ALT BREAK AU

Winding Down, 1-11-08, Thai/Burma Border Trip, Winter 2007-08

2008-01-12T20:50:00.000-08:00

By Jodi

We hopped in the van for one last excursion. Nung, our dear driver, was taking us to a waterfall. First, he said, we'd see his mother.

She lived at a refugee camp but was in the nearby hospital getting tested for her resettlement in Australia. We quickly met her, and left Nung to talk with her and his family, while the International Organization for Migration bus nearby sat to take her and a group of other refugees being resettled back to her camp. We felt in the air an ambivalence to resettlement. Nung was not going to Australia, though he told us he'd go visit her. And people idealize resettlement, getting out of the refugee camp with its bamboo shacks, but often find the transition to a developed country with slick flush toilets, huge supermarkets, refrigerators and the absence of familiarity and community difficult.

After he kissed his mom goodbye, he drove us to the waterfall, a gorgeous spot where we climbed the rocks, swam, hiked and enjoyed a glorious sunset against the banana trees. (Was there anything sweeter than Thailand's tiny bananas?) Heading back to Mae Sot for our last night, we wound down the mountain, past a huge hill tribes market, road construction workers wearing bandanas over their faces to keep out the dust, and the mountains and Burma in the distance. We couldn’t think of a more fitting end to our trip. We had lots to think about and an enormous amount of follow-up to make this not just a learning experience but a meaningful trip for the Burmese struggle. Still, the social justice aspect of the trip, with 14 committed fellow students and one professor who got along well and surrounded by this utterly glorious country: We couldn’t think of a better way to spend our winter vacation of 2007-08 than our Alt Break to the Thai/Burma border.

We thank our fantastic student leaders, Caitlin Burnett and Anna Koval, who did a phenomenal job pulling together every detail of the entire trip; our professor, Dan Chong; and Shoshanna Sumka and the community service office for this opportunity.

Democratic Party for a New Society, 1-9-08, Thai/Burma Border Trip, Winter 2007-08

2008-01-12T15:08:00.000-08:00

By Jodi

This meeting with the Democratic Party for a New Society was our very last, our 22nd, during a 16 day period. Over red, orange, and green Fanta, the leader--a somber, no-nonsense man--explained that his wasn’t a political party per se. Founded by he and other student activists when the military junta came into power in 1988, it plays a supporting role to get Aung Su Kyi’s NLD party, legally elected by the people in 1990 but never allowed to serve because of the military junta.

Working in collaboration with other organizations, it has several main thrusts:

To build unity and understanding among the various ethnic groups.
To continue the struggle to overthrow the military, through the use of underground cells in Burma. It supported what the leader said was a “people’s movement led by monks” in 2007, for example, during which some of its member were killed, some arrested. “Sometimes you have to take the risk,” DPNS’s leader told us resolutely. You carefully devise a strategy, knowing some will be arrested.

Unlike the Burmese Lawyer’s Council, DPNS believes strongly in dialogue, and the external community should pressure the SPDC to engage in dialogue with the opposition parties. The DPNS also believes in economic sanctions. When asked to elaborate on the pros and cons of economic sanctions, the leader smiled slowly and demurred that an explanation “would take a very long paper.” Then he responded simply (and, in our view, unsatisfactorily), in a sentence, that sanctions would be more effective than non-intervention, referring to ASEAN’s strategy.

Perhaps, but what about the impact of economic sanctions on the people? And realistically, would the strong military junta ever agree to dialogue? Once again, we were reminded of the complexities of this issue and the long suffering of its people these past 20 years.

And once again we were reminded of the unbelievable commitment and hope of these opposition groups. Each of the exiled groups we'd met with over these two weeks was doing its part, each with its own specific objectives and target audiences, to get back home.

We wished them success and thanked them for their hard work. More, we considered how we could combine their needs with the action steps the other groups had suggested to us. Based on what we had learned from each of our 22 meetings, once we get back home we plan on devising our own objectives. It will be a long action plan; we would need to find the best ways we could use our skills, contacts, and position in the United States to help the people of Burma--both in the country and in exile--to realize their dream of freedom and democracy.

Action Step

Pressure the U.S. and U.N. Security Council to consider economic sanctions and press the military junta to engage in dialogue with the opposition groups.

Karen Women's Organization, 1-9-08, Thai/Burma Border Trip, Winter 2007-08

2008-01-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

By Jodi

The Karen Women's Organization offers services to people at all stages or their lives. Babies receive soap and diapers, for example. The organization also has a long tradition of caring for "unaccompanied children"--orphans and other children who come to refugee camps without their parents to study--securing funding to provide emotional support, housing, clothing, mosquito netting, bed mats, and blankets. Young people receive education about reproduction health. KWO also has a leadership training school. (Interestingly, the resettlement program has resulted in a brain drain, which we've heard about at other groups.) For women in refugee camps and IDPs, and group provides income-generation projects such as training on sewing machines and rice threshing. Safe houses provide shelter for those who suffer from violence. Elderly care includes home visits, extra fresh vegetables and meat to the older people when they are sick, and a ceremony to honor the elderly. The Shattering Silences report documents sexual violence committed by Burmese military against women in Karen state.

We were awed by the amount of services this organization--in exile, operating in Thailand illegally, with just 40 staff, all of whom volunteer, receiving only a small living stipend--offers. For our part, we bought hand-woven, beautifully embroidered merchandise--scarves, wallets, pants for Kedenard and Carl in vibrant colors, which they wore on this, our last full day in Thailand.

Burma Lawyer’s Council, 1-9-08, Thai-Burma Border Trip, Winter 2007-08

2008-01-12T11:56:00.000-08:00

By Amerita

“The situation in Burma is different than the situation in Sudan. … The outside world cannot see at all times, in all areas, what is going on in Burma.”

After apologizing profusely for being late, we entered the Burma Layer’s Council's meeting area and gasped: the tables were full of plates of all kinds of fresh tropical fruits and bottles of Fanta and water, and each seat had a packet complete with information about the organization and a schedule…which they followed religiously. As Kedenard put it in our reflection late, “When we first entered the room, I thought, 'Man we better have our stuff together!'”

The mission of the Burma Lawyer’s Council is to “contribute to the transformation of Burma where all the citizens enjoy the equal protection of law under the democratic federal constitution which will guarantee fundamentals of human rights." The council does this by "vigorously opposing all unjust and oppressive laws [and] helping restore the principle of the rule of law.” The Burma Lawyer’s Council carries out its mission through several key areas:

Analysis of cases, laws, crucial events regarding Burma and the existing judicial system in Burma
Legal action and campaigns
Published works, constitutional campaign, working with the Global Justice Center
Legal aid
Documentation
Project facilitation and public relations
Advanced internship and training programs
Peace Law Academy

The group's presentation was thoroughly organized and well-planned, touching on each key area. The council was particularly interested and enthusiastic about us helping the organization carry out its goals. So we asked; “What plan of action should we carry out or what in particular do you want us to do when we return to the U.S.?”

First the organization made sure to point out that the situation in Burma needs more attention in the UN Security Council, because unlike the situation in Sudan that has gained considerable global attention, the situation in Burma is not saturated in one particular area of the country or on what particular issues; it is several issues in several areas, and information is not easily transmitted out of the country. Second, the council highlighted the need for criminal accountability of the crimes committed by the military regime. “We must focus on criminal accountability,"the staff told us. "We focus too much on political dialogue.”

Action Steps

Work with the Global Justice Center (www.globaljusticecenter.net/) to pressure the UN Security Council. The following link describes the council's work on this initiative:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/09/29/opinion/opinion_30050677.php
Write an article detailing the situation to urge the Security Council to continue pushing forward the situation in Burma to the international community and to hold the government accountable in the International Criminal Court for their crimes against the people of Burma.

Social Action for Women, 1-9-08, Thai-Burma Border Trip

2008-01-09T02:57:00.000-08:00

By Carl

We interviewed students and faculty at the middle school funded by Social Action for Women (SAW). Our initial introductions to the students were led by Zao, a former student activist in the 8-8-88 uprisings who had spent 15 years in a Burmese prison. Here at the school he teaches English and biology to kids grade seven through nine. Quite a change.

Zao explained that the children in the school were either orphaned or abandoned, receiving a significant proportion of their students from the Mae Tao clinic's orphan program. He also explained that most orphaned or abandoned in Burma crossed the border because of the lack of real educational opportunities in Burma. (Other groups have discussed the state of the Burmese educational system before – it's either non-existent or a farce in most cases.) Here students learn a variety of subjects including mathematics, science, English, social science, history, geography, and Burmese language. Students study these areas with the hope of continuing their education and taking GED examinations. Opportunities for music, art, and computer skills (they have one computer, no Internet access) are also available to the students on the weekends.

We got a chance to interact with several of the students for a little less than an hour. We each received a hand-drawn card from each of the children with a message of hope. Many of us plan to send letters in response once we return to the States and have a chance to reflect on our experiences. Strikingly, many of the students speak semi-fluently and most were willing to talk to our group members about their studies, hobbies, and experiences in Mae Sot.

Out of the 8,000 migrant worker students in Mae Sot, only 267 attend the SAW school. The school receives most of its funding from the CCP and the BMWEC. Still, the school is functioning illicitly, though it goes ignored by the Thai authorities (like many of the other non-registered organizations we've met). Despite Thai non-interference, the school has to be wary because of their illegal status – they've even removed the kindergarten after neighboring households complained about the noise. Regardless, the programs continue and the school hopes to expand to include a 10th grade next year.

Yaung Chi Oo Workers Association, 1-9-08, Thai-Burma Border Trip

2008-01-09T02:38:00.000-08:00

By Jodi

The next time you buy apparel from Nike, Old Navy, or Tommy Hilfiger, check the label. If it says "Made in Thailand," consider the Yaung Chi Oo Workers Association, which we visited today.

