Burma frees Suu Kyi allies

Damn. I got a jolt when I saw those first four words; then the last word became clear.

We are counting on you, Hilary. It's such a horrid tease and I cannot remotely imagine how Ms Suu Kyi feels.

Nineteen political prisoners, including allies of pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and five Buddhist monks, have been freed in military-ruled Burma as part of a general amnesty, an exile group said today.

The regime announced the release of over 6,000 inmates on Friday after United Nations human rights rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana ended a five-day visit during which he called for the progressive release of "prisoners of conscience". More »

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Burmese Junta Sees Satellite TV as Threat

Burmese Junta Sees Satellite TV as Threat

The Burmese junta believes information technology, particularly satellite TV, is a decadent threat that undermines nationalism and has warned the people to avoid satellite TV programs.

On Tuesday, the junta-controlled newspapers, The New Light of Myanmar, Myanma Alin and The Mirror, published a commentary blasting satellite TV.

When the junta found they couldn't stop satellite in Burma forever they ordered a massive hike in the annual satellite TV license fee. The license fee was increased 166-fold.

Those who couldn't afford satellite (most people) went to teashops. The teashops began doing better business.

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"We want to see a time when citizens of Burma and the Nobel prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi can live freely in their own country,"

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

You can't hide the truth forever. What a happy day it will be when democracy finally comes to Myanmar (Burma).

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Don't Forget Burma

The media spotlight above Burma is dimming by the day, hundreds of the peaceful protestors that took to the streets not long ago are still under arrest and are being tortured daily - now more than ever Burma needs your support.

Go to www.dontforgetburma.org to see the messages of support that have been left so far and leave your own! Some of them are inspirational - many of them are quite funny - all of them show that we haven't forgotten Burma.

(via: facebook)

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A little something that you can do...

The true scale of the horrific crackdown on peaceful protestors in Burma is not yet known. Thousands have been arrested, and hundreds killed. We have received reports of crematoriums working through the night on the outskirts of Rangoon.

The first priority for the Burma Campaign UK was to make sure that the world knew what was happening in Burma. The question now is, how will the world respond?

The pressure is working but we are not there yet! The United Nations Security Council has still notagreed on a statement condemning the brutal crackdown, and the European Union has yet to agree on targeted economic sanctions. Now is a critical time, please spare a couple of minutes to take these urgent actions.

TAKE ACTION
The Burma Campaign UK and MTV have joined forces again to call for action by the United Nations Security Council. Visit MTV Burma Action to email the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

TAKE ACTION
Email European Union governments calling on them to agree targeted economic sanctions that will ensure European companies no longer help pay for the guns and the bullets used against peaceful protesters in Burma. Visit: Burma Campaign

Thank you for your support.

Anna Roberts
The Burma Campaign UK

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Risking All: The Burmese Jokers Who Laugh in the Face of Danger

Even by the standards of dictatorships, the Burmese junta of General Than Shwe has astonishingly little sense of humour. And, in a regime such as this, life was never going to be easy for the Moustache Brothers.

For 30 years the three comedians have charmed their audiences and irritated the authorities with their mixture of traditional Burmese clowning and topical satire. Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese democracy leader, is one of their fans. Like her, two of the Moustache Brothers have already served long prison sentences.

So it was little surprise when, late at night two weeks ago, five members of the Burmese special branch knocked at the door and led away Par Par Lay, the star of the group. He was given no time to pack spare clothes. Since then his family, whose cramped front room serves as the troupe’s miniature theatre, have heard nothing about his health or whereabouts.

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Burma, Not Myanmar
Just to put it out there on the subject of Burma....

Calling Burma Myanmar is insulting to the Burmese people. Burma was a democracy from independence in 1948 until the military coup of 1962. It is the illegitimate junta that has changed its name. In 1990 the junta held elections to legitimise its rule. This backfired as the National League for Democracy won by a landslide. The stunned generals refused to recognise the results.

So to use Burma instead of Myanmar is to respect the democratic expression of Burma’s people.

I realize that there are problems in the US, too, but the Burmese people continue to haunt me. And if that's inside of me-- on my mind and in my heart-- I'm compelled to express it to whomever will listen.

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Free Burma!!!!
Originally uploaded by uva98.

Free Burma! - International Bloggers' Day for Burma on the 4th of October

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Michael Stipe of R.E.M. on Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma

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Three killed as Myanmar troops battle protests, Four killed in Myanmar protest crackdown, Five feared dead as Burmese Junta attacks protesters. AFP confirmed.

