Burma Democratic Concern has the firm determination to carry on doing until the democracy restore in Burma.

Thursday 21 May 2009

US intruder said Myanmar's Suu Kyi 'scared'


An American who swam to the house of Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi said that she seemed "scared" of him, her trial heard Thursday as the junta again barred media and diplomats from the court.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been charged with breaching her house arrest

Police at the trial played video footage that John Yettaw had filmed of himself inside the 63-year-old's lakeside home, where he spent two days earlier this month, said a spokesman for her National League for Democracy party.

Yettaw's bizarre intrusion led to Aung San Suu Kyi being charged with violating her house arrest, in a case that has provoked international outrage and calls for Myanmar's military regime to free her immediately.

"There was no other person except Yettaw himself in the video. He said that he had arrived at Aung San Suu Kyi's house," said NLD spokesman Nyan Win, who was inside the trial at the notorious Insein prison near Yangon.

The video showed the burly Yettaw standing in front of a picture of Aung San Suu Kyi's father, General Aung San, the country's independence hero, and speaking to the camera, Nyan Win said.

"He said he had asked her for permission to take photos, but she refused. She seemed scared, so he said he felt sorry because of that," he said, adding that the video lasted about two hours and was translated into Burmese.

Yettaw, 53, and two female political aides who live with Aung San Suu Kyi are also on trial.

Myanmar authorities had unexpectedly allowed diplomats and journalists to attend the trial for the first time on Wednesday, but abruptly announced on Thursday that the hearings would be back behind closed doors again.

A smiling, healthy-looking Aung San Suu Kyi had thanked diplomats for coming on Wednesday and said she hoped to meet them again in "better days." Footage of her was later shown on state television.

She later met envoys from Thailand, Singapore and Russia, expressing hope that "it was not too late for something good to come out of this unfortunate incident," a Singapore government statement said.

The regime has kept the Nobel Peace Prize winner in detention for 13 of the past 19 years. It filed the charges against her just weeks before a May 27 deadline when her latest six-year spell of detention expires.

Critics say the junta wants to keep her locked up ahead of elections planned for next year under a controversial "roadmap to democracy" that enshrines a role for the military in government.

The regime's opening up of the trial had appeared to be a small concession to mounting global anger, but in Washington, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said its treatment of Aung San Suu Kyi was "outrageous".

Clinton said the regime's treatment of Aung San Suu Kyi would automatically make the 2010 polls "illegitimate because of the way that they have treated her."

UN chief Ban Ki-moon meanwhile said he was "deeply concerned" about the situation in Myanmar and said he would bring up the issue with junta leader Senior General Than Shwe.

"I'm going to visit Myanmar as soon as possible. Now I am very serious in discussing with (the) government of Myanmar when I could be able to visit Myanmar," he told CNN.

Leading international jurists called for the UN Security Council to follow the precedent of Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia and hold an inquiry in Myanmar, saying the regime could be guilty of crimes against humanity.

"With Burma, there has been no such action from the UN Security Council despite being similarly aware of the widespread and systematic nature of the violations," said the report published by Harvard Law School, using Myanmar's former name.

The regime refused to recognise a landslide victory by the NLD in the last elections to be held in Myanmar in 1990. The military has ruled Myanmar since 1962.