More than 100,000 migrant workers from Burma live in the Mae Sot area, and more than half are working illegally. Driven to Thailand by the deteriorating economic situation since the military took power as well as human rights abuses--rape, murder, and forced relocation, for example--many work in the 40 knitting, garment, chopsticks, and other factories.

They're working illegally because they must be registered by their employers, who don't want to spend the 3,500 bhat (33 baht=$1) to do so. And since the police and factory owners are buddies, the factory owners have no incentive to do the right thing.

When employers do register a worker, they're given a photocopy of the work permit--a useless document when a migrant worker is detained by the police. So the factories owners can exploit the people from Burma through

11 hour days
wages about 35 to 70 bhat a day. about half the minimum wage
no sick leave
1 day off a month
crowded living conditions
health hazards, such as hands being cut off at the chopsticks factory

The association (the government won't allow the word "union"), which, like other organizations we've visited, isn't legal, trains workers to organize and then sends them back to the factories. The association works with the factory workers as well as construction and agricultural workers, shopkeepers, and domestic/entertainment workers. They have helped launch 20 strikes, lodge complaints with the Labor Protection Office, and file lawsuits. For their efforts, association members have been attacked. Factory workers put out a bounty on the founder, a student activist from 8-8-88. Only since UNHCR gave him refugee status--he left the country and returned, and now keeps a low profile--does he feel safer.

Like other issues concerning Burma, it's complex. I'm not sure I would buy Nike running shoes made in Thailand because of the migrants workers--to keep them employed and help them support their families--or not buy, to protest the poor working conditions.

But I'm sure I'll remember the Burmese man who introduced the session. He was missing one leg, one arm, and three fingers on his remaining hand. Someone later told me he was former SPDC, maimed when a landmine he was setting exploded unexpectedly. Now the man, who has a kind face and soft smile, translates and writers articles for the the association.

Like I said, it's complex.

Action Steps

Read your clothes' labels and consider the source.
Pressure owners of the factories to have their Thai businessmen improve working conditions for the migrant workers.

Students and Youth Congress of Burma, Thai/Burma Border Trip, Winter 2007-2008, 1-8-2008

2008-01-08T03:32:00.000-08:00

By Lauren

Throughout our time in Thailand, we have been continually reminded of the divisions and infighting between the many ethnic groups in Burma. While no one has openly admitted to prejudices against other peoples, today’s meeting was a welcome contradiction to the assumption that those differences are the primary factor holding the democracy movement back

The Students and Youth Congress of Burma (SYCB), established in 1996, is comprised of young people from many backgrounds, all representing specific youth organizations. The 15 member organizations span from youth arms of political parties to those based on ethnicity. Despite the wide range of ethnicity, geography, religion, and political affiliation, the more than a dozen people we met sat together at one end of the table, obviously close and friendly.

As they put it, “With understanding, cooperation, and mutual trust among various nationalities of youth, we are going to pave a bright foundation for the future democratic federal union in Burma.” SYCB, structured based on democratic principles, brings young people from all over Burma together and works to create a common vision for their home. Their two main areas of focus are their women’s internship program, where representatives from all of the organizations intern for six months with SYCB- while also studying human rights, political science, and history, among other topics - and an HIV/AIDS program. While the women's program is derived from a strong emphasis on creating gender equality, the HIV/AIDS program is run in side Burma, impacting a key issue while getting around SPDC's policies against political activism.

SYCB is an ambitious organization committed to developing youth leadership and democratic priniciple. As an umbrella organization for groups focusing on a variety of issues, the common thread is that they all are building the foundation for a peaceful and democratic Burma. They produce a monthly bulletin with student perspectives on Burmese and Thai news and every two years they have a conference with representatives from all their organizations (which are based on the Thai and Indian borders).

While SYCB is growing with more organizations requesting to join, there are dangers and uncertainties. It is not uncommon for members in the Mae Sot office to get arrested by Thai authorities and have to pay an expensive bribe to get off free. They also fear SPDC informers in the marketplaces. Additionally, when invited to the World Youth Conference, they were unable to attend because there was no way they could renew their passports. There are also logistical difficulties of communication between their offices in India and Thailand.

The students we met with, despite the obstacles, have a positive outlook on the future. They have a vision of a Burma where human rights and the rule of law are respected, civil society flourishes, and the youth voice can be freely heard and listened to. They are truly inspirational.

Action Steps:

Share information, networks, and resources
Fundraising
Lobby potential donors on their behalf

Thai-Burma Border Consortium, Thai-Burma Border Trip, Winter 2007-08, 1-8-08

2008-01-08T02:50:00.000-08:00

by Ryan Pickett

We were told that we had strictly one hour for our meeting with the Thai-Burma Border Consortium, or TBBC, because Chris, the regional field coordinator, was a very busy man. We showed up promptly at 10am.

He is indeed a very busy man, along with only a handful of other people overseeing the food delivery, shelter upkeep, and nutrition program of the Thai/Burma Border's nine refugee camps and 150,000 refugees. The TBBC's main job is to count the people in the refugee camps, order the food, and then deliver it to the camps, where it is distributed by the camp commitee. To take the action that affects tens of thousands of people, the TBBC must deal with the constant beareaucratic weights of meeting UNHCR standards (which are not present at all the camps), bribe the Thai government, and answer to the beck and call of the global aid community that funds the program.

The TBBC is also responsible for preparing refugees for resettlement in North America or Europe. Chris presented the group with a different perspective of the impact that resettlement has on both the camp and the people themselves. Resettlement results in a "brain drain"--relocation of the more skilled and professional workers, mainly teachers, medics, and people with managerial skills, which often leads to a devastation of the camps infrastructure. The refugees who do make it to a different country are often inadequately prepared for life in a more advanced country, which leaves many to struggle.

This struggle, however, is not lost because there is still an undying hope. The restablishment of the Burmese people reflects the same struggle that many immigrants faced in the United States, paving the way for the success of their children and future generations down the line. I relate this hard work for a livelihood to the hardships the Burmese democrmacy movement is facing against the junta. They witness limited success in the present, but it may well create an opportunity of success and prosperity for future generations of Burmese when (and the people of Burma believe it is when, not if) a democratic government is established.

Action Steps

Contact the US Campaign for Burma and lobby for funding for TBCC. The United States does not fund the organization and it is currently facing budget cuts while dealing with an increasing number of refugees.

Help Burmese refugees resettled in the United States to adjust to American life.

Dr. Cynthia's Mae Tao Clinic, 1-8-08, Thai/Burma Border Trip

2008-01-08T02:45:00.000-08:00

By Aneta

"This is more like a flea market," Amerita said to me as we entered Dr. Cynthia's Mae Tao Clinic compound. It wasn't what I had expected. The hospital grounds had been transformed into a New Year's celebration for the Karen people, and hundreds of people mingled dressed in their beautiful Karen best, the adults eating and chatting, the children running around.

Still, we were able to tour the grounds. Again it wasn't what I had expected. The buildings were small and old, the grounds didn't seem as sanitized as U.S. hospitals--the smell of sanitation bothered me--and there was a lot of dirt and sand everywhere.

In front of the prosthetics workshop, we saw a woman holding a child who had deep black circles around his foggy eyes. Another woman sat talking on a mobile phone, her wooden legs short and sticking straight out. I felt like I was in a zoo, staring at them, invading their area.

Further on, we came across two buildings facing each other, one for children who suffered from extreme malnutrition and dehydration. Extreme malnutrition is less common than chronic malnutrition; mothers try to wean their children from the breast at about 6 months and put them on rice soup, which has no nutritional value and stunts their growth. Another problem that arises is that the children born in the clinic aren't recognized by Burma or Thailand, so the clinic gives them a document proving their birth, which may help them get into school. Also, children who have long-term problems are often abandoned. People generally come to the clinic accompanied by family members, and for some children, their parents just don't have the resources to stay at the clinic for extended periods.

As we continued our tour, I saw benches for the registration office filled with people completing forms. The clinic serves up to 400 patients a day, and feeds all the patients and their families--up to 1,100 meals a day. In 2006 they had 100,000 patients, served by 300 staff, 50 clinical, 50 administrative. The number served increases about 20% a year. Many patients have malaria, HIV/AIDS, respiratory problems, and, for children, malnutrition and diarrhea. Many have TB, requiring a 6-month drug regiment, which a lot of people can't sustain.

But many others, once healed, don't want to leave. Dr. Cynthia's clinic is known around the region. Even our bus driver wore a t-shirt bearing the doctor's photo commemorating her 48th birthday, and patients and the community alike celebrated her work.

Handicap International (Burma), 1-8-08, Thai/Burma Border Trip

2008-01-08T02:18:00.000-08:00

by Jodi

Handicap International's name is disconcerting: The word "handicap" is so politically incorrect in our society. Its prostheses, too, are disconcerting and old-fashioned. You won't find the slick titanium legs that Americans are using to run marathons. Handicap International's fake legs are ugly plastic things.

But both the name and the prostheses do the job--remarkably. The name--with the subtext "Vivre Debout," or Live Standing--is helping mostly landmine victims walk again. It serves about 1,000 people a year. And the prostheses help them get around the uneven terrain, which turns to mud in the rainy season. Our high-tech versions just don't work here; HI tried them, but they fell apart in months.

Unlike the other groups we've met with, HI has legal status in Thailand because it's Thai based, with Thai staff, though it serves people from Burma from the refugee camps and surrounding area. Legality makes operations easier, less dangerous, and less expensive--no paying off the government. Like other groups, it trains the people of Burma ("capacity building," in NGO lingo), so in the end it's the Burmese people who are making the prosthesis; rehabilitating the people; and showing the people how to spot landmines or the markers used when the landmines are set, to mark the area to indicate danger, and to tell others to no one sets them off. That last part is especially important for the people who go back to Burma to visit family, farm, or hunt. Yes, it's illegal to leave the camps, but it's done.

