People were killed for it since the beginning of time, in the name of power: religious (i.e. Inquisition), military (so many empires built on murder) or just the need of feeling superior (i.e. racism).

Having it makes us who we are, opens the gates of creativity, humanity, happiness. Being denied it makes us useless puppets.

It works on every level of society: from basic family relations, to work environment, to globalization of human interactions.

Used properly, it is responsible for our most wonderful creations. If used for the wrong reasons, it is responsible for the worst atrocities ever committed.

Somewhere in this world, there is a 63 year old woman in prison. She was rightfully elected as the president of her country and she won the Nobel Peace Prize for peacefully fighting the military regime that is killing, torturing and abusing her nation. Aung San Suu Kyi is the symbol of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of our days, and she keeps fighting the military regime with nothing but wording her beliefs. Her beliefs that people are born free, and noone has the right to treat them otherwise. She said to the world: “Use your freedom to promote ours!”

Do you know what freedom I’m talking about? Do you know what most of the unhappy people in the world need? Are you using it at it’s best potential, or you are just following others while denying your own right?

Freedom of opinion and expression: individuals’ most powerful weapon, oppressors’ most feared enemy.

My favorite article from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
Article 19: FREEDOM OF OPINION AND EXPRESSION ARE GRANTED TO EVERYONE.

What is yours? Do you know what your rights are? Do you take them for granted? Please comment. Express your thoughts! :)

Also, don’t forget to print the UDHR poster (11x17in.- tabloid) (8.5x11in.- lettersize) and share it with everyone today. The world needs people to be aware of their Human Rights, we all need to read it at least once.

Watch all the 30 videos part of Burma It Can’t Wait campaign on US Campaign for Burma youtube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/uscampaignforburma

Read more about it in LA Times’s Article See Shepard Fairey’s latest campaign poster

Dear Friends,

Today, Aung San Suu Kyi turns 64 years old. She will spend this birthday in Insein prison, as a prisoner of Than Shwe’s military regime — simply because she has called for democracy and human rights for the people of Burma.

We and our colleagues throughout the world have been doing a ton of work to make sure that she remains in the spotlight.  Over 560 people signed up to host events in their homes through our “Arrest Yourself” campaign!

If you were not able to host an event, we are asking you to make a special donation of $64, $640 or $6,400 today to the U.S. Campaign for Burma in honor of Aung San Suu Kyi, so that we can continue our work to advocate for her freedom, and human rights for everyone in Burma.

Your money will be put to good use.  Here are only a few things we have organized lately:

• This year, through our annual “Arrest Yourself” campaign, over 560 people in every state and 46 countries around the world have pledged to put themselves under self-imposed “house arrest” and to host educational events in solidarity with Aung San Suu Kyi.
• On Moday, U.S. Campaign for Burma Executive Director Aung Din joined other prominent democracy advocates from Burma to personally deliver a petition of over 680,000 signatures calling for the release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, to Ibrahim Gambari, the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy to Buurma at UN headquarters in New York.
• We helped recruit 112 former Presidents and Prime Ministers from throughout the world  to urge the UN Secretary  General to travel to Burma to seek Suu Kyi’s release.  While he initially resisted, in early May he changed his mind and said he will go in the near future.
• We are currently campaigning for the renewal of the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act, which includes targeted sanctions on Burma’s ruthless leaders that Aung San Suu Kyi has called for. We hope you will join this effort and take a moment to call your Senators.
• Our work has been covered in thousands of news articles, helping to keep Burma on the agenda of world leaders

You can read more about what else we’ve done lately here and, at the bottom of this email you can read about some of the events taking place around the world to honor Aung San Suu Kyi.

Please help us to continue our vital work by making a contribution to our campaign today.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Woodrum
Director
U.S. Campaign for Burma

People around the world are rallying behind Aung San Suu Kyi.  However, we need to do more. Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi are now the feature of one of the world’s leading news stories.  It looks like the Burmese military regime will try and sentence Aung San Suu Kyi this coming Monday.

To make matters more difficult, the regime just “disbarred” one of her attorneys, effectively revoking his law license.

Yet, with your support, we and many allied organizations around the world have pressed governments to speak up and form a united call for change in Burma.   We are starting to see many activities come together to press for change:

1) There is a worldwide effort to collect 888,888 signatures on a petition to UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisonsers in Burma. If you haven’t signed already, please do so today.

2) On Monday, May 18th, demonstrations will be held in support of Aung San Suu Kyi around the world including in Singapore, Thailand, Spain, and the United States. Below is a list of locations in the U.S.

3) Many of you, as well as some great members of Congress, have weighed in with the Obama administration urging him to keep sanctions on Burma. Great news – yesterday President Obama announced that he will continue U.S. sanctions on Burma.

4) We now have over 460 people throughout the country signed up to “arrest themselves” in solidarity with Aung San Suu Kyi in the coming months. If you haven’t signed up yet, be sure to do so today.   It is a simple yet very effective way to contribute to the movement to free Burma.

5) Leaders throughout the world, including some from Asia, are demanding the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. See a very brief list below. We are glad that Singpaore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Japan are all calling for Aung San Suu Kyi’s release.  Yet, China has remained silent. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said she will raise the issue with China. We will need to make sure she keeps her promise. As a world leader, China must to more for international justice.

6) Many countries are criticizing the arrest, but not proposing specific action. Yesterday, we started to bring some focus to next steps, calling for a global arms embargo on Burma and the creation of a commission of inquiry at the United Nations to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma.

