Dear friend

Are you a Co-operative Bank customer?
If so, you could help us raise money.
The Co-operative Bank have a long track record of supporting human rights and this year it’s the focus of their Customers Who Care campaign. As part of The Co-op’s Defending Human Rights campaign, they’re making donations to five human rights organisations, including Burma Campaign UK.

You vote, They donate!

They are asking customers to vote for the organisation they would like the Co-op to donate to – the more Co-op customers that vote for Burma Campaign, the more they donate to us.

So please vote now and help raise money for the Burma Campaign – and it won’t cost you a penny!

Vote online here

or call Freephone 0800 994 311

Thank you for your support.

Anna Roberts
The Burma Campaign UK

I don’t like youtube videos on the page.
But this is important enough to make an exception.

This Thursday, Burma’s democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, will celebrate her 63rd birthday alone, under house arrest.

She is now in her 13th year of detention yet she has committed no crime. She is imprisoned for peacefully calling for freedom and democracy in Burma. She isn’t allowed to see family or friends as all visitors are banned. Her phone line is cut and her post is intercepted.

For the rest of this week we will send you an action a day so you can highlight the plight of Suu Kyi and the repressed people of Burma. Today we are asking you to send a message direct to the regime, asking them to free Aung San Suu Kyi and the other 1,919 political prisoners in Burma. Take action here.

For taking a stand against Burma’s brutal regime, Aung San Suu Kyi is kept under house arrest. But international pressure keeps her safe. Aung San Suu Kyi asks for our support; “ Please use your liberty to promote ours”. Today please do that – send the regime an email.

On Thursday solidarity protests will be held worldwide. If you can, please join us at 1pm outside the Burmese Embassy in London (19A, Charles Street, London, W1J 5DX,Nearest tube: Green Park) find out more here.

Thank you

Anna Roberts
The Burma Campaign UK

BURMA

The death toll predictions following Cyclone Nargis nine days ago continue to climb, and presently stand at over 200,000.
YFC Burma is there, and doing what it can…

On Saturday, May 3rd, 120mph Cyclone Nargis forced ashore in Myanmar (Burma) with waves up to 20ft high. The Irrawaddy town of Labutta – population 80,000 – was wiped off the map. Most residents are still without power, food, or safe drinking water.

“Official” reports say there are 24,000 dead, 40,000 missing. People inside Myanmar estimate that the death toll is closer to 200,000 and could reach 500,000 through disease and hunger, if external aid continues to be blocked by the army. You will have no doubt seen some secretly filmed pictures – and heard the horrific stories. People and Governments from across the world want to help, but they want to be sure that the money will not fall into the wrong hands.

One way to make sure is to donate through YFC…
YFC Myanmar has 20 fulltime staff and over 350 volunteers serving in partnership with over 350 local churches across the country. MYFC is already using what they have to help. All the staff and volunteers are assisting in the cleanup and repairs. We need chain saws, axes, and fuel for transport. MYFC also wants to help families by providing textbooks and cash for their registration fees when schools reopen in June.

Today, most MYFC staff receive just £12 per month. YFC International want to help MYFC staff and volunteers by providing funds to repair their own homes and help them survive the 400% increase in the price of fuel and basic necessities. We are hoping to raise a total of £15,000.

Please pray for YFC Myanmar and our staff and volunteers during this challenging time.
And please do give what you can via ‘just giving’ by visiting YFC Burma Cyclone Appeal

Please consider passing this email on to others in your church.

As if the people of Burma have not suffered enough …

The death toll from a devastating cyclone that hit western Burma on Saturday has now climbed to 3,939 people, state television says.

All those deaths were recorded in Rangoon and Irrawaddy, only two of five regions declared disaster zones.

Many more are feared dead in devastated outlying regions not yet reached by authorities or aid agencies.

A member of the ruling junta told diplomats in Rangoon that the final toll could reach 10,000.

read more here.

Amidst all our questions I guess all we can do is pray!

Dear friends

We are extremely concerned for the safety of leading democracy activist Min Ko Naing, who is being held in Rangoon¹s notorious Insein Prison. He is suffering from a serious eye infection and may go blind because he is being denied medical treatment. It is reported that his eye condition has deteriorated to the point that he is unable to sleep or eat because of the pain the infection has caused.

Min Ko Naing has been in prison since August last year. He was arrested for leading protests in Rangoon. The protests triggered the biggest demonstrations in Burma since the 1988 uprising, but were brutally crushed by the dictatorship. We will never know how many were killed during the regime¹s brutal crackdown. Today, the situation in Burma remains as severe as ever. Arrests continue and torture is routine. Political prisoners are singled out for brutal treatment, including the denial of medical treatment.

Min Ko Naing is a leading democracy activist and one of the most famous student leaders from the 1988 uprising. He was arrested in 1989 and spent more than 16 years in prison. He was severely tortured and held in solitary confinement for most of his sentence. He was released in 2004 and despite constant threats and harassment by the regime, he has continued to campaign for freedom and democracy in Burma.

Please take action now. Visit The Burma Campaign and send an email to urge the Burmese authorities to allow immediate medical attention to Min Ko Naing and all political prisoners.

Thank you for your support.

Anna Roberts
The Burma Campaign UK

Up and coming new indie band Lo-Star have just released their debut single in support of the Burma Campaign UK. Their new song ‘Wake Up’ was written by the band to tell the world that it’s time to take action on Burma. The profits from the single will be donated to the Burma Campaign UK to help us in our work for human rights and democracy in Burma.

The Daily Star has named it their single of the week, saying, “We should all still go out and buy it. Why? Because all the proceeds go to the Burma Campaign. Fortunately, it sounds quite lovely too. The lyrics “We gotta wake up, we’ve got to realise that something needs to be done” sound all the more poignant alongside the affecting video of the protesting Burmese people.”

Download the single now and help raise money for the Burma Campaign.
You can buy the single on iTunes:

Simply to sing a song about freedom and democracy in Burma is an arrestable offence, with a penalty of up to 20 years in jail. While the Burmese people are silenced, the rest of the world can speak out.

Watch the video here

Wake Up is available in the shops from March 24th.

Thanks for your support.

Anna Roberts
The Burma Campaign UK