Perhaps the most disconcerting fact about HI is its root cause: the people are maiming themselves. The military junta as well as the minority armies plant the landmines. It turns out that most of the blind men we saw at Maela refugee camp, those men who sang so sweetly to us, were former soldiers who crafted homemade ordnances, which blew up accidentally in their faces when they planted them.

Action Steps

Celebrate mine awareness day on April 4.
Volunteer with HI through its international headquarters in Lyon, France.

Mae To Boarding School 1-7-08

2008-01-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

By Kelley
We visited the Mae To boarding school in Mae Sot today to witness the daily life of a Burmese student taking refuge in Thailand. While most of our group decided to sleep in, a select few (six students) ventured out early to catch a few classes.

When we arrived, a warmhearted man, with whom we had celebrated at the AAPP party, greeted us and took us on a tour. We first visited with the principal of the school, who had just moved from Burma two years ago where he was a computer teacher. He expressed his gratitude to the Thai government for turning a blind eye to their school full of illegal immigrants - most of the students were sent to the school by their parents, who are still in Burma.

Both a Canadian and an Irish English teacher invited us into their lessons, and we were able to watch their amazing energy and pride while they taught. At one point in the day, one girl who we had many friends with at AAPP hugged Lauren while others smiled and waved, obviously surprised and thrilled to see us again. I found it incredible that a person could get the attention of these children with a symphony of distraction in the background (stray dogs, chickens, thin walls, and yes, we American students). Jodi and I were able to reminisce when a shy, giggling girl reminded us of our bashful days. It’s funny that you can travel around the world, and still find yourself in the people you meet.

by Kelley and Aneta
Later in the day, the whole group returned to the school to have arts and crafts time with the young children. As we walked by the classrooms, we could already feel the excitement of the kids through their smiling faces peeking through the windows. We had a set activity for the children, sample and all, but as we revealed the bag of wonders (glitter, feathers, stickers, markers, and colored paper) , they became a stampede of grabbing hands. Nevertheless, everyone had an amazing time. Each child was able to create their unique masterpiece as we marveled at their genius. In the end, while some of the supplies made it to the paper, most of it found a home on the children’s faces, in their hair, and all over their eager hands. Another thing that ended up in their hands was our digital cameras, which they found fascinating (and we now have literally hundreds of pictures to tell the tale). All and all, the children gave their whole heart to this project and proved to the group the power of art at any age.

Chiang Mai University, Friday, January 4, 2008

2008-01-07T05:54:00.000-08:00

by Amerita

Lecture 1- Professor Dr. Tanun Anumanrajadhon

“You want to learn about Burma…in 30 minutes…?”

Friday’s meetings started out, albeit in a very colorful way, at Chiang Mai University. Our first lecture was with Dr. Tanun Anunmanrajadhon the Vice President for International Relations and Human Resources Development. He admonished us on how we could possibly learn about Burma….in only 30 minutes…you could have a lecture for 3 hours and you couldn’t learn about Burma in 30 minutes...although he failed to mention to us that he didn’t have 30 minutes to dedicate to us…he had somewhere to be at 10. Did he really think that we thought we could learn all there is about Burma and Thailand’s relationship in 30 minutes? Well…I wasn’t going to question him.

What Dr. Anunmanradjadhon made apparent to us, in case we didn’t already know, was the difficulty Thailand has in creating a fixed foreign policy about Burma. Thailand needs their energy resources, and something people don’t often mention, their man power. Thailand relies heavily on Burmese labor, and while some work here legally, most don’t, something he failed to stress. I think what blew my mind about him talking about the Burmese labor situation was he made it seem so relatively easy for Burmese to come and work in Thailand, or to get the proper documentation required to get a work visa. As Anna pointed out to him, how can they afford to get a work visa…with what money? So what is Thailand's, and essentially ASEAN’s, position on the situation…it is not possible to get the junta to relinquish power although the situation is “more serious than Iraq or North Korea,” because it is not their business to interfere in the political affairs of other countries.

"They don’t give a shit” Well, at least I could partially agree with him on that. I questioned him…when you say ‘they’ do you mean the government or the people? As was with most of his responses…he didn’t really answer the question directly. Nonetheless, American, European, and as Jodi made sure to mention Thai, tourists go to Burma and spend their money; all of which goes directly to the military. And the people in these countries, they don’t know about the situation in Burma and they don’t care. Okay…maybe…the news doesn’t give much coverage to Burma…so the average American citizen has no idea about the situation there. But what about us? This group of 14 people…obviously we care…and that’s why we are here. So we asked him, how can the situation change and what should we do? And the answer…in order to change the situation more information about the situation needs to be covered abroad…and that is the popular answer among the groups…it’s that simple….and with more coverage and knowledge of the situation perhaps there will be more pressure on the government to change.

Dr. Anumanrajadhon also mentioned to us a program at Chiang Mai University that brings Burmese students to the university to study. The program allows 30 students to study at the university, and upon completion of their studies they return home. At the time…we had no idea that we would have the opportunity to meet with these students.

Meeting with the American Studies Club at Chiang Mai University and Co-Director of CDC- Certificate Program in Community Development.

So the first meeting got us fired up… Dr. Anumanrajadhon really doesn’t hold back, he seriously said shit at least 6 times…it still rings in my ear…they don’t give a shit....they don’t give a shit…but anyways, the next meetings calmed us down and gave us some hope.

First, we met with the American Studies Club and their director, Professor Dr. Kosum Saichan. The club focuses on American culture. American culture? What American culture? The club holds an annual Fourth of July barbeque and also celebrates other American holiday’s like Thanksgiving and Christmas okay so I kind of giggled at Christmas being an American holiday. The students were friendly and described to us their experience working in America at Disney World and Busch Gardens in Florida through a summer work program for international students. And apparently Chiang Mai University students are not active in the Burmese movement.

We then had a talk with the co-director of the Certificate in Community Development program. The program trains Burmese students in development and civil liberties. The students are encouraged to start their own initiatives once they return home, hopefully using the knowledge they gained from their three month experience in Thailand. The co-director told us about his experience in Burma - he started out working for an NGO in Burma, but recently left because he was unsure of his safety in the country due to the nature of his work. He led us in a discussion about the role of ASEAN in the Burmese movement. According to ASEAN, member countries cannot interfere with the politics of others, but they can offer “constructive engagement.” And as the speaker said, “We want to do something, but we must change the ASEAN rules first.” ASEAN can get involved…because they are involved…they are partically financing the brutality of the regime. The Burmese people, “feel very sad and hopeless…like it is impossible to change.”

Meeting with the Burmese Students

We then walked in on the Burmese students discussing the problems and possible solutions for the situation in there country. After their discussion we were allowed to break up into groups and talk with the students one on one.

Ellen and I had a group of 5 students. We asked them to tell us about themselves and what work they do back in Burma. One person worked in a monastery school for the deaf, and others were still university students or worked in programs for the different ethnic groups in the country. One student was very excited about the possibility of studying in the United States and told us about the DV 2009- a green card for Burmese that allows them to work in the US. The card is handed out through a lottery system, and the lucky few who are randomly picked are allowed to work in the US and possibly gain citizenship after a number of years. It was the first time I heard about the program. We then asked about the protests in September…where they were, what they saw. “It was like hell” pretty much summed it up. It was the first time we were able to meet with Burmese students and their views about the situation were interesting. They all wanted change…but they knew better than to get too involved but they were all doing something, and they all wanted to return to their country and help. According to them, "civil liberty starts with the parents.” The older generation does not realize what civil liberties and rights that they have, and once they do than they can pass this knowledge on to their children.. So what can we Americans do about the situation? Spread the news…it was the same answer for the second time in the day…spread the news about the situation in Burma…it was that simple…it was never about asking for money, clothes, petition the government…it was always spread the word…Okay that’s what we will do.

Shwe Gas Movement, Thai/Burma Border Trip, Winter 2007-2008

2008-01-07T05:51:00.000-08:00

By Lauren

"No Way, No Shwe"

0r "Keeping the Junta from the Gold"

While a combination of a language barrier and the noisy outdoor setting (cars, music, jingling bells on dogs…) made comprehension tough at times, our meeting with the Shwe Gas Movement was a powerful lesson in what the junta will do for money and the complete disregard it harbors for the people it supposedly serves.

The movement’s representative, aided by a PowerPoint presentation, explained to us the Burmese government’s proposal for a new natural gas pipeline that would run through the Arakan State in Western Burma. The project, currently being negotiated with Indian and South Korean corporations, would yield the single largest source of foreign income for the regime. At the same time that the pipeline supports the military junta, it also imposes great hardship on the people and the environment.

The Shwe Gas Movement details four areas of concern:

1. The Exploitation of the Voiceless – The government has not consulted the people during planning and revenue will go straight to military coffers, by-passing the local population.

2. Human Rights Abuses and Militarization – The project has given the government reason to expand the number of troops in the Arakan region to more than ever before. With the construction of similar projects – the Yadana and Yetagun pipelines – villagers were asked to leave their homes without compensation, agricultural lands were forcibly reallocated to feed the troops, and many locals were conscripted as porters and forced laborers to build military infrastructure and roads. The people of Burma fear this will happen again.

3. Environmental and Cultural Destruction – Proper social and environmental impact assessments have not been carried out, but risks include the destruction of rainforests and endangered species, environmental contamination, and the loss of local fishing industries which are so integral to their economy.

4. The Entrenchment of the Burmese Military Regime – The regime used the Yadana and Yetagun projects as an excuse to extend its control into minority and opposition areas. Likewise, the Shwe project will allow the government to further militarize and exploit the Arakan and Chin state.