Would any of those *protesters* happen to be Monks? Yes, I'm afraid they would.

I've been trying to find more news from that region. Now I see from Reporters Without Borders why. There's a news blackout.

Reporters Without Borders and the Burma Media Association are outraged by the measures adopted by the military junta to prevent journalists and activists covering the on-going crackdown on protests. Most of the country’s mobile phone lines have been cut and the Internet network has been drastically reduced. Charges by police and troops on demonstrators in Rangoon, especially near the Shwedagon pagoda, have left several dead, while dozens of people have been arrested and injured.

"The generals have not hesitated to use force to repress peaceful demonstrations widely reported in the international press," the two organisations said. "Knowing it is protected by China and the international community’s impotence, the junta has cut the country off from the rest of the world in order to better crush the nascent saffron revolution. We appeal to the international press to step up its coverage by trying to get journalists into the country so that this dramatic situation is not played out behind closed doors."

At 3 p.m. today, the military authorities disconnected most of the country’s mobile phone lines, preventing journalists and demonstrators from reporting on the crackdown launched by the security forces in the heart of Rangoon. Several journalists have been injured today, including Than Lwin Zaung Htet of the magazine The Voice.

The authorities have closed Internet cafés in Rangoon while the government-controlled Internet Service Provider, Bagan Cyber, reduced Internet traffic speed. It is getting harder and harder to send or receive photos and videos sent from Burma. Dozens of foreign journalists have been refused tourist visas by the Burmese embassy in Bangkok.

Burmese blogs, websites and Internet cafés have been closed for the past few days, while it is becoming increasingly difficult to call Burmese mobile phones from abroad, especially to Ba Maw, Mandalay and Myitkyina.

Outrageous!

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Monks Allowed Past Suu Kyi's House

Detained Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi stepped out of her home in tears Saturday to greet Buddhist monks marching past the compound where she is being held.

Just what will it take for democracy in Burma? No, thanks, America. We don't need your brand of democracy.

"Today is extraordinary. We walked past lay disciple Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's house today. We are pleased and glad to see her looking fit and well," a 45-year-old monk told about 200 people at Sule Pagoda in downtown Yangon. "Daw" is an honorific used in referring to older women.

"She came out to the gate and paid obeisance to us and later waved at the crowd when we left," said the monk, who did not give his name.

Suu Kyi, 62, has been under detention for more than 11 of the last 18 years, and continuously since May 2003. She is the leader of the National League for Democracy party, which won a 1990 general election but was not allowed to take power by the military.

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Daw Aung Sun Suu Kyi

Actor/Comedian Jim Carey has made a YouTube video on behalf of the US Burma Campaign calling for the release of Daw Aung Sun Suu Kyi, the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient who was detained in 1989 by the ruling military junta and remains under house arrest today.

Related:
Her story has really resonated and my ambitious little 11 posts over the past 5 years have had no affect on her illegal twelve year imprisonment whatsoever but to inform in some small way. Why in hell did they bother to elect her president when they had no intention of letting her govern?

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Tomorrow, on June 19th 2005, Burma's democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, will be 60 years old. On that day she will have spent a total of 9 years and 238 days in detention.

Armed soldiers behind a barricade of barbed wire turn away any visitors. The regime has also cut her phone line, so no-one can call to wish her happy birthday. The brutal generals who rule Burma have already made one attempt on her life, attacking a convoy she was travelling in on May 30th 2003. Up to 100 of her supporters were beaten to death in the attack. Aung San Suu Kyi's car managed to speed away, but she was later arrested.

REM are planning an onstage protest against Burma. They will broadcast a song dedicated to pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, currently under house arrest in Burma. The band will play the unspecified song during a concert in Dublin, but it will be broadcast into the military-ruled Burma via an Oslo-based satellite TV station.

REM are performing the song to raise awareness of Suu Kyi's 2,523rd day in detention on the Nobel Peace Prize winner's 60th birthday. The band will also speak about the activist while onstage in Dublin. It is part of a series of worldwide events against Burma.

She stands alone after all these years fighting for the freedom of her country and I pray she sees her country free some day soon. Why the story of Aung San Suu Kyi should haunt the conscience of the world.

