Burma Point
A group of Burmese pro-democracy activists named “Long March and Hunger Strike for Freedom of Burma and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi” have walked 900 miles from Indiana to New York City. They have arrived in New York to condemn the upcoming speech that will be given by the State Peace and Development Council’s Prime Minister General Thein Sein at the United Nations General Assembly. The group’s hunger strike action of disapproval awaits General Thein Sein’s speech.
The action group started their 900 mile journey on May 27 from Fort Wayne, Indiana and after more than 3 months, activists arrived at the United Nations. They are now on hunger strike showing their determination to prove to the world that their fellow Burmese inside the country are also suffering. Since 2004, the group has begun their freedom march and this is their fourth action. Currently, some members of the group are on hunger strike for nine days across from the United Nations at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. They have also recently sent an open letter to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, copying Security Council members and other Burma-supporting nations, urging them to no longer acknowledge the military junta in Burma.
A member of the Long March and Hunger Strike action group, Maung Maung Tate said, “We strongly condemn the upcoming General Thein Sein’s speech at the U.N. All he will tell are lies. We strongly urge the member nations to no longer recognize the junta’s representation of Burma at the U.N. To continue to do so will only aid injustice and undermine the principles of the United Nations.”
According to news sources inside Burma, while the military junta has released over 100 political prisoners, they are arresting many other activists without announcing them to the world. Moreover, recently, Chinese officials confirmed the junta’s attacks against ethnic nationalities on the eastern border with China. The attacks are in addition to the ongoing civil war on the border with Thailand.
Maung Maung Tate adds, “Thus, it proves further that people of Burma are living their daily lives without any security. While unable to achieve any national peace and reconciliation, the junta is preparing to go on with the 2010 elections. The action group would like to make known that ordinary people inside Burma do not approve of the corrupt junta’s representation of Burma and thus the SPDC’s actions are illegitimate. In fact, they do not represent the people of Burma at any place in the world.”
Throughout their march to the United Nations, many Burma pro-democracy individuals and organizations joined and supported the Long March and Hunger Strike for Freedom of Burma and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi action group. They are now collecting signatures and planning to turn them in to the United Nations at the end of their hunger strike.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