The Shwe Gas Movement, a grassroots organization begun in 2002, secretly collects and distributes information inside Burma, conducts seminars and conferences internationally, and promotes international days of action to hopefully prevent these catastrophes from taking place.

“Shwe” is the Burmese word meaning gold, referring to the SPDC’s hopes of glorious profits. The tremendous human price, however, pales in comparison with the regime’s greed and it must be stopped. Our group feels strongly that we must help them in their mission and we encourage you to do the same.

Action Steps:

Endorse their position paper and sign their petition.
Join in the Global Days of Action.
Research firms (and their insurance companies) that are investing and pressure them to stop.
Raise awareness.
For more information, please go to http://www.shwe.org/.

Music for Human Rights

2008-01-07T05:47:00.000-08:00

By Pollina

Music is an art form that can bring people, no matter what race or religion they are together. One of our first meeting with HREIB started out by singing. Myo said that they always start their training sessions by singing songs together as a group. He said that it helps people relax and think clearly, which proved to be true because all of us had fun and felt closer to others.

When we arrived in Mae Sot, we had a meeting with the AAPP and they had a German band, Durgas, playing. The sound of music just flowed through the air. At first everyone was just standing, stiff as boards, but the music was so inspiring that everyone started dancing with strangers. When the lead singer said the word "Burma," I had tears in my eyes. I felt his passion, and the song made me want to do more for this movement.

At the Mae la refugee camp, there was a group of handicapped men, mostly due to landmines. During the service at the church, they sang and it was so incredible. With music, they shared a sense of community. We visited them in their quarters at the camp. These men have no family, just other strangers in the refugee camp that they met, but singing made them brothers. After all that they had been through, one could feel their comradity and bond. While they were singing, I saw them smiling even though they lost one of the greatest abilities, their sight. They said they never sang before they arrived at the refugee camp. If they were back in Burma, they would live in misery. Singing gave them hope.

There seems to be a strong sub-theme throughout this trip: Music is very powerful and can make a huge difference.

Empower, January 4, Thai/Burma Border Trip, Winter 2007-08

2008-01-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

By Kelly

We visited Empower at its Can Do bar in the scenic Chiang Mai red light district. We arrived, checked the place out, and ordered some drinks.

The history of Empower fascinated me. It was informally started when a group of sex workers, aided by an educated activist, and meeting for study sessions around the local bars. Sex workers could not only learn--the Burmese sex workers, for instance, would learn English or Thai so they could get around the city without being frightened. They could also relax with friends, celebrate birthdays and holidays, and support each other in their work.

Liz, the manager of the joint, was a quick-witted Australian woman who knew how to keep an audience. I was very impressed by Empower's gift of benefits to the sex workers, along with handing out condoms and being a safe place to pick up and check out customers. I am so happy that people are working with sex workers instead of pretending they didn't exist. So far, so good.

Then I found out that that was the end. No more movement ahead to end gender discrimination. The organization feels that women are taking control of their sexuality and their finances, empowering themselves through prostitution and enabling them to support themselves and their families. (Sex workers, Liz said, support on average five people.)

This, in my eyes, is completely backwards. Empower is not making great steps for women by selling their bodies for men's pleasure. They are merely uncle-tomming the patriarchal system that our society continually accepts.

Liz believes sex work is just the same as paying for a doctor's services. But there’s a significant difference: a woman is selling her actual self while a doctor is selling the intellect and skills he received through education. And when you pay a doctor, you are not putting the doctor's life at risk. You do not expect the doctor to pleasure you in exotic ways, at your command, just because you aren't capable of meeting your needs through a normal, healthy relationship. I don't care how professional a sex workers can be--our host described how the sex workers can negotiate for using condoms, or slip on condoms with their mouth so the customer doesn't know. Sex cannot be cut off from a woman's entire self. The mere idea of women using sex for profit only perpetuates the belief that sex is purely a man's sport for women to sell their parts--not for their enjoyment.

How are we as women ever going to be equal in power to men if we think selling ourselves is empowering? Do you ever see men sell their penises to gain respect and power in our society? Women are being fooled if they think the power of obtaining money for pleasuring men is the same power as earning money for your intellect and skills. Men are receiving all the substantial power while women willingly fall behind. While men continue to move up the ladder of success, women are too busy dancing on the ladder's poles to notice a problem.

I don't like to see women fooled.

The best part is that they think the women who disagree with their logic are conservative, prissy, "suicide bomber" feminists who are afraid of sexuality. The fact is, they are the ones supporting the status quo. I want to make a change. I don't want women to have fake power. It is no wonder many government officials support brothels under the table: Brothels and sex work keep women in their place. Without sex work, women might rise up in man's world. Oh no!!! I am sick of men (and women) chauvinist pigs.

Move to Mae Sot, Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, 1-5-08

2008-01-06T04:01:00.000-08:00

By Jodi

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners

Bo Kyi's trial with the military junta went like this:
Judge: Did you commit a crime?
Bo Kyi: No.
Judge: 3 years' hard labor.

Bo Kyi is one of the 10 founders of the AAPP. The only requirement for membership, he says lightly, is that you have been a political prisoner in Burma. He knows that's quite a high price.

Before 1988, Bo Kyi, a Burmese literature major, was far from politics. But in the 8-8-88 struggle, he saw his friends arrested, witnessed brutal killings. So he became involed, knowing it was a matter of time before he was detained. He soon was, for demonstrating for the legalization of student unions and for the release of all student political prisoners.

Pacing and contemplating in his cell focused his mind and helped him solidify his priorities. It was there that he decided to learn English. "Fortunately they arrested faculty as well as students," he told us, laughing. Fortuitiously, an English teacher was put in the next cell. He even bribed a guard to smuggle in a dictionary, which he studied--then ate.

After released, he was harased to become an informer. When he agreed on the condition that the junta engage Dau Aung Su Kyi in dialogue, he was thrown into prison again, this time for 5 years. When they came to arrest him for the third time, he luckily wasn't home. He fled to Mae Sot.

Another member described the torture all political prisoners suffer: beating, electrical shot, cigarette burns, kicking--"they don't care where: eyes, ears, heart, genitals." Then there's the psychological torture. He describes going 3 days without food and water. Finally a guard offers him a small glass of water and unshackles his arms. The officer leaves the room. Another comes in and says, "who told you to drink that water?" then beats him. That officer leaves, the first one returns, and yell, "why didn't you drink?" And thus goes another round of the charade.

You'd never know this funny, sweet guy who now is studying electrical engineering at a community college in Illinois had gone through any of this. Of course we couldn't see the scars on his back.

Still, AAPP doesn't hate the military. (In fact, some come from military families.) They only hate Burma's policy. So they lobby, through a secret network inside Burma to support current and former prisoners and their families, conduct research, and provide information to human rights NGOs and bodies.

During our talk, a crowd of activist community was gathering in the yard, and we all enjoyed pork curry, noodles, and a very spicy cucumber salad.

Everyone was welcoming, and a man introduced himself to me. It turned out he had served as a bodyguard for ASSK. He worked for her til she was put under house arrest. Afterward, the police came to his home at midnight, scaring him and his family. He fled to Mae Sot, where he works at one of the many unregistered illegal schools for students from Burma.

His devotion was apparent, and when I asked him if he missed her, he leaned back and sighed heavily, Oh yes." But he, like so many we have met, remains optimistic. "I am sure we will have democracy one day," he said.

But even that conversation wasn't the grand finale of our first other-wordly day in Mae Sot. The Durgas, a band that is funded by Save the Children put on a concert. Songs honored ASSK, spoke of struggle and peace, and Burma. The crowd went wild, singing, screaming, and dancing. At the end, a small group of AAPP members sang a glorious Burmese rendition of "Dust in the Wind."

And the hits just keep on coming: Bo Kyi is trying to get us into a refugee camp tomorrow.

Maela Refugee Camp, Thai/Burma Border Trip, January 6, 2007, Yoshi

2008-01-06T02:52:00.000-08:00

This afternoon, we visited Maela, a Burmese Refugee Camp located 40 minutes from Mae Sot. Although it is always difficult for Burmese people to cross the border, over 50,000 people coming from Burma live in the camp. Most people are Karen.

Since today is Sunday, Christian worship ceremony took place and approximately 500 people attended the ceremony. After that we had an opportunity to talk to the head pastor. The pastor told us, "Although I am a religious leader, not a political leader, I encourage people here to tell outsiders about the Burmese politics because the government controls everything." He hopes more people know about the hardship in Burma. Then, we looked around the camp and talked to the people.

The life was somewhat different from my expectation. To illustrate, everything can be available inside the camp, from market places to the wireless Internet. They have schools and, for Christians, even offer students Bachelor's degree. In addition, they encourage the refugees to re-settle abroad. Until now, more than 5000 people relocated in 10 countries, including the U.S. At the end of the meeting, the pastor said "For Karen people, we love our country. No place is better than the motherland."

Vanakam from Tamil Nadu!

2008-01-04T10:08:00.001-08:00

At 3:40 am on December 29, fifty students arrived in the southern city of Chennai. Draped with flower leis in the traditional Indian celebration of welcome, we squeezed into vans covered in bright orange paint, hand painted dolphins and flowers on the windows, and attempted to navigate through the dark highways to St. Patrick's in Villupuram. None of us could believe that we were truly in India, but then again, none of us could see anything through the humid mist of the early morning. Constantly honking and pulling around any trucks going slower than at least 60 mph, our driver made it known to us that, in India, there is no such thing as traffic regulation and designated "lanes", as in other parts of the world.