Anniversary

30 May Demonstration Solidarity



Memorial Day Weekend in the United States of American is a day when we remember the fallen that’ve died fighting for our freedom and democracy. These men and women pray the ultimate price so future generations could live with liberty. They are the heroes of our nation. Burma is a land full of heroes that died for the sake of freedom and democracy. The innocent villager who killed while tending his crops is a hero as well fore he died in the service of his family. Both the freedom fighter and the farmer share one desire and that’s only to be free.
For those who don’t know about the Depaeyin Massacre, on 30 May 2003, 2 miles outside of Depaeyin Township a junta lead mob of about 5,000 of anti-NLD protesters assaulted Aung San Suu Kyi’s convoy and a crowd of NLD supported killing hundreds of innocent people. With bamboo sticks organized thugs beat and maimed unarmed supporters who came to listen to Daw Aung Suu Kyi. Government officials directed the assault while police assisted the attackers in this needless blood bath.
Later after the assault police arrested all the survivors including Daw Aung Suu Kyi who was the actual target of this thinly masked assassination attempt. In the bloody aftermath 80 or more NLD members and associates where beaten to death and disfigured in this ghoulish and barbaric junta staged ambush. Everybody who died on that fateful day died for democracy and many died protecting Aung San Suu Kyi. Ironically, America’s Memorial Day falls on 30 May as well.
America’s freedom and democracy was hard fought and many sacrifices were made so future generations could live in a land with liberty and freedom. Our democracy is fiercely guarded and we’ve taken full responsibility for its protection and preservation. American’s all have a stake our democracy fore we are vigilant and know that we may have to pay the ultimate price once again.
At this juncture in time Burma is poised to make history. The dynamics of the current situation in Burma is at a breaking point. It is inevitability and Burma’s future to alter its destiny. The bonds that restrained her have long since rotted away and can no longer repress the desire to be free. Burma is enslaved by an illusion and random acts of tyranny designed to give the illusion of absolute control when in reality it masks the junta’s fear. The junta fears Aung San Suu Kyi fore she has rallied 10’s of millions of people where the military junta has only rallied a fraction of the population. The junta is outnumbered 80/20 in the population and that does not include cease fire groups. It is time for the Fighting Peacock to awaken; it is time for Burma to be free and it is time Daw Aung Suu Kyi is freed from bondage as well as all the political prisoners.
30 May is more than a demonstration it’s a show of solidarity. The eyes of the world are on Burma like never before. Wearing white and gathering in tea shops for peaceful demonstration will show the world that democracy is still in the hearts of Burmese the people. To stand in peaceful demonstration is to stand along side Daw Aung Suu Kyi letting her know she is not alone and her sacrifice is not in vane.
For more information contact;
Burma Democratic Concern
www.bdcburma.org

Demonstration in Burma May 30th

Demonstration in Burma May 30th
by buffalohair
20 May 2009

Pro Democracy activists inside Burma what the world and their fellow countrymen to know that May 30th is the day the Fighting Peacock will arise in a National Demonstration. The world must know that the trial being held in Burma is a violation of Burma’s law. Than Shwe is making a mockery of his own rules in an effort to “fix” the illegal election on 2010 with his paranoid attempt to silence Aung San Suu Kyi.

Symbolically May 30 marks the 6 year anniversary of the Depaeyin Massacre when the military junta tired to assassinate Daw Aung Suu Kyi. Fortunately she survived only to be placed under arrest. But for hundreds of her followers their fate was met with bloodshed since they were beaten to death by junta thugs.

Sources within Burma request that in a show of solidarity that everyone wear white and gather at tea shops. Suggested places to gather are Shwedagon Pagoda, Hledan Junction and Insein Prison. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi stands defiant and strong and has urged that the people overcome their fears. Freedom From Fear and a show of support by the people of Burma will show the world that the flame of democracy still burns brightly in the hearts of millions. The people of Burma call for Ban Ki-Moon to personally engage this growing crisis at this juncture. What is happening to Aung San Suu Kyi is a criminal offence and a violation of human rights and it is time for the UN and the world to make a stand on this issue.

The National League for Democracy clearly does not agree with the premise of this sham trial do to its unconstitutionality and blatant criminality. They urge world leaders to demand a public and open trial at the very least.

For the riot police, soldiers and generals within Burma it is time for you to stand by your people and stand for freedom against tyranny and fear. You can’t murder your own people in order to keep the peace when it is the military junta who has declared war on its own citizens. You can’t be a party to crimes against humanity any longer. The junta is moving troops into position as of this writing. The people of Burma ask their soldiers to stand with them instead of against them on this historic day or remembrance and not repeat the travesties Than Shwe perpetrated on his own people.

If a crisis arises from this peaceful demonstration it is urges that the pro democracy leaders inside of Burma assume their leadership roles that has been prescribed to them. The man of steel, U Win Tin, has been at the gates of Insein Prison from the onset in support of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Exercising Freedom From Fear he stands with thousands of other citizens so that Aung San Suu Kyi does not stand alone. Freedom From Fear means freedom from tyranny and repression.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is a victim of a heinous crime and it is being perpetrated before the eyes of the world. With raw courage she defiantly stands up to the junta and it is time for Burma to stand up for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

By request of pro democracy activists it is requested that this message be spread around the world so everyone will be aware that the cause for freedom and democracy is not dead but very much alive. It is time for Ban Ki-Moon, the UN and the world to get involved and demand that Aung San Suu Kyi be released from this criminal detention. It is time to take a stand for the people of Burma and the duly elected leader of this enslaved nation.

For more information contact;

Burma Democratic Concern

www.bdcburma.org

Your Devil’s Advocate

Buffalohair