PRESSURE TO RELEASE BURMA’S AUNG SAN SUU KYI


On August 11, 2009, Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to a further 18 months in detention, despite international protest over the ruling which many saw as a sham, basically meant to prevent her from running in elections next year. Several Western countries are considering further sanctions. Below are two actions to continue the pressure from two different sources.

The most promising is to try to get ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) to pressure the Burmese generals. The window is narrow as Thailand currently chairs ASEAN and is open to applying such pressure. Soon ASEAN’s leadership passes to Vietnam, which supports Burma.

The second action is to get the U.N. Security Council to condemn the ruling and to establish a Commission to investigate the Burmese generals for crimes against humanity in their treatment of thousands of people. Again, during the next two months the UNSC is favourably chaired by the U.K. and the U.S., although China is apt to veto such action. Nonetheless it is the right course of action, and if it fails, it will highlight where the failure lies.

1. Tell ASEAN to apply pressure to the Burmese Generals:

[note: while preparing this email, Amnesty exceeded its goal and will be sending 20,000 postcards; if you click the link now, it will thank you for your interest and ask if you want support the campaign with a financial gift]

Send Postcard to ASEAN

2. Send Petition to UN (open to all countries): https://secure.avaaz.org/en/jail_the_generals/

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SRI LANKA AND WORLD’S LARGEST PRISON CAMP

The Sir Lankan military waged a massive war against the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) this year, resulting in the Tamil Tigers defeat in mid-May. However it came at a heavy cost. Pertinent to this email are the up to 300,000 civilians (including 60,000 children) who were caught in the area of the Tigers last stronghold. These displaced civilians have since been detained in over-crowded internment camps. The deplorable conditions will only be made worse by the September rains. The action below calls on Sri Lanka to allow freedom of movement for all civilians, and unrestricted access for aid agencies and journalists.

Take Action: Tell Sri Lanka to Release Civilians

Background:

    http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/07/28/sri-lanka-free-civilians-detention-camps

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DARFUR: RAISE ISSUE AT U.N. AND G20 MEETINGS

In September, the U.N. General Assembly will meet. As well, the G20 countries will meet in the United States (Pittsburg). Both meetings are good venues for raising the need to coalesce the global community to expedite a comprehensive peace process for Sudan. U.S. President Obama has pledged to make Darfur a priority. His administration is about to finish its review of their Sudan policy. This presents an excellent chance to voice the need to finally push for peace in Darfur and ensure Sudan’s other troubling areas, particularly the North-South fragile peace agreement do not fall apart.

    http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/ungapoll

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REMIND U.S. PRESIDENT OBAMA OF DARFUR COMMITMENT

All three of the Administration’s top voices – President Obama, Vice-President Biden and Secretary of State Clinton – have mentioned the need to make Sudan a priority. The administration is about to complete a review of their Sudan policy. So the Enough Project has created the following website to send a note to President Obama, reinforcing the notion that once the review is complete, people are looking for action.

Send note to President Obama (open to all countries): http://www.sudanactionnow.com/

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ARTICLES OF INTEREST

Your Water Footprint

Similar to our carbon footprint, it traces the water needed in everything from the tomatoes we eat to the jeans we wear (about 800 gallons per day in the developed world). While not without controversy it makes for an interesting reflection on our consumption patterns. As backdrop, the lack of available water is considered one of the 21st century’s major crises as water tables drop, glaciers melt and consumption goes up, and some predict water will replace oil as one of the world’s most valued commodities.
    http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2009/07/whats-your-water-footprint

Sixteen Ways for Green Office Efficiency
Many articles have been written about ways to reduce personal footprint on the earth. This one focuses on the office:
    http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=45999

Now 90% Less Ocean Fish: Greenpeace Tells Grocers to Stop Selling Them
The article finds there are now 90% less ocean fish than 2000 years ago. Greenpeace is trying to get supermarkets to stop selling endangered, non-sustainable stocks; the problems of labeling are discussed.
    http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/08/07/f-seafood.html

Related (and similar to a previous email’s highlight of large Dead Zones in ocean): Massive garbage patches exist in our ocean, some of them size of Texas. Discusses new issues of unexpectedly quick deterioration of various components and possible consequences:
    http://www.greatgarbagepatch.org/

New Environmental Blogs: WorldWatch Institue
WorldWatch Institue has launched five new Blogs for those interested in some of the latest thinking. The one below is on “Transforming Cultures, and includes links to the other blogs on: The Green Economy, Nourishing the Planet, and Copenhagen (next Climate Change Protocol):
    http://blogs.worldwatch.org/transformingcultures/

Novel Attempt to Crack the Iranian Post-Election Blackout
These emails were started 8 years ago as an exploration to track if and how the emerging internet technology might become a useful resource in tackling peace and justice issues. Two months ago, after the Iranian elections and crackdown I saw a brand new use being attempted by Avaaz. Because Iran was trying to impose an internet blackout and cyber-surveillance, some Iranians asked Avaaz to help them re-open secure and anonymous communication channels, particularly anonymous web proxy services. Accurate information is the cornerstone of sensible It will be interesting to see if technology can overcome national attempts at blackout.

    Here is the new outdated Avaaz request:
    https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_break_the_blackout/?cl=264763476&v=3571

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Missed an action email? An archive is kept at:
http://www.cofchrist.org/humanrights/hr-newsletter/default.asp.


In appreciation and support,

Rod Downing