The next day, we began our work with the Early Detection and Prevention System program (EDPS) in the Ariyalure village of the Villupuram District in Tamil Nadu. Equipped with a translator, a local high school student, and a nursing student from the St. Mary's Health Center, we began entering different houses to collect health information from the villagers. Initially, we believed that this is would be simple, but, we soon found the lanugage barrier to be an inpenetrable blockade barring us from connecting with both the villagers and our fellow surveyers, which is, of course, not uncommon with anyone visiting a foreign country. While we greatly appreciated the efforts the translators and nurses put into helping us understand what was being said, we realized that many of us rarely help foreigners in America in the same fashion. At each home we visited, we were met with tremendous hospitality and welcoming from people with virtually nothing. Offering us a straw mat or the family's only chair to sit on, or snacks and tea to enjoy while conducting the interview, the villagers gave us anything they could offer to make their appreciation known. We were also curious to find that some families, even if they lacked a gas stove or an indoor bathroom, still managed to have either a radio or television, showing them Western culture that they have never experienced themselves. Oftentimes, adults would ask us to adopt their children and take them to the United States, and it was difficult to find a way to tell them we could not.

Throughout our pre-departure meetings, we mentally prepared ourselves to see the abject poverty we were bound to witness, but many of these preconceptions were quickly dissproven. The people were, for the most part, not moping around or lying in the streets moaning about their impoverished conditions, but were happy with their lives. We witnessed this happiness mainly in the children who followed us around and played hand games in the church courtyard. In addition, we witnessed the existence of community in the village; every child, regardless of biological linkage, seemed to belong to every adult in the village. In more developed parts of the world, the human condition tends to be individualized, creating much isolation among people, but in these communities, it seems, the villagers cannot survive without each other. Seeing people living in such conditions, we all realized how truly lucky we are that we can escape what we see, while they unfortunately cannot.

Last night, we were able to gain a deeper understanding of the caste system in India during the panel discussion on "Women, Caste and Development" between Father Raj, Father Felix and Miss Pauline, the principal of St. Patrick's school, through a slide show explaining the history of the caste system, what the distinctions are between the four major castes, and how Dalits are not even included in the caste. We learned that the Dalits are believed to come from dust, not even from one of Brahma's body parts like the other castes, and are so impoverished that they don't even qualify for federal income taxes (unlike in America). The children of St. Pat's also performed a "street play" about the realities of the caste system as they have experienced it in Southern India, from which we drew parallels between caste discrimination here and class tension in America, specifically between the Dalit Rights Movement and the American civil rights movement. We were reminded of skits we ourselves used to perform in elementary school about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. to educate and entertain the audience about the importance of civil rights. These parallels were again seen between the reservation system in India, explained by Father Raj, through which spots in certain industries, schools and areas of government are reserved for lower caste members and Dalits, and the American system of affirmative action, through which minorities are given preference over others in both private work sectors and the university application process.

- Maggie Herman and Sam Kramer (and the rest of the India trip!)

Thai/Border Trip, Winter 2007/2008, January 2-4, 2008

2008-01-04T00:03:00.000-08:00

To Go Back Home:
Meetings with Chiang Mai Groups

These have been rich and busy days, meeting with groups serving the Burmese people. The people we've met are passionate and committed and have either risked their lives--or are risking their lives today--for Burma. A few in our group are so inspired that they are talking of coming back to work here, and we' ve all been brainstorming actions steps to help support these various organizations.

Democratic Voice of Burma
By Jodi and Lauren

Eighty percent of the footage seen from the 2007 uprisings came from this group and were contributed free of charge to be broadcast around the world.

This independent nonprofit has a weekly (soon to be daily) TV show, 24-hour radio station, and a website, all broadcast inside Burma. They also supplied 80 percent of the footage of what happened inside Burma during the recent crackdowns. Those images we saw in September of the shot Japanese reporter and the dead monk floating in the river were theirs. They charge nothing.

Their journalists risk their lives with hidden cameras. An unknown number languish in jail or are in hiding. For those who continue to report, the difficulties of getting informtion out are unbelievable: slow-loading computers, sneaking footage across the border, phone interviews, and limited budget for undercover cameras.

Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB)
by Jodi and Carl

Hello how are you dear friend
I hope you are happy and fine
Let's clap our hands
Turning around
Find a new friend

Our first meeting was with the Human Rights Education Institute of Burma, an organization dedicated to spreading awareness of human rights philosophy and issues in Burma and throughout the region.

The dynamic Aung Myo Min, director of HREIB, and his small staff welcomed us into his office, operating out of a house on the outskirts of Chiang Mai with a heavenly view of the mountains.

After brief introductions and a short multimedia presentation explaining the group's role in Burma, they invited us into the backyard, where we sang the above song, Alt Break students grabbing new partners from the staff with each round. We would clap our hands together paddy-cake style, doing the same with our feet, and meeting, as the song says, new friends.

"Find a New Friend" was followed by "Shake Shake Shake," another interactive song. These weren't just icebreakers. The director explained to us that HREIB uses silly songs and other activities for all their training sessions. When people are having fun and laughing, he told us, "that is when they take in knowledge."

A network of 60 volunteer trainers train trainers, who run local workshops. The sessions they present to the Burmese people--those residing in border refugee camps, migrant workers laboring in the border factories, and people inside Burma--are aimed at children and adults. For the chldren, HREIB raises awareness about the dangers of human trafficking and recruitment of child soldiers by the military and ethnic groups. Recently they've used theater training to promote their messages. Adult sessions address violence against women, prostitution, community organizing, and transition adjustment. This is the first Burma group working on GLBT issues. HREIB has also engaged a series of dialogues with insurgent leaders.

All their work falls under the umbrella of human rights. Aung once asked a refugee: did you know your human rights were violated? The answer was no. Aunt told us, "I want to empower (these people) so they don't see themselves as victims." Aung sees human rights knowledge and advocacy as a prerequisite for a stable, peaceful, and civil society: the sort of society he hopes will emerge in a post-dictatorship Burma.

Inside Burma, human rights education has to take place without using the words "human rights," since being blatant about their work would be against the law. Rather than directly discussing the philosophy of human rights or even directly approaching the issue through right-based dialogue, HREIB uses parallel programs which teach theory and practical application without broaching the specific topic. Despite their caution, in September four trainers were arrested and remain in jail.

Like other activists we've met, Aung was involved in the '88 uprisings and escaped. Twenty years later, he is passionate about his work and committed to his people. When asked why he continued despite the challenges and--worse--risks, his answer was immediate: he wants to go back home.

Action steps at the international level:

Pressure China to impose economic sanctions.
Support UN resolutions addressing the rights children (1612) and women (1325).

Free Burma Rangers
by Ryan Pickett

"How do you define dignity?" FBR's Doc Mitch asked a Karen man. The answer: "The ability to give.

After getting lost once, we finally made it to the meeting was I was highly anticipating: with the Free Burma Rangers. I was surprisedto be greeted by a westerner and to learn that these people operating at the Chiang Mai headquarters were all Americans.

They began the meeting by showing a short film that began with a bang--literally--as a Burmese tank fired in the opening clip. The film showed scenes of the Karen people, one of Burma's ethnic minorities, who were run out of their homes and forced to flee to the jungle. The video was graphic, showing the Burma Rangers assisting with these displaced peoples' medical needs, including attending to a Karenni man who had his leg blown off by a landmine. One Ranger described getting to a village that was no longer there. A father described what it was like to see his children die at the hands of the Burmese military. In all these scenes, the most inspring was of Kare npeople sitting around singing uplifting hymns of hope and love to the peaceful strumming of displaced person's--a Burmese Ranger's--guitar.

We found out that the Rangers have more than 40 teams of five or six locals who bring medical treatment and supplies as well as educational supplies and food, to the IDPs in Burma. They go through extensive training and risk their lives in the eastern part of Burma, and this is all volunteer work. Even if a team comes under attack, they will not flee until everyone else has left. Every year, some Rangers lose their lives in order to attend to needs of the Kareni. They are trained by Doc Mitch, who sneaks into Burma to conduct the trainings.

I was so inspired by this meeting that I am considering volunteering for three months at their headquarters in Chiang Mai.

Action steps:

Wear our Free Burma Rangers shirts to raise awareness.
Raise money for medical supplies--for instance, for netting, which cost about $6, or testing kits, about $1, to fight malaria, which Doc Mitch thinks kills more people than the military.
Volunteer for a summer or semester to do administrative work at the Chiang Mai headquarters.

Irawaddy Magazine
By Jodi

"I Want To Go Home."

When asked his long-term goals for Irawaddy, the founder/editor replied: to go back to Rangoon--not to be in prison again but to operate his magazine.

Before 1988 Irawaddy's editor, Aung Zaw, was in the student activist movement. He had founded an underground cell, spent a few days in jail--although nothing compared to his brother, who was locked behind bars for 8 years. "We tried to move the mountain," he told us. "I was silly, naïve, young."

In 88 he fled, spending two months in hiding. To avoid being caught, he became a monk and hid in a small village. Like in the 2007 uprising, he told us, lots of students in 88 became monks to seek refuge. Then by car, train, and foot, he went through the jungle. He landed in Thailand.

Aung Zo started the magazine because when he got to Thailand, he saw other publications about Burma, all written by foreigners. He felt Burma's people could do it better.

The monthly English-language magazine, the only one of its kind, is a well written, beautiful, high-quality four-color publication with investigative reporting, distributed worldwide to 3,00. The website is updated daily. The goal is to educate international readers. They have a handful of stringers in Burma and editors, including native English speakers for quality control most important, they are independent. Within Burma, all media is state-owned.

"1988 gave me courage and pride to keep going," he says. Many others who left, he says, are resigned. Some are living in other countries. "We lost them," he says.

But many, he says, are still going strong. As is he. "I look out the window and see Burma," he says. "Every week I dream about my friends and my country." He dreams of going home. More: he's doing everything he can, through Irawaddy, to get there.

Action steps:

Ask AU library to subscribe to Irawaddy.
Pitch stories to Irawaddy for publication.

