Many of you know that I have a Burmese father. This is an event that I’m probably not going to be able to get along to but if you are in the area and want to hear how you might best support the people of Burma as they attempt to receive justice why not go along? If you can’t get there, have a look at the Burma Campaign website to both inform yourself and see how you can make a difference.

The people of Burma experience some of the worst injustices in the world, and yet world governments sit quietly and observe, multi-national companies continue to invest with a Pilotian claim that the blood is not on their hands, and while they do men, women and children are abused, murdererd, raped and treated as sub human. If this country was seen as a threat, real or imagined, or had oil to sell I wonder if governments, well GB and USA, would be so quiet?

Campaigns work – please join the campaign. I received this email today:

Freedom for Burma

Come and hear Burmese democracy activist Charm Tong of the Shan Women’s Action Network speak about the situation in Burma and what the international community can do to help.

Other speakers include Ben Rogers – Christian Solidarity Worldwide, and Mark Farmaner – Burma Campaign UK. Chair; Guy Craft, SOAS Student Union.

Speeches will be followed by Q&A session.

6-8pm Sunday 23rd April – KHALILI LECTURE THEATRE – SOAS, (Russell Square
Building) Central London.

Organised by SOAS Student Union, Burma Campaign UK and Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

Nearest Undergrounds ­ Russell Square (Piccadilly Line), Goodge Street (Northern Line), Euston or Warren Square (Victoria & Northern Lines).

Buses: numbers 7, 68, 91, 168 and 188 stop near Russell Square; 10, 24, 29,
73 and 134 stop on Tottenham Court Road (north bound) or Gower Street (south bound).

ENTRANCE FREE

Charm Tong Biography
When she was only seventeen, Charm Tong, along with other Shan women active on the Thai-Burma border, founded the Shan Women¹s Action Network (SWAN), an organization dedicated to stopping the exploitation of and violence against women and children.

Three years later, recognizing that their lack of education leaves Shan youth more vulnerable to being trafficked or lured into exploitative activities, Charm Tong founded The School for Shan State Nationalities Youth. The school works to empower and build the capacity of the students to become leaders in their communities. Burma human rights and democracy movement now views the school as a model for training young people in human rights. The school also provides English-language lessons and computer training to Shan youth as well as those from other ethnic minorities.

More recently, Charm Tong became instrumental in launching a campaign to bring attention to the systematic use of rape of Shan women by the Burmese
military. The campaign, based on a report called ³License to Rape,²
received considerable international attention. The Thai government feared that the campaign would threaten its ties with the Burmese regime, however, and closed down the SWAN office. Even with rumours circulating that SWAN members have been targeted for reprisals, Charm Tong remains undeterred. ³I promised the women who have endured this brutality,² she says, ³that I would speak out about all the horrible acts against them.²

Charm Tong¹s courage is legendary. She first testified before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights at the age of seventeen and she once lobbied a resistance commander to allow SWAN activists to educate women in areas under his control.

Chang Tong has received several awards, ranging from the Marie Claire Women of the Year award to the Reebok Human Rights Award.

In October 2005 Charm Tong had a 50 minute meeting with US President George W. Bush.

³The military has done lots of things to damage our hearts, our beliefs, our souls, and our rights,² she once wrote. ³It is difficult for people to forget all kinds of violations that the military committed. There are still more and more violations of human rights in Burma, especially in the rural and border areas. The best thing we can do is to fight with our hearts and minds, so that we are not in fear and pain.”

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