and using children is the Burmese state armed forces, the Tatmadaw Kyi.[ix] These children are often abducted and subjected to other forms of forced labour and abuse including trafficking and rape.[x] The reality is that the prospect of joining the Burmese Armed Forces, the Tatmadaw Kyi is the only hope of achieving a well paying job for some.

Across the country young women face gender-based violence including gang rape. Rape of women and girls, some as young as 7 years old, has been widely reported. Rape of young boys, also as young as 7, has also been reported.[xi]

What is it like to be a political prisoner in Burma?

While Burmese authorities consistently deny that there are political prisoners in Burma, there are believed to be around 2,200 still in custody (see Assistance Association for Political Prisoners http://www.aappb.org/ for the most recent estimates). According to Human Rights Watch, political prisoners are being held in 43 prisons across the country and more than 50 labor camps where prisoners are forced to carry out hard labour.[xii]

Political prisoners are routinely tortured and subject to physical, psychological and sexual abuse. Many are also denied basic healthcare. Many are sent to prisons far away from their homes, preventing their families from having access to them and often making it impossible for them to receive the medical treatment they need. At the time of the last report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur, 138 political prisoners were being denied the medical treatment they needed and 144 political prisoners had already died in custody between 1988 and May 19, 2010.[xiii]

Let’s look at the case of three Karenni youth, recently imprisoned for exercising their basic rights. Khun Bedu, Khun Kawrio and Khun Dee De were all members of a group called Kayan New Generation Youth (KNGY). They were arrested on May 10, 2008 and are currently each serving over 30 years for encouraging people to vote against the 2008 constitution by handing out pamphlets, spray-painting on walls and signposts, and releasing balloons. Like others, they went through a period of interrogation and torture, finally being sentenced by a military court without even receiving a trial or appearing before the court. According to Amnesty International, the three “were beaten with sticks, kicked and forced to kneel on stones. Their mouths were taped up to stop them screaming and plastic bags were put over their heads. They were also made to lie in the sun for several hours at a time, when the temperature reached over 30 degrees Celsius.”[xiv]

The Burmese authorities have granted a number of amnesties to prisoners in recent years. In September of 2008 and in February of 2009, 9,000 and then another 6,000 prisoners were released respectively, but of the first lot only eight of these were political prisoners and only 31 from the second.[xv]

What does all this mean for you?

This will mean what you choose it to mean. Hopefully this will encourage you to take action for the people of Burma. Political prisoners are often those risking the most to defend basic human rights and they need your support.

I have met many Burmese people who have either fled their country in exile or who are studying abroad on government scholarships. I also have a very dear Burmese friend who is currently carrying out human rights research inside the country. Many Burmese want to speak out against the abuses of their government, but most are simply too afraid to do so. They share a concern for their own safety as well as that of their friends and families who would be put at risk should the Burmese authorities decide their question their activity. Many parents who were once active in defending their own human rights know the risks involved and prefer their family members to stay together rather than risk separation or worse.

Even by simply reading this, you are exercising a basic freedom not enjoyed by young people in Burma. So your voice is very important. You can make a difference for the people of Burma. Help us call on the Burmese authorities to immediately release all political prisoners inside the country and to respect the three basic freedoms of expression, association and assembly today.

Take Action Now! Share the 3 Freedoms widget on your website ~ CLICK HERE

Opportunity to get involved and make a real difference!

We need your help today. Serious human rights abuses continue inside Burma and many are denied the opportunity to defend their rights. The three basic freedoms of association, assembly and expression are consistently denied, and many young political prisoners, some your age or even younger, face a bleak future without any real freedom in sight.

With your help, regional youth can present a united voice in support of the three freedoms for the people of Burma, calling on regional governments to increase pressure on the Burmese authorities to respect basic human rights and release all political prisoners immediately.

Act now by getting involved in our Asia Pacific Youth Network (APYN) Burma Campaign Team. We’re looking for motivated youth form around the Asia Pacific region to take the lead in your own countries. We’re especially interested in youth from ASEAN countries taking part. There will be many ways to get involved and everyone is welcome and encouraged to join!

Find out how to register your interest in joining the Burma Campaign Team HERE.

T.
Burma Youth Campaign Team

[i] Fink, C. 2009. Living in Silence in Burma: Surviving Under Military Rule. London: Zed Books, pp. 16, 38 – 42.

