3 Men Jailed In Commie Burma For Insulting Buddhism

It's not only in Muslim countries that individuals can wind up in jail for insulting religion, in communist Myanmar fka Burma they can too.

A New Zealand bar manager and two Burmese men have all been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in jail for posting an ad for their bar on Facebook which was deemed insulting to Buddhism.

2 1/2 years with hard labor is outrageous.

Although the V Gastro Bar apologized for offending the overly sensitive, Phil Blackwood, the general manager, Tun Thurein, the owner, and Htut Ko Ko Lwin, the manager, were all arrested, December 2014.

Human Rights Watch responded to the sentencing:

“That these three men acted in a culturally insensitive way by posting the Buddha with headphones image on Facebook is obvious, but that is nothing they should have been hauled into court for, much less sent to prison,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch.

A fine, okay, whatever, but jail time?

I guess if this had been in Pakistan and someone had dared to depict Mohammed with earphones, they'd all be dead by now.

More here.

Myanmar- Two Child Policy For Muslim Minority Rohingya

This is interesting: Myanmar (fka Burma) has instituted a two-child policy for their Muslim Rohingya minority population. They're the ones who have recently been targeted by Buddhists. Apparently, it's to ease tensions between the two.

A local official said Saturday that the new measure would be applied to two townships that border Bangladesh and have the highest Muslim population in Rakhine.

State spokesman Win Myaing said the measure was enacted a week ago after a government-appointed commission recommended family planning programs to help ease tensions in the volatile region.

Sectarian violence in Myanmar first flared nearly a year ago in Rakhine between the region's Rakhine Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya. Mobs of Buddhists armed with machetes razed thousands of Muslim homes, leaving hundreds dead and forcing 125,000 people to flee, mostly Muslims.

I don't condone violence of any nature, but it's almost karmic.

Bloggers Unite For Human Rights: The Junta and The Dying People of Burma

What is happening in Burma is unconscionable! Cyclone Nargis made landfall on May 2, carving a path of destruction throughout the country, and yet here we are 13 days later, and little has been done. The Burmese people are starving, disease is now setting in, the world is trying desperately to help, and yet a corrupt government, that failed to warn its people of the impending disaster, is refusing most help. With tens of thousands dead, as many missing, and over a million displaced persons (which could result in even more deaths), the perverse Myanmar regime, continues to thwart the global community's efforts to bring desperately needed aid to the people. Why? Politics, greed and paranoia.

Horror stories abound. The little aid that is being allowed into the country is being confiscated by the military, more than likely for their own use. The food that is being distributed is usually rotten, and most are not receiving anything at all. People are being forced to leave the monasteries, where they have sought refuge and received help, even though they have no place to go. Foreign aid food, rather than being given to the people free of charge, is being sold at commercial prices, as are zinc sheets for roofing. Supplies are being given in return for "yes" votes in the national referendum. Child traffickers are targeting children in the refugee camps.

The useless U.N. keeps begging, but getting no results, because countries like China refuse to meddle in what they believe to be internal domestic affairs.

This week, Beijing blocked a proposal to have the U.N. humanitarian chief brief the Security Council on Myanmar, saying governments should not politicize the issue.

I wouldn't expect any other response from China. They don't want other countries meddling in their affairs, considering their blemished record on human rights, so why would they deign to interfere with Burma?

So, we sit in the comfort of our living rooms, watching a group of people die before our very eyes; the result of a sick government's gross negligence. A people whose rights were violated prior to the tropical cyclone, and whose lives are being threatened now. We sit silent and mute, doing nothing, perhaps reaching for our checkbooks knowing full well that what we donate will probably wind up filling the coffers of the military generals rather than aiding those in need.

And there are many who feel the same way as the Chinese government. But I ask you this:

If your neighbour was abusing his wife and children, would you call the police or allow the abuse to continue because you refuse to meddle in their domestic affairs?