The Shwe Gas Movement: "No Way, No Shwe"

By Lauren Barr

The Shwe Gas Movement details four areas of concern:

1. The Exploitation of the Voiceless – The government has not consulted the people during planning and revenue will go straight to military coffers, by-passing the local population.

Action Steps:

Endorse their position paper and sign their petition
Join in the Global Days of Action
Research firms that are investing (and their insurance companies) and pressure them to stop
Raise awareness
For more information, please go to http://www.shwe.org/

EarthRights International
By Ryan D.

Rachel, the EarthRights representative who spoke to us, gave a very revealing presentation. The organization has two schools in Chiang Mai, where students study English, human rights, public speaking, government, and, perhaps most importantly, critical thinking. One of the two schools is comprised predominantly of Burmese students. The multi-ethnic dynamic present there provides an atmosphere that helps the students (and, hopefully, subsequently their communities) overcome the military junta's divide-and-conquer-style rule. Rachel was also very accutely aware of the atrocities in Burma, including the military's use of human land mines, the slaughtering of monks with machetes, and the pummelling of protestors with trucks. She also illustrated the pros and cons of the Thai government turning a blind eye to some activities on the border. Though EarthRights is not registered to operate in Thailand, the government ignores its presence -- it also ignores the Burmese military's cross-border attacks on refugees.

The most personally significant aspect of the presentation was that of corporate social responsibility. On top of its actions on behalf of Burma, EarthRights is involved in lawsuits against corporations in countries ranging from Nigeria to Colombia. Rachel introduced ATCA, a U.S. act previously unknown to me, which allows non-U.S. citizens to sue American corporations. As a political activist who holds western corporations responsible for having helped establish and perpetuate in an unjust, exploitative world economy and in many cases sacrificing democracy and human rights for industrial success, discovering the ATCA was monumental.

Action Steps:

Boycott goods drawn from/produced in Burma, or sold by corporations in business with the junta.
Intern with EarthRights. They have internships available in Washington, D.C.

Meeting with SWAN

By Aneta and Lauren

As we sat down, SWAN (Shan Women’s Action Network) offered us delicious banana chips, which eased the seriousness of the topics they presented during our meeting. The brutal facts of the civil war were less painful as the women smiled and were very hospitable.

We learned a lot about the organization through the crunching of banana chips and shuffling of plates. They run several programs in areas of health, education, promoting funds for health care, and running three small clinics. Transportation to hospitals is free. They have support services for women suffering crises and empowerment programs for rape victims to change the perception that rape is the victim’s fault. Over 5,000 people ask for help each year. Many of the women are not only faced with domestic violence, but also violence from the military. The SPDC uses rape as a strategic weapon of war. Based on SWAN’s 2002 report, “License to Rape,” there were a reported 625 cases of rape.

SWAN has also cooperated with Lanna Action for Burma (LAB) on the campaign “Panties for Peace,” which called for all women to send their underwear to the SPDC embassies. The SPDC holds the belief that if a man comes in contact with women’s underwear, he will loose his power.

As an organization, SWAN has shown its dedication to help those in need and willingness to give all they can, step by step, helping not only the women, but the country itself. As a group, we wholeheartedly supported SWAN by purchasing many of their shirts, bags, books, and homemade handicrafts. A small contribution, but a forward step in supporting the people of Burma.

Action Steps:

Purchase SWAN paper doll books which help to explain in pictures the various ethnic groups within Burma. Every time you purchase one, they give one free.

January 1, Thai/Burma Border Trip, Winter 2007-08

2008-01-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

by Jodi, Carl, and Lauren

Of Souls and Skins
OR
Still Life with Peacock

A Peaceful Beginning

January 1st, 2008, was a holy day for most of us. We decided to visit a temple in the forest known for its meditation tunnels. After our Riverside Guesthouse breakfast of white toast with butter and jam, tangerines, and tea, we caught a sangtow and the driver wound his way out of the teeming city and straight into the jungle. Welcome to Wat U Mong.

Once there, we split into smaller groups and meandered across the extensive grounds, which included a museum, library, a hall of images, a 14th century stupa, zoo, a lake, the monks' humble huts and cottages, and an island filled with pigeons and people throwing bread to catfish.
At the top of the ground, a black starved Buddha, veins and ribs bulging, sits enlightened. (We will ask at a monk chat how, in his ascetic state, he could be enlightened.)

As a monk taught some of us proper postures for Buddhist meditation, others met Note (Phakhinai Phootron), a 20-year-old young monk who has been at the wat four years and studies Buddhism and the Thai way of life, Buddhist history, Sanskrit, Pali (one of the original Buddhist languages), and Buddhist teachings at a nearby university. At some point, everyone wandered through the famed meditation tunnels -- the dim air rich with the fragrance of incense. Within the tunnels, people kneeled in prayer to Buddha statues tucked into nooks and offered flowers and bottles of water (complete with straws).

Still Life with Peacock

While most of the group went on to lunch, a couple could not yet tear themselves away from this holy spot. Wandering back into the grounds, we found a fifty year-old monk who directed us towards "Animals," informing us that there was "No danger." "Deer, bull, peacocks.." We followed the path he'd shown us for several meters, realizing that we'd already been here once and seen nothing...we found ourselves at the same barbed fence and stoof there for a moment, unsure of where to go. Suddenly, the now-grinning monk (now carrying two baskets full of cabbage) called us over to other "path" (it was hardly more than a bit of dust on the forest floor). We followed him for several minutes deper into the woods, until we came to his hut, isolated in the forest. He started to make the strangest noises: "Maa-maa"and "leo-leo". We stood there, still puzzled, for a moment, before was saw several deer moving towards him. He tossed cabbage leaves and bananas to them, keeping up his calls of "maa-maa" before handing us a basket and several bunches of bananas so that we could follow his example. (Jodi managed to avoid hitting too many deer.)

After feeding the deer (and several wild kittens), we asked to see the peacocks. The monk motioned toward the forest and told us that the peacock was 100 meters away. Carl went off not asking for directions like a true guy, until this path, like the others we had been following, ended in a tree. Jodi went back and asked directions, at which point Mantana the Monk led us deeper into the woods, where we met with his other charges: four peacocks in a cage. "Maa-maa," "leo-leo," and the peacocks came for his bananas. After feeding the peacocks and watching one of the males display his plumage (absolutely gorgeous!), we spent several minutes talking to Mantana. On our way back, he tried to give us his sandals (he had already given us his towels, water, and fruit), and gave each of us a signed copy of his writings. The writings spanned four pages and helped to explain Buddhist perspectives on life, rather than prescribing some particular ethic or way of living.

We took a quick Took-Took ride back to the guesthouse.

More Heavenly Sensations

Meanwhile, others shopped or got real Thai massages. After an already relaxing time at Wat U Mong, the massage nearly made us melt away, or (as Anna says) took us to our "happy place." The ladies at Glow Thai first gave us tea as we waited. After they washed our feet and slipped on cloth sandals that were either too small for our big male American feet or too big for the ladies, we were directed upstairs to change into fresh linens and get comfortable on the massage beds. For an hour or two (for our well-deserving student leaders), the ladies skillfully rubbed, beat, pulled, and stretched until we felt as light and flexible as a rag doll.

The rest of the night included dinner with the much-anticipated mango with sticky rice and more shopping at the Night Bazaar. Our last free day came to a delightful close and tomorrow we get down to business with our first meeting.

Ringing in the New Year, Thai/Burma Border Trip, 12-31-07, Winter 2007-08

2007-12-31T18:27:00.000-08:00

by Jodi, Aneta, Lauren, and Carl

Long Live the King: Happy New Year
Or
Women Are Evil: Don't Steal Our Monks

Section I: Long Live the King: Happy New Year

The cusp of 2007 found us at the Tha Pae gate of Chiang Mae setting the sky on fire surrounded by thousands of Thais and farangs (foreigners).

Once we got to the walls of the old city, we were greeted by an immense King's portrait surrounded by small yellow lanterns. The sky was filled with orange specks--what turned out to be lanterns set afloat like hot air ballons. An Aussie saw us yearning to set off one and gave us the lantern his tour guide had given him. We took a lighter to the wax ring, which was connected by thin wires to a wind sock. Once the fire started, the wind sock filled with air and soon we could let the lantern float upwards with the thousands of others filling the sky. Happy New Year! Long Live the King!

But that was just the finale to the end of another great day.

After a morning of errands and Internet, we split up in two groups for lunch. One went to the local ex-pat grocery store, which has a a little coffee shop connected to the front. It served an odd combination of eastern and western: ham and cheese spring rolls, coconut freeze, chicken salad sandwiches.

The second group headed to what we thought was a more authentic area. After perusing a few menus, the owner of Hell's Kitchen convinced us into giving his food a try. We were in a time crunch and we thought he, being American (from Cleveland no less) would understand our sense of urgency. His Thai wife and her sister were cooking in place of his usual staff, who all seemed to have misfortunate accidents over the holiday weekend. While they hurried to prepare nine meals--ranging from baby back ribs to red curry to home-made corn bread to noodle soup--he sat behind us rambling on about the economics of the food court, which was owned by the billionaire who owns Chang beer; his Burmese waiter who disappeared for several days during the recent uprisings; his knowledge of pizza based on his forays in Italy; and his mother's recipe for barbeque sauce. Finally, 45 minutes later, while our bus waited, the last of our mediocre food arrived.

Section II: Don't Steal Our Monks

For the afternon, we hired a tour guide, who was very excited about Northern Thailand's history. We went to three temples and learned about Buddhism, monarchies, and the struggles between Burma and Thailand. For a reference point, the Buddhist calendar is based on Buddha's death, 543 years before the Common Era began.

