..::₪BDC-Burma Democratic Concern ж ျမန္မာျပည္သူတစ္ရပ္လံုးအားကိုယ္စားျပဳသည္₪::..

Dear Friends,

Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) will be holding the 4th Anniversary of Saffron Revolution in Burma Demonstration in front of the Burmese Embassy in London, UK.

The phrase "Saffron Revolution" is the name appeared after 2007 demonstrations to describe the protests of the the saffron-colored robes widely associated with Buddhist monks, who were at the forefront of the demonstrations against military dictatorship in Burma.

Burmese monks have taken part in protests in the past, against British colonial rule and against a half-century of rule by military dictatorship. Their resistance to the British produced the most prominent political martyr of Burmese Buddhism, U Wisara, who died in prison in 1929 after a 166-day hunger strike. In 1988, there were a lot of demonstrations took place in Rangoon, led by monks and students. These demonstrations were brutally repressed by the military killing thousands of monks, students and activists. Eventually, after the bloodshed, they can manage to topple the Ne Win led dictatorship. But sadly, another military came to power and rule the country with abosulte authority.

The cost of basic commodities were rising continuously and in late 2006, rice, eggs, and cooking oil are increasing by 30-40%. The living standards in Burma is distinguish in the fact that many of the high ranking army generals and their connected families have become immensely rich and on the other hand normal people are distressfully rely on their little earning . On August 15, 2007 the government removed subsidies on fuel causing a rapid and unannounced increase in prices. The government raised prices from about $1.40 to $2.80 a gallon, and boosted the price of natural gas by about 500%. This increase in fuel prices led to an increase in food prices.

Long term suffering of the economic distress as well as living under the injustice system of the government makes the people took to the streets to protest the current conditions. In response to the protests, the government began arresting and beating demonstrators.

On September 5, 2007, Burmese troops forcibly broke up a peaceful demonstration in Pakokku and injured three monks. The military refused to apologize the demanding by the deadline of September 17. This sparked the huge number of monks involving in the protests. Their role in the protests was significant due to the reverence paid to them by the civilian population and the military. After these events, protests began spreading across Burma, including Rangoon, Sittwe, Pakokku and Mandalay.

There were a series of anti-government protests in August 2007. The immediate cause of the protests was mainly the unannounced decision of the ruling junta to increase the fuel price by 500%. Led by students and opposition political activists, the protest demonstrations were at first dealt with quickly and harshly by the junta, with dozens of protesters arrested and detained. The protests had been led by thousands of Buddhist monks and they withdraw religious services for the military. Their role in the protests was significant due to the reverence paid to them by the civilian population and the military.

The biggest antigovernment protests in two decades, some barefoot monks held their alms receiving bowls upside down before them instead of asking for their daily donations of food. It was a shocking image in the devoutly Buddhist nation. The monks were refusing to receive alms from the military rulers and their families — effectively excommunicating them from the religion that is at the core of Burmese culture. The military rules by force, but the monks retain ultimate moral authority. Receiving alms and donation is a ritual that expresses a profound bond between the ordinary Buddhist and the monk. The people are feeding the monks and the monks are helping the people make merit, when you refuse to accept, you have broken the bond that has tied them for centuries together.

The country’s two largest and most established institutions, the monkhood and the military, were facing each other, both made up of about 500,000 strong young men. Tens of thousands of Burmese people led by these monks took to the streets of Rangoon demanding for change. The Buddhist monks, hold nothing but non violent and loving kindness, had no way of resisting soldiers with guns. The military junta in Burma views religion as a threat to its sovereignty. Rejected by both its spiritual and moral bases, the junta that has ruled for Burma many years had little to fall back on but force. It unleashed its troops to shoot, beat, arrest and kill the saffron-robed monks. Soldiers surrounded monasteries; preventing monks from leading further demonstrations — or from making their morning rounds to collect the alms that feed them.

Protests began spreading across Burma. Those marching through the capital chanted the “Metta Sutta” (the Buddha’s words on loving kindness) and making the event the largest Burmese anti-government protest in twenty years. Civilians were forming a human shield around the monks. Truckloads of armed soldiers and riot police were sent into Rangoon and shoot the un-armed demonstrators. The junta security forces began raiding monasteries across the country to quell the protests, arresting thousands of monks.

The military generals had embarked on a campaign of violence against Buddhist monks. In retribution for leading protest marches, monks were killed, beaten and arrested, many monks were disrobed, and several monasteries were raided, ransacked, and closed and imprisoned the unknown numbers of Buddhist monks and nuns.

China's Mega-Dam Project on Ayeyarwaddy River's Confluence

Addition, China is pumping billion of dollars building the mega-dam on Irrawaddy river. Ecological change to the Ayeyarwaddy would impact all those whose lives are linked to the great river, from the ethnic peoples in the northernmost state of our country to the rice-growing communities of the delta,

Dam construction on the Ayeyarwaddy, Burma's “lifeline” river, will cause serious social and environmental problems, and will directly affect people living both upstream and also far downstream, even as far away as the Irrawaddy delta and the coastal areas of Burma.

Therefore, it is our national duty to protect saving river Ayeyarwaddy of Burma.

To remember our fallen heroes, and to show our support for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s call for peace, dialogue, and national reconciliation, to protest against building Myit-Sone Dam on Ayeyarwaddy River, Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) will be holding the demonstration on 26th September 2011 (Monday) from 13:00-14:00 in front of the Burmese Embassy in London, UK and the address is 19A Charles Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 5DX http://maps.google.com/

Date: 26 September 2011 (Monday)

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Transit: Green Park (0.2 mi E)

Tube: Jubilee, Piccadilly, Victoria

Address: 19A Charles Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 5DX

China's Mega-Dam Project on Ayeyarwaddy River's Confluence

China is pumping billion of dollars building the mega-dam on Irrawaddy river. Ecological change to the Ayeyarwaddy would impact all those whose lives are linked to the great river, from the ethnic peoples in the northernmost state of our country to the rice-growing communities of the delta,

Dam construction on the Ayeyarwaddy, Burma's “lifeline” river, will cause serious social and environmental problems, and will directly affect people living both upstream and also far downstream, even as far away as the Irrawaddy delta and the coastal areas of Burma.

Therefore, it is our national duty to protect saving river Ayeyarwaddy of Burma.

Protest Against Chinese Government Building Dam at the Confluence of Burma's Ayeyarwaddy River

Date: 26 September 2011(Friday)

Time: 15:00- 16:00 pm

Place: In front Chinese Embassy

Address: 49-51 Portland Place, London W1B 1JL

Transit: Great Portland Street

Tube: Circle, Hammersmith, Metropolitan

Map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?client=safari&rls=en&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=0%2C0%2C3923886348770340212&fb=1&hq=chinese+embassy+in+uk&hnear=0x487617479f5d9053%3A0xa1185c8d1917f90%2CBarnet&gl=uk&daddr=4951+Portland+Place%2C+London+W1B+1JL&geocode=455843820134026007%2C51.521068%2C0.145946&ei=Xt5xTuOdNYyYhQetk6iiCQ&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=directionsto&resnum=1&ved=0CF4QngIwAA

In order to build the peaceful prosperous progress Burma, we must have common position amongst all parties concerned by putting national interest first. Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) firmly believes that only dialogue is the best possible answer for the national reconciliation process in Burma. Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) would like to call for all the people around the world to support taking place the dialogue in Burma leading towards national reconciliation in Burma.

You are cordially invited to show your support and looking forward to see you all. Yours faithfully, Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) http://www.bdcburma.org/