Failure to act, on a global level, has led to much unnecessary death in the past few centuries. WWII, Darfur, Rwanda. And the sad and pathetic thing about Burma is that much of the death was and is avoidable. What harm is there in allowing the world to help your country? Any reasonable nation would have welcomed the help, and Burma would be well on its way to recovery. But, government officials are far too preoccupied with profiting from this disaster than helping their citizens. In fact, there is another storm on its way, and the populace has not been warned, yet. More devastation and more inaction.

We are all brothers and sisters. We are each other's caretakers.

Why don't we act as if!


Burmese Bloggers with out Borders.

Politics Before People- Another Burmese Disaster

As if the poor Burmese people hadn't already suffered enough under a brutally oppressive, communist regime, they suffered further loss and damage at a catastrophic level due, in part, to the ineptitude of a government that seems to place more importance on politics over people. That seems more intent on maintaining the socialist status quo, than saving people.

Granted, the Myanmar Junta had no control over the fact that Tropical Cyclone Nargis hit landfall in Burma, but it did have control over adequately warning the Burmese citizens of the impending dangers of the storm. It did not. There were few warnings and no evacuations. As a result, 80,000 people have been reported dead in one village alone, 44,000 plus are missing, it is estimated that the deaths will exceed well over 100,000, and at least one million people have been left homeless. Many of them children.

And, it has failed miserably in the aftermath. The government, supposed caretaker and protector of its people, is doing virtually nothing. The military out in force last year, so readily available and willing to shoot innocent monks during their peaceful demonstrations, have been of little or no help. It's been 5 days since the storm, the people are starving, there is very little clean water, bodies are rotting in huge piles, and there are fears many more will die from starvation or disease, creating an even greater humanitarian disaster that could well rival that of the Tsunami of 2004. Unbelievably, the military is thought to be profiting from the catastrophe by grossly inflating the prices of water and food, and "trying to sell things like roofing on the black market."


Relief agencies and aid groups are poised and waiting to enter the country, but the Junta is dragging its feet by insisting on reviewing each and every visa. People are dying, and they are reviewing visas??!!

The junta has insisted that foreign aid workers must "negotiate" their entry to the country. The United Nations said the regime has finally appointed a minister to review visa applications by aid workers, but that no permits have yet been issued.

Many countries have pledged monetary and physical assistance, including the U.S. which has pledged 3 million, but help is being thwarted on every level by a bunch of paranoid generals who somehow feel threatened by allowing an influx of foreigners into a country they've had complete control over for decades. Obviously, they would rather see their people die, than relinquish some control. The Burmese deserve better, and hopefully will finally do something about a group of leaders who have systematically dragged what was once a thriving, prosperous country into darkness and despair.

In the meantime, The Centre for Cross Cultural Research at the Australian National University (ANU) has said that, in spite of the fact that the Junta will more than likely hoard much of the humanitarian aid, this should not stop the world from coming to Burma's aid. The only people who have stepped into action, ironically, are the Buddhist monks. The Junta, threatened by that, has been waging a propaganda war. According to Monique Skidmore , of the ANU,

"There's a bit of a propaganda battle being waged between the military, they're trying to stop pictures of monks helping the population from getting out into the public domain."

The monks have been providing shelter and food at their monasteries for the displaced and suffering people. For those who would rather see their donations go directly to the Burmese people, rather than the military Junta, Avaaz.org is soliciting for the International Burmese Monks Organization and related groups, they

will transmit funds directly to monasteries in affected areas.In many of
the worst-hit areas, the monasteries are the only source of shelter and food for Burma's poorest people. They have been on the front lines of the aid effort since the storm struck. Other forms of aid could be delayed, diverted or manipulated by the Burmese government--but the monks are the most trusted and reliable institution in the country.

For more information, please go to FreeBurma.org

Risking Life for Art

The performing arts should be valued for more than its ability to entertain. In a far more profound and complex way it can be a catalyst for change- when it educates, enlightens, transforms, inspires. When audience members leave a theatre or other performing arts venue having been touched, somehow, by their experience, then we (as artists) know we have done our job. When it prompts people to action, even better.

