Burma

[juliet]

bootpunk said that even as an atheist, it seems particularly horrifying to see monks being beaten up and shot. The whole thing is horrifying, though. And the way that things are being closed down within Burma now (phone lines cut, internet cut, people being searched for mobile phones and cameras, international mobile calls tracked) is increasingly worrying.

The Burma Campaign UK has links for you to contact the EU President (via the Portugese Embassy), and Gordon Brown. There's also contact details for the various Burmese embassies here. The email addresses for the UK, Canada, and France definitely don't work; no bounce message yet from Australia or the US. (I will write to the UK instead. I thought of phoning but I really don't know what I'd say on the phone. "Press one to protest about the current crackdown on peaceful protest"?).

Will it do any good? Fvck knows. Amnesty maintain that international pressure does work, in general. And not doing it definitely won't do any good.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_nicolai_/]

Letters, while slower, have more effect. Amnesty has a brief letter-writing guide. For people like the the Burmese military, addressing the letter with the right flowery phrase ("His Excellency the Ambassador of the Union of Myanmar" may be correct) helps avoid an immediate filing in the circular filing cabinet.

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

I was pleased to see that Parliament Square was full of "Free Burma" protesters last night. I had from a distance feared I would be walking past a "Hands Off Myanmar" demonstration.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

i understand there's to be a rally tomorrow:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=18203329336

i'm meant to be going to watch foopball...

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

That's not tomorrow!

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

GPWM!!!

i wonder if i'll be in any fit state to make it in to town by 11.30 on sunday...