Annual Burma Human Rights Day Benefit
(A public outreach and awareness activity in support of Burma's people!)
Saturday, March 14, 2009; 6:00pm-10:00pm
Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Hall,
1924 Cedar (at Bonita),
Berkeley, CA 94709-2022, USA
The event will feature a Burmese style dinner and a Burma documentary film along with two outstanding Speakers on Burma: Min Zin and Zoya Phan. Join Us!
Each year, the people from Burma around the world commemorate March 13 as the Burma Human Rights Day to make the death of the engineering student Ko Phone Maw as he was murdered by the Burma's military in his school campus. The killing set off the historic 1988 nation-wide pro-democracy uprising in Burma after 26 years of oppression. However, the regime brutally cracked down the peaceful protests and continued hold on to power for decades.
In September, 2007, yet another historic and massive, but peaceful protests for democracy led by the students and monks took place; but, as always, the regime brutally murdered the innocent protesters and monks. The Peoples' endless and painful struggle for freedom, for over four decades, continues to this day.
The world has yet again witnessed the brutality of the regime when the Cyclone Nargis devastated the lower delta region of Burma on May 2nd, 2008. Hundreds of thousands left for dead by starvations denying much needed urgent help despite international appeals and pressure.
SPEAKERS:
Min Zin:
He was 14 years old high school student when he participated in the 1988 pro-democracy uprising and had to spend nine years in hiding before fleeing Burma. He is now a leading Journalist on Burma in Exile and a teaching fellow at UC Berkeley's School of Journalism. Though he has never finished high school due to his struggle under the regime, the UC Berkeley has accepted him as a graduate student for a masters degree in Southeast Asian studies -- for the first time in its history. Five professors at the university has endorsed his application citing his intensive journalism work on Burma. He has also worked for Washington-based Radio Free Asia (RFA) in the Burmese Department and for the Irrawaddy Magazine based in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Zoya Phan:
At 14, Zoya become a refugee after fleeing a military attack on her Karen village. She is currently the International Coordinator of Burma Campaign (UK) and has met with political leaders and government around the globe to advocate for human rights in Burma. She works tirelessly and has been credited for generating increased pressure from the European Countries on the military regime in Burma. She is the director Phan Foundation that aims to fight poverty and provide education for Karen people from Burma, who have suffered decades of oppression. Zoya and three other children co-founded the Phan foundation in honor of their beloved father, Padoh Mahn Sha, the General Secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU), who was assassinated by agents of Burma’s military dictatorship on Feb 14, 2008.
$15 Suggested Donation (dinner included) to benefit BADA
Draft Program: Dinner (6-7 pm), Speakers (7-9 pm), Film (9:00-9:30), Q&A (9:30-10:00)
Dinner is vegetarian friendly;
Talks will be in English; Contents are OK for children
Organized by Burmese American Democratic Alliance;
Co-sponsored by Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Social Justice Committee and Global Exchange (GX).
Contact:
Anil Verma: 510 485 3751;
Kyaw Sit Naing: 415 680 5555
Email: info@badasf. org; Website: www.badasf.org