What You Can Do
Arrest Yourself
Send Birthday Cards
Global Protest At Embassies

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It’s time for the Friday Random Ten Complete Honest Edition. No editing; ie-- include the crappy tunes, too. Pick the first ten random songs from your iPod, cd player, mp3 player, etc, and list them.

1) Beck - One Foot In The Grave
2) Cowboy Junkies - Hard To Explain
3) Sleater-Kinney - Word And Guitar
4) Devendra Banhart - Little Yellow Spider
5) DeerHoof - Top Tim Rubies
6) Pixies - Break My Body
7) Beck - Thunder Peel
8) Mission Of Burma - Weatherbox
9) PJ Harvey - We Float
10)New York Dolls - Lonely Planet Boy

And 5 more for the hell of it
11) Aphex Twin - Fenix Funk 5
12) Squarepusher - O'Brien (Darkness)
13) Frank Zappa - Lumpy Gravy
14) Venetian Snares - Destroy
15) Hafler Trie - Kill the King

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I've been quite passionate about and used to write quite often about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (8 posts in 2003) and the atrocities in Burma (Myanmar). The way I understand it, Burma was able to have an actual democratic election for the first time in their history and she was elected president. Her father had previously been a leader there. Soon, the military junta that rule Burma, assaulted her caravan and she's been kept for years in seclusion under "house arrest". I read a Suu Kyi email list and have seen how the people just adore her. Now Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Sting and U2 are joining forces on a benefit album for the Burmese democracy activist and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Aung San Suu Kyi.



If the US wants to help some country with freedom and democracy, why haven't they been more diligent about Burma's situation? [more ]



*Mouse-over the picture for full effect. Learn how it's done at Mandarin Design.



Quote For Today

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.

~Kahlil Gibran



You HAVE been to visit What She Said, haven't you? No? Well get your ass in gear. Now.



I embarass my offspring.

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Charlie Is My Darling

Shot in Belfast and Dublin over the space of three days during the Rolling Stones' 1965 Irish tour 'Charlie Is My Darling' enjoys cult status as the great missing Stones documentary and gets three rare screenings during Triptych courtesy of the Stones once upon a time svengali in chief Andrew Loog Oldham.



Among the memorable fly on the wall scenes captured on film are Mick and Keef drunkenly trying out their Elvis impersonations and Brian Jones prophetically reflecting on his lack of a future with the band he had founded while, the songs featured on the soundtrack include 'Get Off Of My Cloud', 'Heart Of Stone', 'Play With Fire' and 'Satisfaction'. Sure would love to see this documentary. [more...]



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Fresh hope for Suu Kyi's release. Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi could be freed from house arrest within a few days, according to her party chairman, Aung Shwe. Burman's first democratically elected President has been under house arrest by the military strongmen who rule Burma. They have made the country a global byword for backwardness and brutality. Absolutely phenomenal being the first democratically elected president in Burma. Outstanding that the president is a woman. Soon after elected, the ruling junta arrested her and the world waits for her release. Some think it may be soon this time. Many nations have boycotted Burma and their products.



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Happy Thursday! $1.77 a gallon for Regular gas this morning. Highest I've ever paid. And, while still in shock, I almost hit another deer this morning on the highway. He was grazing on the grass right beside the asphalt.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

My sister and Mother are coming over to our house for Thanksgiving Dinner.



View Live Parade Cam in Times Square



Sir Mick has defied calls for a tourism boycott of Burma to spend a long weekend there. The news of Sir Mick's visit will outrage British campaigners who have joined the international move to urge tourists to boycott Burma, which calls itself Myanmar. Bad call, Mick. Of all the places he could travel, he picks the one where the former government leaders have taken the new, and first time democratically elected president under seige since May. President Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is still being held captive by her country.



Jimi Hendrix Birthday - born Nov 27, 1942.



{thankful}

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. ~Albert Schweitzer



Plays with matches, runs with scissors and goes all the way. I'm a fucking molotov cocktail missing a match.

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Good Morning! I am tired, satiated, spent.... Ah'm talkin' 'bout eatin' me some sticky ribs, corn on the cob, and such good shit as that. Back home to rest up...and having folks over this evening for some front porch picking and some back porch grilling.



::Comments X 2 - YACCS is fucked up, so I've added Enetation comments until they get it fixed. I have both in the template for now. Me? A repressed control freak with a sphincter that can snap broomsticks? Nah.

