Protest against Singapore Government over Burma (Nov 20th, Tuesday 11:50am to 1pm, San Francisco)

Burmese American Democratic Alliance (BADA) is going to have a protest against Singapore over Burma. We will be going to the Singapore Cosulate in San Francisco on next Tuesday (Nov 20th) from 11:50am to 1pm and do the protest. Please join us in protesting against Singapore Governmber over being supportive to the Burmese Junta.

Nov 20th date was purposely chosen because of the 13th ASEAN (Association of South East Asia Nations) Summit that will be held from Nov 18 to Nov 21. Singapore is currently the chair-country of ASEAN and it has been a safe haven for the Burmese Generals and their family members to keep all their money at banks, to buy nice houses, to go for medical treatments, and to go for expensive shoppings, while all the Burmese People back home are poor and starving.

Singapore has been a second home for Burmese Generals and their family members for their surgeries and expensive/advanced medical treatments. The Head of the Burma's Junta, Senr. General Than Shwe got his medical treatment at Singapore General Hospital in January 2007. Burma's then Prime-Minister General Soe Win was also treated in Singapore until September 30th 2007, before he died on Oct 12th 2007. Than Shwe's son-in-law, Tayza is said to have his good amount of private assets in Singapore. Tayza's two sons, Pine Phyoe Tayza and Htet Tayza, are said to be staying and studying at expensive private schools in Singapore.

So, Come and Join Us in the protest!

The whole world is watching.
Singapore, Please STOP supporting the Burma's Dictatorship NOW!!!

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Following is the more details about the protest:

What: Burma freedom supporters, organizations and groups working towards a speedy democratic development in Burma. And YOU. The Buddhist Peace Fellowship (www.bpf.org) and Buddhist Community, the Burmese American Democratic Alliance (BADA, www.badasf.org) and Burmese Community. We will practice walking meditation and hold a rally at the San Francisco Singapore Consulate during the 13th ASEAN Summit in Singapore.

Date: Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Time: 12 pm to 1 pm

Program:
11:50 - 12:00 Gather at the Ferry Building (1 Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 94111)
12:00 - 12:20 Meditation walk to the Singapore Consulate (595, Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105)
12:20 - 1:00 Meditation protest/rally at the Singapore Consulate

Press Contacts: Maia Duerr: 510 655 6169; Nyunt Than: 510 220 1323

How to get there: The closet BART station to SF Ferry Building and Singapore Consulate is the Embarcadero BART station. http://www.bart.gov/stations/stationguide/stationoverview_embar.asp
Walking route: Primarily walking on the platforms, from the Ferry Building we will cross the Embarcadero and to Market Street. On Market, we will walk towards Montgomery Street. The Singapore Consulate is located at the corner of Market and Montgomery streets. Please see the routing map here.

Our demands to Singapore Government:

Singapore is the current Chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), where the 13th summit will be held from Nov 18 to Nov 21. This is a major event for Singapore.

1. Amid the global effort (by the U.S., the European Union, and Burmese abroad) to expose dictators, their families, and their cronies (who are getting rich at the expense of people's misery and massive suffering in Burma), we demand Singapore to follow suit and take actions, impose sanctions, and expel these people.
2. We also want Singapore to stop arms sales to Burma and stop brokering arms deals for Burma to help the regime avoid EU-Burma arms embargo maintained since 1988 pro-democracy uprising.
3. The Singapore government must also stop pressuring, harassing, restricting, controlling and manipulating the Burmese population in Singapore which is outraged by the atrocities in Burma and wants to advocate and help for the betterment of their home country.
4. We also demand Singapore and the ASEAN as a whole to defend the peaceful protesters in Burma and to work with the U.S. and the United Nations to bring about a quick and peaceful transition to democracy in Burma.

Background:

1. Singapore is a safe haven for the dictators, their families, and their cronies, including drug lords. (See the recent statement by a senior officer from the US State Department below).
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"We believe that there are regime officials with accounts in Singapore," senior State Department official Kristen Silverberg told reporters in Thailand during a regional tour to drum up support for a tougher Asian stance against the regime.

"We hope that they ensure that their financial institutions are not being used as sanctuary for Burmese officials," said Silverberg, who is responsible for U.S. liaison with groups such as the Association of South East Asian nations (ASEAN).

Despite Washington's assertion that Myanmar's generals park their cash in banks in Singapore -- also their favoured destination for shopping and medical treatment -- Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong insists the financial system is clean.

"We don't play dirty money. We don't condone money-laundering," he told CNN recently.
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2. Singapore launders Burma's drug money. (Extensive work done by KPFA Dennis Bernstein and Lesley King; and a video documentary by an Australia Television has been a major embarrassment and political issue to the Singapore government; because carrying even small amount of heroin is punished by the death penalty in Singapore. In fact, the opposition member challenged the government to show the video to public from the government TV instead of just denying it. But they dare not.)
3. Singapore is the major arms dealer for Burma’s brutal dictator. Singapore has been serving as the middle man/agent and help SPDC avoid EU-Burma arms embargo placed since 1988 and has been making a lot of money from such illegal deals. Besides, amid the people's uprising in 1988, Singapore ship a weapons factory to manufacture assault rifles and ammunition to Burma's Junta to seek economic favor.
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On 28 Sept 2007, Amnesty International urged the United Nations to immediately impose a mandatory arms embargo on Burma/Myanmar. One of the things mentioned by Amnesty was…..

In addition there have been allegations about Myanmar’s military relations with Singapore. According to Jane’s Intelligence Review, in 1998 Singapore supplied Myanmar with a purpose-built factory to manufacture assault rifles and ammunition. The plant was designed and built by a state owned Singapore company with assistance from Israeli consultants, then dismantled and re-assembled in Myanmar. (This is amid the peoples' uprising)

According to a recent report by the Associated Press…

Most known arms transfers to Myanmar are legal, and some are even reported to the United Nations. But other transactions are murkier, as countries more sensitive to international opinion apparently try to mask their activities. Analysts say these include India, as well as Israel and Singapore.
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4. Singapore is the world class exporter of Furniture and jewelry by adding value to the cheap Burmese raw material obtained illegally and/or by sweet deals with Burma's brutal, but incompetent and corrupted regime under which people suffers greatly.

5. Singapore government pressure, harass, restrict, control and manipulate Burmese population in Singapore not to advocate nor protest against Burma dictatorship.

More on Singapore ties to Burma, please read here http://www.badasf.org/2007/WhySingapore.htm

(Ref: http://www.badasf.org/)
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