Art, in its various categories- from language and visual arts to the performing arts- is all about communication, and can take on many different forms. In countries that embrace democracy, artists are usually allowed to create freely, without fear of governmental retribution. We are extremely fortunate, in the U.S., to be able to mount projects, if we so choose, that are critical of our government, without fear of retaliation. However, in nations where freedom is at a premium, artists are not so fortunate. They are censored, fired from jobs and thrown in jail for nothing more than being critical of those in power. In those lands, the various art forms either tout the official 'party line', so to speak, or become a political forum, of sorts. From political satire to outright criticism, artists risk their lives and careers to bring to light the injustices that prevail living under those kinds of autocratic regimes.

It's happening right now in places like Burma, Belarus, Venezuela.

In 1990 Par Par Lay, a 60-year-old Burmese comic who performs a traditionall Burmese vaudeville routine laced with political satire called nyeint pwe, spent 6 months in jail for offending the junta with his political jokes. In 1996, he was again sentenced to 7 years in a labour camp, though released after 5 1/2, after he and his troupe the Mustache Brothers dared to poke fun at the Junta in front of Aung San Suu Kyi and an audience of 2,000 including foreign ambassadors. One of the offending routines:

a "government dance," a comic rendition of a wily public servant stealing money from the poor.

His troupe was then barred, by the Junta, from performing for Burmese people, so they had to resort to performing for foreign visitors in Par Par Lay's house. On September 25 2007, Par Par Lay was arrested, once again, during the latest crackdown in Burma. So was another popular comic, Zargana. For weeks, no-one knew what happened to Par Par Lay. His wife, a dancer, said the following:

"I tried to find him, but I don't know where he is" [snip] "If the past is an indication, he must have been beaten a lot. I am worried about whether he is alive or not."

Thankfully, according to Amnesty International, both Par Par Lay and Zargana were released in late October, however Zargana developed a lung infection from the unsanitary conditions in jail. He was briefly detained, again, after he spoke to international media about his incarceration. And sadly, it probably won't be the last time either of them sees the inside of a jail cell.

In Belarus, the Free Theatre project was created (March 2005) in response to the oppressive, dictatorial leadership of Alexander Lukashenko. It is in part sponsored by former Czech President and playwright Vaclav Havel , and English playwright Tom Stoppard. Those involved have sworn to keep the project alive until Belarus embraces democracy. In the meantime, this group of unpaid actors, directors and technicians continues performing in spite of crackdowns by police, and being outright banned by the Belarusian government. You see, in Belarus only state-sanctioned theatres and actors are allowed to perform. Many of these 'underground' theatres exist through the sheer tenacity and courage of those collaborating, and performances are held in flats, houses and nightclubs. And even though the audiences are pre-screened and the location of the production is revealed shortly prior to the performance, the precautions aren't always helpful. A recent Free Theatre production of "Eleven Vests" (a play about violence by British playwright Edward Bond) was raided by police, and 50 people were detained for hours, including children and theatre artists from France and the Netherlands. In spite of these occurrences and the potential risk of losing jobs or even their freedom, Belarusian actors continue to find ways to bring their voices of dissent to the people.

And in Venezuela, actress Fabiola Colmenares was recently fired from Venevision for publicly registering her disapproval of the police violence against the on-going anti-Chavista student demonstrators. 2 people have been killed in those demonstrations, so far, in case you hadn't heard. (For more information on the situation in Venezuela, check out Kate at Colombo-Americana's Perspective, and Julia's The End of Venezuela As I Know It.)

Artists need to be heard, especially when something needs to be said. And you can rest assured that our voices will not be silenced. As long as we have an audience, and as long as we have a voice.

In solidarity with those who risk all for their art.

Burma And the Aftermath of the Saffron Revolution

Sad how tragic events, like the situation in Burma, quickly fade into oblivion. The outcry of world anger turns to a mere whimper and then promptly vanishes, save for the few lone voices that continue to demand some form of action. The rest settle back into their comfortable lives, satisfied they did something, even if that something did nothing at all.