**11:07 am - Edited to add: Can't comment at Tish's, or Shirl's--well evidentally I didn't read down far enough, on my return trip I see she's now installed a Zonkboard, and Rhonda has installed Enetation--hope it took my comment, Karen's got a tagboard; or Kymber's, or... still checking 'em out.



::Xeni posting live from Burning Man as it winds down. The Art of Burning Man - Take a look at some of the creative cars.



::Daw Aung San Suu Kyi now on Hunger Strike. Sign Burma Freedom Petition- Help Free Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. She's been locked away by the opposition for 3 months after winning that country's first Presidential election held by the people of Myanmar (Burma) in their attempt at a Democratic society. If you're not familiar with her plight, take a look at this site for a quick overview.



::Vote in the Ugly Couch Contest [via: j-walk]



::David Blaine, the30-year-old New Yorker arrived in London on Sunday for his latest stunt, to be suspended in a plastic case over the River Thames for 44 days beginning Friday.



Quote For Today

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.

~Kahlil Gibran



Guys don't make passes at girls with fat asses.

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Good Morning to you....



::MTV Europe's Burma Campaign

MTV Europe are launching a new campaign urging the release of Burmese human rights activist Aung San Suu Kyi. The campaign - which has been supported by Coldplay's Chris Martin, Bono, Macy Gray and Sir Bob Geldof - will feature promos across all the European MTV and VH1 channels from Wednesday. The promos urge TV viewers to visit websites where they can petition UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to refer her arrest to the Security Council. "We have to take a stand against this gross violation of human rights," said Chris Martin. "The world's leaders aren't doing enough to rectify the situation in Burma and this campaign can provide a global call for Aung San Suu Kyi's release." [More >>]



Some days you're the statue and others you're the pigeon.

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Good morning to you.



Thas right. Keep smiling while Blogger's fucking me yet again. And he's never once taken me out to dinner.



'Dirty List' exposes companies who are directly or indirectly helping to finance one of the most brutal regimes in the world," said John Jackson, Director of Burma Campaign UK. An updated 'Clean List' of companies who have pulled out or have policies not to trade with Burma is also released today.



Fun Gender Genie tool that determines your gender based on your writing. It guessed my writing correctly as Female. [via: 601am]



Oh yea, the kiss is free .. .. but ya gotta give me $5 for the antidote.

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Missing weapons may become an election issue. Rummy knows where they are: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on national television: "We know where they are. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat." Could you be more vague, Rummy?



There's good news and bad news about Suu Kyi (democratically elected, but kept from serving, president of Burma). She's alive and unharmed. But she's still in protective custody. Myanmar told our US Envoy she'd be released in two weeks. And we say that's not good enough. Democracy just doesn't fare well in some countries. But the Senate has proposed a bill that will impose sanctions which we'll review annually.



Army colonel proposed marriage to many. Serving his country one woman at a time. Who does this bastard think he is? Colonel Sleeze?





I need some of that vagueness now

It's all come back too clearly

Yes I loved you dearly

And if you're offering me diamonds and rust

I've already paid

listening: joan baez - diamonds and rust



Quote For Today

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)



Quick. Coffee before I flatline.

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Good Morning...



Excited about the New Jersey Nets' win over the Spurs in the NBA Finals last night. Jason Kidd had 30 points. If they just can win the next three in New Jersey.....



The UN special envoy to Burma has arrived in Rangoon in an effort to secure the release of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Pressure is mounting on Burma to know the fate of Aung San Suu Kyi.



As much as I complain about my husband, even now when he walks by, I sit a little straighter and try to suck in my gut, or quickly run my fingers through my hair to straighten it. And when I hear his car pull into the drive, I still get a churning feeling inside---or maybe it's just gas. Will someone pass the Rolaids, please?



"At the Berkeley graduation I told the students that the secret to success was simple -- ignore your parents' expectations, give money to the ACLU, and find out the truth about who you are." By Anne Lamott



The Prince of F*&%ing Darkness and his family are back for all-new episodes of the Emmy-Award winning The Osbournes beginning Tuesday, June 10. Ozzy says he's been driven to get sober after seeing son Jack's problem with alcohol. They're both racing to see who can be the first to have 100 days sober.



Fun pictures drawn from your titles.



Quote For Today

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive.

~Anäis Nin



saturday morning me//

coffee/bagel/heartburn/

jean shorts/black t/flip-flops/

fetch the rake for my hair, please/

cigarettes bouncing off the keyboard/

apathy in full bloom, d minor/



I've upped my standards, now up yours!

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