Dear MoveOn member: They're shooting monks in Burma.

[madfloridian]

Dear MoveOn member
Have you seen the news?

After decades of brutal dictatorship, the people of Burma are rising—and they need our help. In the past few days, hundreds of thousands of peaceful protesters, led by Buddhist monks, have flooded the streets of Rangoon.1 But yesterday, the military started shooting monks and journalists.2

In Burma when protesters last marched in 1988, the military massacred thousands. But this time it can be different—if only the world stands with the marchers.

This is a true emergency. Avaaz.org, MoveOn's international sister group, has launched a petition demanding Burmese generals negotiate rather than crush the demonstrators. They're focused on getting United Nations Security Council members—particularly China's Hu Jintao—to intervene. Will you sign Avaaz.org's petition? Clicking here will add your name:

http://pol.moveon.org/burma/o.pl?id=11318-1340845-d.QM4T&t=3

Our friends at Avaaz say the petition has taken off. Already, people from 200 countries have signed, and thousands more are adding their names every hour. People around the world are mobilizing protests aimed at China and the other countries with the economic power to sway the ruling military junta. It's an unprecedented global response. If you sign, we'll pass your name and info to Avaaz.org, which is delivering signatures on an ongoing basis to the UN Security Council and the media at the UN—and communicating our support directly to the Burmese.

For decades the Burmese dictatorship fought off pressure—imprisoning elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and democracy activists, wiping out thousands of villages in the provinces, bringing miseries from forced labour to refugee camps. One-third of children under 5 now suffer malnutrition; millions are down to one meal a day.

But last Tuesday Buddhist monks and nuns, overwhelmingly respected in Burma, began marching and chanting prayers. The protests spread—and now they're growing by tens of thousands every day , as ordinary people join in. They've broken the chains of fear and given hope to 52 million Burmese.

However, this hope is hanging by a thread. Yesterday, the regime began cracking down on the monks, raiding monasteries and staging mass arrests. Now, demonstrators and journalists have been killed by soldiers shooting into crowds of unarmed, peaceful protesters.


This is one of those moments where the world can make the difference: standing shoulder to shoulder with the Burmese people, helping to shine a dissolving light on tyranny. Let's call on powers at the UN—in particular, China (next year's Olympics host)—to warn the generals that violence will have the gravest consequences, and the time has come for change.

Click here to sign the petition, then tell everyone you know:

http://pol.moveon.org/burma/o.pl?id=11318-1340845-d.QM4T&t=4

This week, the Burmese people have chosen hope over fear. We need to let the demonstrators know the world is with them.

Thank you,

–Eli, Justin, Adam, Noah, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Friday, September 28th, 2007


Sources:

1. "Myanmar's Protests: On the Brink," The Economist, September 27, 2007.
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9868041

2. "Myanmar Troops Kill 9 More Protesters," Associated Press, September 27, 2007.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3020&id=11318-1340845-d.QM4T&t=5

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http://political.moveon.org/donate/email.html?id=11318-1340845-d.QM4T&t=6

[nebula]

1. When are we going to invade?

too bad they don't have any oil.

[Uncle Joe]

2. Thanks for the thread madfloridian.

Kicked and recommended.

[uppityperson]

3. k&r

[Miss Chybil]

4. Done. Thank you. nt

[Tuesday_Morning]

5. done

thanks for posting this.