Perhaps it's our collective feelings of impotence that prompt us to give up so easily and quickly. After all, what can we do as individuals, when our governments (and organizations like the useless U.N.) stand by and do absolutely nothing other than pay lip service to the perpetrators of those tragic events? And frankly, it's far more palatable to bury our heads in the proverbial sand, than to face the evil in the world. We selfishly believe that if we just forget about it, or refuse to acknowledge it, that "it" will somehow cease to exist. However, being in denial does not somehow miraculously ameliorate the suffering people endure under brutal dictatorships. The Burmese people have suffered for decades under a ruthless military junta, and in spite of their recent efforts to affect positive change in their once prosperous now poverty-stricken land, they continue to suffer today. Terribly.

According to a very interesting article on the brutality of the regime on spiegel.de,

"Burma's generals are firmly in control of the country once again. The mere act of listening to a foreign radio station is enough to land a Burmese citizen in prison. Government militias are still dragging regime critics and alleged demonstrators from their homes at night. Pakokku's [where the pro-democracy movement began] three largest monasteries have become military camps, with parked trucks filling the spaces between the monks' quarters. The city's residents look sick and emaciated, and the city itself is little more than a poorhouse today. The once-magnificent steps leading up to the Shweguni Temple have been destroyed. Neighboring residents have removed stones from the structure to build fire pits, where they cook pancakes made of inexpensive rice meal. Few can afford rice."

Typical of socialist and communist dictatorships, the Burmese people are starving while the military leaders of the country prosper, and that's why the monks took to the streets in the first place. The sad irony is that the demonstrations began not as an attempt to bring democracy to a corrupt socialist regime, but because by raising fuel prices the bus fares drastically increased, and people were unable to get to work. People were simply hungry!!

And why did the Junta raise prices to begin with? This is what sickens me the most: according to the same spiegel.de article , other than the generals, there are 10 members "of an expert council of Yangon's chamber of commerce and industry" who are privy to the inner workings of the government.

" When the generals are unsure of what to do next, they consult the council. This panel of wise men includes two former cabinet ministers, as well as businessmen and scientists. Only one member of the group ignores the government's strict ban on talking to journalists."

This one member revealed that the reason gas prices were hiked up, overnight, was because

"The construction of the junta's jungle hideout consumed a sum equal to several annual budgets in this country of 57 million people [snip]. Moreover, to keep the government officials -- many of whom were forced to move -- in good spirits, the generals had to raise their salaries. Lower-ranking bureaucrats received a fivefold increase, while senior officials gave themselves a 1,200 percent pay hike."

"In April 2006, the junta asked the council to provide it with recommendations on whether it could recoup its exorbitant personnel costs through gasoline prices. The council turned down the request, but the junta decided to go ahead with the plan anyway."

This "member" also admitted that, as a result of these recent events, he came to the conclusion

"The generals couldn't care less about the condition of the country, and there are no consultations within the leadership, just the commands of dictator Than Shwe."

He adds

"The country is completely broke. The only option now is a crash landing."

The average Burmese family

"spends more than 70 percent of its meager income -- which is often no more than the equivalent $1 a day -- on food alone. Incomes are dropping and estimates put inflation at more than 90 percent. But there are no exact figures: The government has kept economic statistics under tight wraps since 2001."

Like everything else in that country, we will probably never know the extent of what happened there during the bloody uprising, or the exact numbers of those killed, beaten and arrested, though undoubtedly it is far more than the junta is laying claim to. However, we do know that peaceful monks were beaten until bloodied, and some killed, because they dared to protest an unfair increase in fuel prices- a direct result of gross mismanagement by a bunch of greedy leaders who care more about lining their pockets then making sure their people are fed. So much for the socialist government of Myanmar.

And the junta had the audacity to call the U.S. a bully today! Pot kettle black? Even more pathetic is their claim that the U.S. was responsible for inciting those demonstrations. Yup, blame the U.S. for everything. Why not, everyone else does.

Email Virus Alert- Hackers exploit crisis in Burma!!