[ii] See Harvey, R. (February 24, 2010). Burma’s Youth Rapping for Change. BBC News. Accessed at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8518137.stm, Schearf, D. (November 18, 2010) Young Activists Use Music, Graffiti to Push for Democracy in Burma. Voice of America. Available at:  http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Young-Activists-Use-Music-Graffiti-to-Push-for-Democracy-in-Burma-108977359.html [both accessed 6 December 2010].

[iii] World Health Organisation. ‘Myanmar: Country Health System Profile’. WHO Regional Office for South East Asia. Available from: http://www.searo.who.int/EN/Section313/Section1522_10916.htm [accessed 6 December 2010]. Also see UNICEF, ‘At a glance: Myanmar’. Available at http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/myanmar_statistics.html [accessed 6 December 2010].

[iv] UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, 7 March 2008, A/HRC/7/18, p. 7, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/47df8fc82.html [accessed 6 December 2010].

[v] Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict. 2009. No More Denial: Children Affected by Armed Conflict in Myanmar (Burma), p. 27. Available at

http://www.watchlist.org/reports/pdf/myanmar/myanmar_english_full.pdf [accessed 6 December 2010].

[vi] UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur, 7 March 2008, p. 7.

[vii] WHO. ‘Myanmar’; Watchlist. No More Denial, p. 31.

[viii] UN Security Council, Conclusions on children and armed conflict in Myanmar, 28 October 2009, S/AC.51/2009/4, p. 2, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4c91ec2c2.html [accessed 6 December 2010].

[ix] UN Secretary General (UNSG), Children and armed conflict: report of the Secretary-General, 13 April 2010, A/64/742 – S/2010/181, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4bfcce6a2.html [accessed 6 December 2010].

[x] Human Rights Watch, 2007. Sold to Be Soldiers: The Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers in Burma, p. 37. Accessed at http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2007/10/30/sold-be-soldiers [accessed 6 December 2010].

[xi] Watchlist, p. 38.

[xii] Human Rights Watch. ‘Key facts about Burma’s political prisoners’. Available at: http://www.hrw.org/free-burmas-prisoners/prisoners/key-facts [accessed 6 December 2010].

[xiii] UN General Assembly, Situation of human rights in Myanmar, 15 September 2010, A/65/368, pp. 9 – 11, available at:

http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4cbbe7f22.html [accessed 6 December 2010].

[xiv] Amnesty International New Zealand. ‘Factsheet: Myanmar’s Prisoners of Conscience’. Myanmar Freedom Campaign. Available at: http://www.amnesty.org.nz/our-work/myanmar-freedom-campaign [accessed 6 December 2010].

[xv] Human Rights Watch. 2009. Burma’s Forgotten Prisoners. Available at http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/08/08/burma-s-forgotten-prisoners [accessed 6 December 2010].

Do you support the call for the 3 Freedoms – of the right to Expression, Peaceful Assembly and Association – in Burma?

Yes? Then, this Sunday, 8 August – the 22nd anniversary of the crushed 8 August 1988 pro-democracy uprising in Myanmar – indicate your support by tweeting your message #3Freedoms  or #Burma! encourage your friends too to!

Looking forward to seeing your tweets!

Burma is about to hold its first national election in two decades.

In the last elections in 1990, the National League for Democracy (NLD) won a resounding victory — only for the military government to ignore the results and arrest scores of opposition activists who threatened their grip on power.
We cannot let this happen again.

Many of Burma’s 50 million people live in poverty. And those who express views contrary to that of the ruling authorities face harassment, arrest, torture, imprisonment and, sometimes, execution. Many are held in solitary confinement, denied access to medical care and cut off from their families and loved ones.

More than 2,200 political prisoners are behind bars in Burma – silenced simply for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association.
Now is the time to act

The eyes of the world are on Burma as they prepare for elections. As the moment draws nearer, foreign ministers of Burma’s neighbouring countries are under pressure to speak out against the military government.

Now is a critical time to pressure these Ministers and defend the three freedoms – expression, assembly and association – in Burma.

We cannot let the repression continue while Burma’s election goes ahead. With your help, we can work towards a global outcry that ensures the people of Burma are protected in the lead up to the 2010 elections and beyond.