Our first stop was Wat Chiang Man, the first temple of King Mengrai in the 13th century. It held ancient crystal and marble Buddhas. The history behind it was very interesting and informative, despite the difficulties of names, dates, geography, and accents. Colorful, gorgeous pictures lining the wat told Buddha's story, from his material life as a prince surrounded by beautiful women; to his attempts to renounce materialism, including starving and cutting himself; to his deeds as an enlightened Buddha.

At Wat Suan Dok, the flower garden temple, we were surprised to find reliquaries of Chiang Mai royalty in place of flowers. Apparently hundreds of years ago a monk claimed to have a relic of Buddha with magical properties. The monk had a vision that it needed to be placed in a special spot. He asked several kings where to place it. The king of Chiang Mai came forward, offering his flower garden as a holy grounds for the magnificent gold pagoda.

This wat is also where we'll be chatting with monks later in the week. Our tour guide reminded the women not to touch the monks. Women provide a source of evil temptation, diverting them from their holy path. "Don't the monks," he warned playfully. "Don't steal our monks." Like most other Buddhist men, he himself had served time as a monk. When he was 21, he spent four months in a monastery, meditating, walking through the streets soliciting their daily meal, and studying Buddhism.

In his explanations of Buddhism, our guide referred to 'God' and 'Soul' - terms that carry Western religious connotations. Buddhism denies the existence of a soul and while there are 'gods' within Buddhism cosmology, there is no single overarching 'God' to worship. The guide's descriptions may have been an attempt to appeal to our Western understandings of religion, but ultimately, it seemed misleading. Take, for example, our guide's description of Mara, the emerald green goddess who tried to tempt the Buddha with material and transitory objects: Rather than explaining that the figure was goddess or her particular role in the story of the Buddha, he referred to her simply as 'god'. We look forward to Monk Chat, when we'll be able to talk to actively practicing monks.

Our last wat stop, the Wat Chedi Luang is the first or second largest pagoda in Thailand. Built in 1441 and partly destroyed by an earthquake, it still stands in its ancient glory. As in other wats, images of the seven Buddhas sat in a row, holding different poses for each day of the week. Bowls in front of the seven statues hold coins from Buddhists' required birthday donations. It's best to be born in the early parts of the month; donations are based on the day of the month you're born. Our tour guide was happy with his lot--the 8th, so he donated 8 baht.

Section III: Materialism
People ran to the markets to buy clothes for the night's festivities. Apparently Buddhism didn't make much of a mark.

We dressed in our finest and set out for the town. We dined outdoors at the Whole Earth, joined by a Korean guest and served by a dour waiter. An elephant stopped by to say hello. We tried to go to a hot highrise 5-star hotel, where a live Thai band sang Bee Gee covers and neon across the top floor proclaimed: Long Live the King: Happy New Year. But for 1,700 bhats per person, we headed across the street to a bar/restaurant, where we could still hear the music and see the band, and the drinks were cheaper. Just after 11, we headed for the festivities at the wall, where we set off our fire balloons and celebrated the New Year Thai style. We couldn't think of a better way to bring in 2008. Sa-wat-di pi mai--or, as Anna says, "swatee be my ka."

Happy New Year from India!

2007-12-31T04:24:00.000-08:00

Hello from Shoshanna:
We arrived safely a few days ago and are now settled into St. Patrick's home, the Dalit school where we are staying. We don't have regular access to the Internet, so I just wanted to write a quick hello and tell you that we are all doing very well.
The last 2 days we have been working on a preventive health survey in a rural village nearby. We were welcomed with garlands, bindis, music and dance. Very colorful! The nursing students we are working with are very nice and patient with us, since it is quite challenging to do a survey when we don't speak Tamil. Tonight we are going to another village to celebrate the New Year and the students are up on the roof practising their dance number.
That's all for now. I'll see if we can write more soon.

Adventures With Tony, 12-30-07, Thai/Burma Border, Winter 2007-08

2007-12-30T19:40:00.000-08:00

by Lauren and Jodi

Day 3: December 30, 2007

Adventures With Tony

Our tour guide for the day, Tony, took us on a long day's excursion to the southwest of Chiang Mai, in the Sanpatong area. For $24, we hiked straight up a mountain to a Hmong/Meo hilltribe village, rode (or didn't ride) elephants through the jungle, ate an authentic Thai meal in an authentic Shan village, visited the Karen people and watched them weave beautiful cloths and made friends with sweet children, slipped and slid and swam under a waterfall, and finally coursed down a swiftly moving Mae Win River on bamboo rafts.

We got more out of this adventure than we ever would have expected. We got culture and physical challenges, learned about animal rights, met friendly Thai people, saw beautiful sites, and had a whole lot of fun.

Starting out, we didn't know what to expect--and many of us weren't prepared. But when Tony told us to take the bamboo walking sticks by the van, those of us wearing flip flops knew we were in for an adventure. For 45 minutes we huffed and puffed and slid, the highlight being the rickety bamboo bridge with missing slats.

At the top of the Mae Wong mountain in the Hmong village, Tony gave us a brief history. The people were originally from Tibet and adopted Christianity from missionaries. They used to get their income from opium and marijuana; now they grow rice and sew handicrafts which they sell to tourists, some of whom climbed the mountain as we did, others who took the road.

Next stop: elephants. As we watched our beasts approach us, we noticed they looked sad and overworked. Many had holes in their ears and one had a bloody cut on his head. Most of the young Thai men driving them carried metal picks. But we decided to hop on anyway, two to elephant.

Most of us told our guides not to use the sticks or hit the elephants as we made our way through the jungle. The elephants seemed fine, and we were glad that the guides honored our requests.

Yoshi's and Jodi's elephant, though, refused to move and we wouldn't let them hurt him to give us our money's worth. After about 15 minutes of our elephant stalling, breaking off huge branches from trees, and cajoling from the guide, we just told him to turn back. Our animal got to rest and eat--that was the most we could do for animal rights today, but at least we did something.

Seeing the elephants in those conditions gave many of us second thoughts about the extent to which tourists are willing to exploit the local environment to have a good time. Some of us plan to return home and do further research into the treatment of elephants in particular.

Lunch was all local vegetables served by the Shan people in an open-air wooden building. The pineapple and watermelon dessert ended one of our best meals so far.

Next: Karen village. There are three sects; this was the white Karen, so called because the single women wore white to represent their availability. These people originated in Burma. The men work in the city, in construction, or cut teak in the forests. With this income and money from tourists, they are able to send their children to a local school where they learn English and Thai.

Next stop: Mae Wok waterfall
We approached the waterfall with caution, thinking it was too cold, the rocks were too slippery, and it was pretty just to look at. But once Lauren got splashed and slipped into the pool under the falls, all previous hesitations went out the window. Soon we were all climbing rocks, standing under the freezing falls, splashing around and screaming like kids. We made such a scene that a Thai onlooker began taking pictures of us. He took us up on our offer to take pictures of him with his wife and adorable daughter in return. We look forward to exchanging pictures by e-mail.

Finally, already wet, we embarked on the final leg of our journey: bamboo rafting. Our guides playfully terrorized us, splashing us with cold water and jolting the rafts to give us an exciting ride. What at first seemed like a lazy float turned to almost white-water rafting. Among the highlights: Poor Yoshi was flung from his float and held on for dear life.

When we got back to the guesthouse, Yoshi immediately collapsed on his bed and was out for hours.

The rest of us went to the night market for dinner. No sharing tonight. Delicious food including (shared) ethnic appetizer: Take a small leaf. Drop in ginger, red onion, baked coconut flakes, dried fish, peanuts, spoon in tamarind sauce.

After dinner, we walked through the overwhelming neon touristic night market. Not quite done for the day, some of us went off to Bubble for dancing.

And we went to sleep anticipating tomorrow: New Year's Eve day Thai style.

Jodi and Carl, Thai//Burma border, Winter 2007-08

2007-12-30T19:36:00.000-08:00

Flight:
28 hours in transit and we all survived. Highlights: several extremely long movies (Hairspray, Live Free or Die Hard, Shoot 'Em Up, Bordertown), interesting documentary on Chinese politics today. Great bibimbop (native Korean dish with vegetables, meat, rice, and chili paste) with seaweed soup. Four-hour layover in Seoul, where we created paper boxes, a traditional Korean craft.

Arrived in Chiang Mai sleepy, went through prolonged immigration screening. Two shuttles picked us up.We woke up guesthouse staff, smelled the honeysuckle in the garden, and were lulled to sleep by the moped traffic on the road outside at 3am.

Day 2: December 29
Woke up still slightly addled by jet lag. Most people went wandering through the streets. A few lucky ones found the local day market, with flowers prepared for temple-goers, stacks of spices and dried fish, sweets in banana leaves, candied water chestnuts which the vendor let us taste, pig faces, and the live birds in tiny cages. (We learned later that releasing these brings good luck.) We wandered into a less developed neighborhood--Chiang Mai waterfront property--and encountered an old woman who was watching a tortoise. She picked him up and encouraged us to pet him. (Note to parents: Yes, we pet. No, we didn't get bit.)

On every other block there was a wat, the name for the Buddhist temples, which are adorned, often with gold leaf, with the donations of patrons. In one wat, we heard a monk chanting so walked in where a group of people sat in chairs. We watched and listened for maybe 15 minutes before we realized we were party to a funeral. The people in back of us, we realized, all wore black. There was a framed photo of an older woman with a flowered garland. In the back: a casket. As we left, we asked a man with a black t-shirt and jeans if this was a funeral and he confirmed, with a broad smile, that yes, his 86-year-old mother had just died. Oops.

The whole group collected for lunch at Antique restaurant, where we ordered pad thai--the real thing of course, fried rice with pineapple served in a pineapple, pad ped (catfish curry) with an unnamed pea-looking spice or vegetable that was basically inedible, soup served in a green coconut, and other assorted dishes.