WARNING: Please be aware, that according to Sophos (a leading anti-virus company) an email purporting to be from the Dalai Lama, supporting the pro-democracy efforts in Burma, is actually a malicious Trojan virus. Do not open, for any reason!!

The email contains the following text:

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

Please find enclosed a massage from His Holiness the Dalai Lama in support of the recent pro-democracy demonstrations taking place in Burma. This is for your information and can be distributed as you see fit.

Best wishes.

Tenzin Taklha Joint
Secretary Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Sophos claims that:

When users open the attached document (filename: hhdl burma_001.doc), it attempts to exploit a Word vulnerability which in turn tries to drop a Trojan horse onto the victim's PC. Sophos proactively detects the malicious document as Exp/1Table-B and the Trojan it tries to install as Agent-CGU.

The email actually links to the Dalai Lamas website, to add legitimacy to the content of the email.

This is the height of vileness: exploiting a humanitarian crisis knowing full well that people will be tempted to open the document in an effort to keep up to date with information regarding the worsening situation in Burma, and to show solidarity with the Burmese people's valiant efforts to bring democracy to their country.

Totally despicable!!

October 4th, Free Burma blogger campaign!

Bloggers worldwide have started a campaign to support the pro-democracy efforts in Burma, which have turned deadlier over the past few days. They are inviting all bloggers, website owners and commenters to participate by not blogging on October 4th. Instead, they propose that all participants post a "Free Burma" banner on their blog/website with the words "Free Burma" underneath the banner. Detailed info and links for banner graphics can be found here and the official Free Burma site here. I encourage everyone to take part. I know I will.

In the meantime, there were demonstrations, of solidarity, in D.C on Friday and Saturday, in front of the Myanmar Embassy, and Kate over at Colombo-Americana's Perspective has some great photos, as does John of This Aint Hell. Lady Vorzheva also talks about the demonstration they had in Spain, and the Putin/Zapatero connection regarding their views on Burma.

It's now estimated that there have been far more killed then reported, but there is no way to know, for sure, as Internet service has been curtailed, and cell phone service has been disrupted. Much of the information, pictures and videos were being transmitted overseas via Internet and cell phone. Kate has some great updates here and here.

A great inside source of information is Abitsu.org (All Burma I.T. Students' Union). They report that General Than Shwe and his family are staying at the Burj Al Arab, in Dubai (U.A.E) a hotel that rates itself as the best hotel in the world. The cheapest rooms for one night in February 2008 are $2,274 per night on one travel website. With your own chauffeur driven Rolls Royce, what a bargain! For more candid photos by guests staying there, click here. Although I can't confirm if, indeed, Than Shwe and others are actually there, I wouldn't be surprised. Isn't this what most despots do, live in the lap of luxury while their own people suffer?! It's no wonder they refuse to give up power. But it makes it all the more foul.

U.S. Campaign for Burma also has some interesting info, including a video by Jim Carrey calling for U.N. action, and a copy of a letter sent to U.N. Secretary Ban Ki, by 25 Hollywood celebs (and yes, including some of our favorite loud mouthed leftists) asking for his personal intervention in securing help for Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi's release.

Whether any of this makes one iota of a difference, at least those of us who participate can feel that we at least did our part.

UPDATE:

In spite of the imposed censorship, Burmese bloggers both there and abroad keep on blogging. According to this blogger, Internet is back on line, so he continues to receive reports from the area. Here's another report re. General Than Shwe claiming he is in a Singapore Hospital.

H/T: Theospark

Living In Fear in Myanmar fka Burma- and the Buddhist protests

Blogcatalog's Blogging Against Abuse Campaign, 9/27/07

How many of us know that much about Burma? I know little other than the fact they are ruled by a thuggish, oppressive, socialist military junta, and that for some reason, the name was changed to Myanmar. I also remember seeing some beautiful photos of their pagoda-laden countryside, and thinking to myself -what a wonderful place to visit- save for its despotic regime. Needless to say, I have never visited, nor do I intend to until there is some form of democracy established there, if and when that ever happens.

