Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Burmese Popsicles!

Heya guys! Burma Action Week (bi-week?) is starting up next week and I need volunteers to "color" a LOT (2200) of popsicle sticks red (with ribbon, markers, colored paper, anything) between now and Monday morning (EARLY) when we will flag the quad (a specific section, which I'll go over with volunteers). Monday night we'll have to move them to the McKinley Green for Campus Beautification Day, where they will stay until Wednesday night. Contact me at al3281a@student.american.edu please!

Burma stages landmark army parade
BBC has video: Hello peacocks!

Who is at the heart of Burma's junta?
Meet the rulers of the SPDC!

Indonesian FM Visits Burma
"Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa is expected to meet with Burmese generals this week..."

Best travels, folks!

Anne K Lynch

--
American University Student Campaign for Burma
Email: auburma@gmail.com

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Burma: Part of a Balanced Breakfast!

Howdy folks! We've made it to what I call 'prefinals season,' when everyone wants to be outdoors and we're all gonna die if we dare enjoy the nice weather. So take a break! Keep informed! Burma news is good for your health!


Consultations on Myanmar Produce Opposing Views
Honestly, I'm surprised there aren't a lot more views on the subject!

For democracy activist Nyi Nyi Aung, homecoming is bittersweet
"Just eight days ago, Nyi Nyi Aung didn't know whether he would live to see his home again. Imprisoned in the Burmese jungle, he'd been beaten, forced to sleep in a kennel in his own excrement, denied medical treatment and told by captors that his U.S. citizenship didn't matter."

Burma Blames Rebels for Deadly Land Mine Blast
"Burmese state media said a passenger bus hit the explosive last Sunday..."

Burma's long, hard road to democracy-- Bangkok Post
No kidding!

Time for your Irish Coffee! Toodles!

Anne K Lynch
aka newsgirl

P.S. Get excited! Burma Action Week is hitting AU in early April!


--
American University Student Campaign for Burma
Email: auburma@gmail.com

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Burma news for your morning commute!

Ha! No I'm not dead-- I had a paper to write yesterday/last night. So here's the latest Burma news!

Credible Election In Burma
"Burma's military government has unveiled a new national election law that disqualifies leading opposition figures from running for office."

UN Investigator Accuses Burma of Systematic Rights Violations
Really? I never woulda guessed!
"He says an estimated one million people are excluded from citizenship on the basis of their ethnicity and are considered illegal immigrants."

Burmese Residents Rally Against Discrimination
In Indiana

Burmese refugees face starvation in Bangladesh
"The Rohingya issue might well be the most desperate, immediate refugee situation in Asia right now."

Cheers to an awesome, sunny day guys! Best travels,

Anne K Lynch

--
American University Student Campaign for Burma
Email: auburma@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

"Frankly, Burma, I don't give a damn!"

Enough with the excuses!

Nobel winners push for Myanmar regime to face court (READ IT!)
"Rutha was pregnant when she was forced to serve as a porter at a military camp in Myanmar. There, she was raped nightly and her father killed when he refused to allow soldiers to take his 22-year-old daughter."-- Reuters

Thousands of Burmese Migrants Miss NV Deadline
"'We will not be lenient,' said Supat Gukun, the deputy director-general of Thailand's Education Department..."

U.S. increasingly wary as Burma deepens military relationship with North Korea
We were strangers in the night... exchanging glances...

What Obama Can Do for Burma
Written by Aung Din of the U.S. Campaign for Burma for the Wall Street Journal, a quick summary of Burma's current state

And don't forget to watch the Oscars on Sunday to cheer on "Burma VJ"! If you haven't seen it, I think the National Archives will be hosting a showing Saturday night!

Thank you for tuning in to this week's installment of your weekly Burma news. Everyone have a fun spring break!

Anne K Lynch

P.S. 11am-1pm come see me and Torin tabling in MGC to see how you can get involved and get our government to do some action for Burma!

P.S.S. 6:30pm Thursday at Ward 1 on AU's campus: Go see "Stop Femicide in Guatemala with Norma Cruz! It's a great cause, a phenomenal activist, and much of what you'll hear is completely relevant to Burma. (here are some facebook details) Please? Because I have a class and REALLY REALLY REALLY want to go but can't and would like to hear about it.

--
American University Student Campaign for Burma
Email: auburma@gmail.com

Monday, March 1, 2010

Status Report!

Hellooooooooooo Burmanators!

We had a short SCB meeting a little while ago and those of us who came missed the rest of you terribly. So if you would be so kind, we'd feel much better if everyone sent some kind of status report on whatever projects you're working on (Burma Action Week related or otherwise). That, or please show up Tuesday night (4:30pm, MGC) so we can share stories then.

Updates from today's meeting:

  • The Tavern is more or less reserved for the evening of April 7th for a 'coffeehouse.' Shoshanna has been asked to MC. If you know musicians or performers, can you ask them about participating?
  • Kid Power Inc. is interested and sent me tantalizing details... a week ago... currently we're waiting for their verdict on specific dates and times.
  • The social justice branch of the Methodist students has been contacted about cosponsoring a movie night. No reply thus far.
  • Ani (performing tomorrow at 9:30 club) is said to want tabling at the event, however the club management needed to okay it.
  • The Quad (like the Tavern) is more or less reserved for 'flagging' April 5th (morning) through 6th (night). We talked about getting large red or red-marked ('saffron') popsicle sticks to represent the roughly 2200 political prisoners of the SPDC and including a couple bigger displays of specific profiles and general information. We'd probably get the sticks ready the weekend before, put them up that morning on the 5th, then take them down late Tuesday.
  • SCB has offered to contribute some money to the March 23 Charity Variety Show, in which the winner gets to choose a charity to donate fund-raised money to.
  • Sounds like holding the Saffron Rave-olution at the Dancing Crab has many fewer liabilities than trying to find a private house...
  • We're really wondering about how plans are going for the library photo display thing, Alex's chevron thing, and the panel discussion.
Also, don't forget to come by the MGC tables tomorrow or Thursday!

Best o' luck for midterms!

Anne K Lynch