Then, our first excursion. Our shuttle took us up endless switchbacks to Doi Suthep, a magnificent wat overlooking Chiang Mai, where apparently half of Thailand was visiting that day. The parking line extended maybe for a mile. The wat stood at the top of a high set of stairs, where young Thais with guitars sang songs and asked for contributions to worthy causes. According to legend, an Indian king, as part of a religious rite, placed a relic of the Buddha on a white elephant, which wandered to the top of Doi Suthep and died of exhaustion. And so they built a wat there.

Up the stairs, a zillion tourists carrying white or red roses circumambulated the stupa, which was also lined with seven days' worth of Buddhas in seven different positions. Patrons were also prostrating themselves in front of various Buddha statues and offering incense and flower garlands. Monks sprayed water with short broom and tied white string around wrists as a blessing. Rows of bells inscribed with prayers were rung, reaffirming their prayers. The monks were selling candles, prayer flags, and prayers they wrote on paper that they would burn for you.

Next: more switchbacks to a native Hmong hillside village, which had been converted, somewhat anyway, into a tourist attraction. Fortunately we arrived at the end of the day when most tourists were leaving, so we were able to see the young Hmong boys play ball in the empty parking lot while older boys played basketball in a schoolyard. Overlooking the town stood a white temple structure. We tried to get there, avoiding the chickens that ran through the streets (Carl successfully overcoming his phobia) (the roosters were caged in overturned straw baskets) but ended up in field of old tires. We tried again, and ended up in the opium museum, which we refused to pay for. So we went down to the shops and wandered, finding a Tibetan prayer bowl that magically makes a beautiful sound, and bought an "electrolyte beverage," which tasted like corn syrup. Two others in our group found the right road to the temple and said it had beautiful flowers and a waterfall. A gorgeous pink sunset gave us the perfect ending for our excursion.

For dinner we wandered into a local restaurant. Dan, our trusty professorial leader, ordered a variety of dishes for us to try. (He had lived in Thailand for a year and his Thai is coming back, especially--luckily for us--concerning food.)

Dan went to get a massage, some of the women went to call or e-mail home, a few went off for Karaoke, and the bloggers blogged. Stay tuned. We'll be back.

Thailand/Burma Alternative Break: Pre-departure Meetings

2007-12-26T15:25:00.000-08:00

Lauren Barr, Thai/Burma Border Winter '08

For all of American University’s Alternative Breaks, participants must attend at least eight pre-departure meetings. These meetings are a time for us to bond even while we delve into the place, people, and issues that our trip incorporates.

Our pre-departure meetings were full of laughs and learning – truly setting the tone for our trip. Every Wednesday at 9 pm, we gathered in a circle of chairs in the basement of the Kay Spiritual Life Center. After a long day of school and work, everyone still made it a priority to show up on time and engage in the discussions. As we arrived, we passed around all of the materials for the day: the half-sheet agenda, outlines and facts on the topics being covered, perhaps a list of essential words in Thai, and other odds and ends.

For the first several meetings, we began with a fun mixer to learn about each other and start to bond as a group. Classic games like “Two Truths and a Lie” and “I’m going on a social action trip” lightened the mood and gave us an extra burst of energy to begin the hour-long meeting. During the last few sessions, we also initiated a new tradition called “Highs and Lows,” which will become part of our routine in Thailand. In this activity, we take turns explaining the best and worst moments of our day. We hope that “Highs and Lows” will help us to process our experiences and check in with each other at the end of each jam-packed day.

Throughout our pre-departure meetings, we also read and discussed several excerpts. Our readings included a controversial speech by Ivan Illich called “To Hell with Good Intentions,” an article called “Thailand: Complications in the Resettlements of Burmese Refugees,” Aung San Suu Kyi’s “Freedom from Fear,” an interview of Aung San Suu Kyi, and part of The Iron Road by James Mawdsley. Each passage gave a different perspective on our trip and through them we probed deeper into the issues of democracy and human rights in Burma and raised questions about how to be effective activists how exactly to define the purpose of our trip. The conversations these readings prompted helped us to clarify what it means to go on an alternative break and how to make the most of it while we are there.

In one of our meetings, Jeremy Woodrum, the founder and director of the US Campaign for Burma, came to speak. He talked about his personal connection to Burma and why our activism is so vital. One of the things he said that really struck me was that we should focus on listening and making connections with individuals. The Burmese people, he commented, often do not openly talk to each other about the hardships they all face. Because they tend to hold their experiences and emotions inside, a foreigner can provide a much-needed outlet for their stories. We need to encourage them to stay strong and continue to fight for their rights.

Integral to each meeting were the presentations on various topics related to our trip. On the first meeting, everyone chose one or more topic, so that we covered the history of Burma, the military junta, Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy, political prisoners, the impact of foreign direct investment/trade/sanctions, humanitarian aid, refugees, the environment, ethnic groups, drugs, IDPs, child soldiers, forced labor, sex workers, migrant workers, and Burma’s relationship with ASEAN and other international organizations. Each session, I left feeling overwhelmed by what I learned and renewed in my commitment to helping the people of Burma. I think we all struggled to register that the astounding statistics represent people and the facts written on paper will soon be real to us. The over 500,000 internally displaced persons and hundreds of thousands of refugees in neighboring countries, the 1,300 political prisoners and 360,000 Burmese with HIV/AIDS, the sex workers, migrant workers, monks, and child soldiers will soon become faces to us.

We have prepared as best we can and now it is time for us to take the long plane ride to the Thai/Burma border where we will experience firsthand one of the most brutal and devastating crises in the world today.

Local Organizations at Thai-Burma Border

2007-12-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

Jodi Lipson, Thai-Burma Border, Winter 07-08

Here are some of the organizations we will be meeting with.

1. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) (www.aappb.org) assists families of political prisoners to visit their loved ones, supports prisoners by providing necessities such as food and medicine, monitors conditions in prisons, publicizes arrests, conditions and life stories of imprisoned political activists and artists, and advocates for change.

2. The Burma Lawyers Council (www.blc-burma.org), established by lawyers, actively oppose the military dictatorship. It
Promotes and assists in the educating, implementation, restoring, and improving basic human rights, democratic rights, and the rule of law in Burma;
Assists in the drafting and implementing a constitution for Burma, and in associated matters of legal education.

3. The Cynthia Maung and Mae Tao Clinic (www.maetaoclinic.org) provides free health care for refugees, migrant workers, and other individuals who cross the border from Burma to Thailand. People of all ethnicities and religions are welcome at the Clinic.

4. The Democratic Party for a New Society (www.dpns.org) was formed in October 1988 to continue Burma's unfinished democratic struggle, which was suppressed by the brutal military regime. The DPNS, with a large support base amongst the youth, including students, has played a vital role in 1990s. countrywide. The DPNS was the second largest party next to the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, though it allies with the NLD, and is closely working for its political campaigns.

5. The Democratic Voice of Burma (http://www.dvb.no) is a nonprofit Burmese media organization committed to responsible journalism.

6. Earthrights International (http://www.earthrights.org) combines the power of law and the power of people in defense of human rights and the environment. They specialize in fact-finding, legal actions against perpetrators of earth rights abuses, and training for grassroots and community leaders and advocacy campaigns.

7. Empower (www.empowerfoundation.org) is a grassroots organization which offers support, assistance, and access to education for women workers in the entertainment industry.

8. Free Burma Rangers (http://www.freeburmarangers.org) is a multiethnic, multi-faith humanitarian service movement aimed at bringing help, hope and love to people in the war zones of Burma. In addition to relief and reporting, other results of the teams' actions are the development of leadership capacity, civil society and the strengthening of inter-ethnic unity. Over 90 multi-ethnic teams have been trained with 20 full time teams active in the Karen, Karenni, Shan, Lahu and Arakan areas of Burma.

9. Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (www.hreib.com/eindex.html) aims to empower people through human rights education to engage in social transformation and promote a culture of human rights for all.

10. The Irrawaddy Newspaper (www.irrawaddy.org). Its parent, the Irrawaddy Publishing Group, was established in 1992 by Burmese citizens living in exile and is not affiliated with any political party or organization. The Irrawaddy seeks to promote press freedom and access to unbiased information.

11. The Karen Women’s Organization (www.karenwomen.org), formed in 1949 and with a membership of more than 30,000 women, is a community-based organisation of Karen women working in development and relief in the refugee camps on the Thai border and with IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) and women inside Burma.

12. The Moe Swe and Yaung Chi Oo Workers Union (http://yaungchioo.org) (YCOWA) was founded in 1999 by Burmese student activists and migrant workers, with the goal of improving working and living conditions for the Burmese migrant laborers in the Mae Sot area of Thailand. Since then, it has mainly focused on in the field of protecting worker rights, providing rights education, supporting for health care and facilitating social activities.

13. The Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN) (www.shanwomen.org) is a founding member of the Women's League of Burma, an umbrella women's organization of 11 women's groups from Burma. It aims to promote women's and children's rights, oppose exploitation of and violence against women and children; and work for peace and freedom.

14. The SHWE Gas Project (www.shwe.org) is concerned with a natural gas pipeline project presently unfolding in Western Burma. In cooperation with Burma's military junta, a consortium of Indian and Korean corporations are currently exploring gas fields off the coast of Arakan State in Western Burma. These Shwe fields are destined to become the Burmese military government's largest single source of foreign income.

2007-11-14T09:20:00.001-08:00

Welcome to American University's alternative breaks blog! This space will be a shared space for participants from all trips to post their thoughts and reactions to their experiences on their alternative break trips.

This winter, AU students will go to:

Colombia to look at displacement and development issues
India to look at the Dalit Movement against the Indian Caste System
Thailand/Burma Border to look at the Burmese Democracy Movement

Students will be sharing their photos, videos, and thoughts on these trips here!