I didn't know much else about the country, until I read about the recent anti-government, pro-democracy demonstrations by thousands of Buddhist monks and nuns (and their supporters) in Yangon, and decided to do a little research. And what I found was frightful.

Burma received its independence from colonial Britain in 1948, and enjoyed a brief (but troubled) stint with democracy until 1962 when General Ne Win usurped power in a coup d'etat, establishing, in 1964, his "one party" state. His radical "Burmese Way to Socialism" (which included self-imposed isolation from the West) led one of the richest countries in Southeast Asia, within less than 20 years, to be classified as one of the poorest countries in the world, and it remains so to this day. So much for the progressive ideals of socialism!

In 1988, dissatisfied with both the economic situation and political oppression, student demonstrations (which later galvanized others to action), eventually led to another regime change, but not before more than 1,ooo demonstrators were killed by the military on August 8, 1988. But those efforts towards re-establishing democracy, and the many lives lost, were for naught. In September of that year there was another coup, this time headed by autocrat General Saw Maung who abolished the BWS and established, in its place, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). He immediately suspended the constitution, which has never been re-established. In response to continuing public unrest, approximately 3,000 more people were massacred, and at least 10,000 students went into hiding.

In 1989, the SLORC changed the name from Burma to Myanmar.

The SLORC maintained firm control (under martial law) until 1990 when parliamentary elections were held, though who knows why. As expected, when opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi' (who was under house arrest at the time, because yes, she is an opposition leader) and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party won a majority of seats, the SLORC refused to accept the results, and hordes of political activists were imprisoned, instead, for good measure. Aung is still under house arrest, although many fear that since the recent protests, she might have been hauled off to jail. The current leader, General Than Shwe, has led the country since 1992.

In 1997, the ruling party changed its name to the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). Peace? How ironic, considering the turn of events in Myanmar, today.

From what we know, the peaceful protests began on August 19th in response to exorbitant fuel and gas price hikes, but have since escalated into violence as the Buddhist monks, barefoot and weaponless, continue to demonstrate in defiance of curfews and a ban impose against gatherings of 5 or more people. The government, though oppressively socialist in nature, is also (oddly enough) strongly influenced by Buddhist tradition, and fear of what might happen if they harmed the priests had tempered their reaction to the protests, until now.

There are reports (though unconfirmed) that shots have been fired and that at least 5 to 8 people have been killed, some of them Buddhist priests. At least 300 people have been arrested and many injured. It's obvious the dog of socialism, feeling cornered, has lashed out, regardless of the consequences. They will not relinquish control without a fight, even if it means another massacre similar to 1998. Hopefully, I'm wrong.

And what no-one hears about is the apparent genocide the Myanmar junta is waging against the ethnic minorities of that coutnry: the mostly Christian Karen, the Shan, Kachin and Rohanis. According to a very inciteful article in spiegel.de, ethnic cleansing in the mountains and genocide in the jungles has been taking place for decades amongst these minorities.

My heart breaks for a people who live in fear and who so yearn for democracy, that they will risk their lives for it. And yet our ultra liberal left, our socialist-leaning fringe take the freedoms we so blessedly enjoy for granted, by embracing and glorifying a system that historically oppresses and tyrannizes the people it governs.

One of Aung San Suu Kyi' most famous speeches eloquently describes the power of corruption

"It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it." [snip] "The effort necessary to remain uncorrupted in an environment where fear is an integral part of everyday existence is not immediately apparent to those fortunate enough to live in states governed by the rule of law. Just laws do not merely prevent corruption by meting out impartial punishment to offenders. They also help to create a society in which people can fulfil the basic requirements necessary for the preservation of human dignity without recourse to corrupt practices. Where there are no such laws, the burden of upholding the principles of justice and common decency falls on the ordinary people. It is the cumulative effect on their sustained effort and steady endurance which will change a nation where reason and conscience are warped by fear into one where legal rules exist to promote man's desire for harmony and justice while restraining the less desirable destructive traits in his nature."

Official Myanmar website, for a look at the powers of self-delusion.

For more information on the situation in Burma.