We are going to be calling on you for a great deal of help this coming week, so please stay tuned…

Best regards,
Jeremy Woodrum

US EMBASSY DEMONSTRATIONS:

Friday, May 15th (concluded):
New York

Monday, May 18th:

Boston
4:30pm, Harvard Sq. Kiosk
Contact: samantha.allen93@gmail.com

Washington, DC
12:30pm, Military Attache Office of Burmese Embassy, 2300 California St, NW
Contact: mike@uscampaignforburma.org

San Fransisco
11:30pm-1:30pm, United Nations Plaza, Civic Center, San Francisco. Market St @ 7th St
Contact: nyuntthan@gmail.com,  http://www.badasf.org/

NEWS ARTICLES

United Nations

United Nations and International Community UN rights chief calls for Aung San Suu Kyi’s immediate release

Myanmar: UN Security Council should demand Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s

Pressure on Yangon to Free Suu Kyi

Intl community irate over Suu Kyi’s legal plight

United States

United States Top US senators warn Myanmar over Aung San Suu Kyi

Senators alarmed by treatment of Nobel recipient

Advocacy group, celebrities urge release of Myanmar’s Suu Kyi

Clinton ‘deeply troubled’ by Aung San Suu Kyi charges

Europe

Europe Sakharov Network calls for immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi, Sakharov Prize laureate 1990

Aung San Suu Kyi Should Be Released And Treated Properly

Aung San Suu Kyi detention infuriates EU ahead of ministers’ talks

Asia

ASEAN and Asian Countries Asian leaders call for release of Aung San Suu Kyi

Asian nations under fire for Suu Kyi inaction

Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone of Japan, one of Myanmar’s major international donors, voiced “deep concern”

USCB’s new “We Can Do It” t-shirts, featuring Aung San Suu Kyi, have just arrived in our freedom store – check them out today and wear one with pride.

This morning Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Aung San Suu Kyi was moved from her Rangoon home to Burma’s notorious Insein Prison, where she will face trial on Monday for supposedly violating the terms of her house arrest by hosting an unauthorized visitor after an American man swam uninvited to her compound and refused to leave.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest continuously since 2003 and for a total of over 13 of the past 19 years.  According to the State Protection Law, under which she has been held, she can be detained for a maximum of six years.  This period was due to expire in less than two weeks, on May 27th, 2009.  Now, the military junta is using trumped up charges stemming from the incident of the American swimmer to extend her detention.  Suu Kyi was the victim, not the perpetrator, of this crime. For more information, please read USCB’s press release from earlier today.

The crime for which Aung San Suu Kyi is now being tried carries a minimum prison sentence of three years.  This is a critical time for the military regime in Burma, which has faced great difficulty in gaining support for its plan to host elections based on a sham constitution in 2010.  We must take action to ensure that the regime continues to feel pressure from the international community.

Take Action Now:

1.) Email UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and urge him to send his envoy to Burma and to take a stand for Aung San Suu Kyi’s security and freedom.  Click here to send an email to the Secretary General.

2.) Plan a Demonstration
Burma groups around the world have called for demonstrations in support of Aung San Suu Kyi to be held at Burmese embassies on Monday, May 18th.

US Campaign for Burma has organized a demonstration in Washington, DC at 12:30pm on Monday, May 18th, in front of the Burmese military attache (2300 California St. NW, near Dupont Circle). For more information contact Mike Haack at mike@uscampaignforburma.org.  If you are interested in organizing one in your home town, email Mike with the details and he will notify Burma supporters in your area.

3.) “Arrest Yourself” for Aung San Suu Kyi and Host a House Arrest Party to Educate Your Friends
Participate in Arrest Yourself 2009 and show your solidarity with Aung San Suu Kyi: uscampaignforburma.org/arrestyourself2009.

Learn More:

The world is giving more and more attention to Aung San Suu Kyi’s cause.  You can learn more about the regime’s detention of Aung San Suu Kyi on the news section of our website, or by reading these articles from CNN International, BBC, Al Jazeera, Agence France Presse, and Straight Times.

Thank you for taking action for Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma,

Jeremy Woodrum
Director
U.S. Campaign for Burma Support 1991 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi and the struggle for freedom and democracy in Burma:

Become a member of the U.S. Campaign for Burma.

Sign up now for Arrest Yourself 2009!

Here is what we are asking you to do: Pledge to give up 24 hours of your time sometime between now and June 19th in a show of solidarity with Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners in Burma.

For those 24 hours, you will stay at your house (or school, or anywhere you choose) under self-imposed “house arrest”. During your house arrest, invite people to your house or school for a small portion of your “arrest” and hold an educational party about Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma.

We will send you a host packet full of printed materials about Burma that you can use to educate your guests, along with powerful DVD documentaries that you can screen to help people understand the issues and learn more about Suu Kyi and Burma. We will include simple actions that you and your guests can take, such as petitions to sign, and we will even send you Burmese recipes so you can serve a Burmese lunch or dinner if you’d like to.

We are asking that you also use your event as a small fundraiser to help our efforts to free Aung San Suu Kyi and all the people of Burma. It is easy to raise at least $200 — if you invite 10 people, you can ask them to contribute $20 each. Many people can raise much more. Every single donation will be used to help Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma — please click here to see what we’ve accomplished with your donations.

You can even create your own personalized fundraising webpage here – then send the link to friends and family and watch as your thermometer creeps closer and closer to achieving your fundraising goal. All donations through your page will go directly to USCB, but they will be attributed to you and your event.

Many people might like to plan their “arrest” event around June 19th — Aung San Suu Kyi’s 64th birthday. You can do it then, or choose any other time before then.

If we organize hundreds of events, we can educate thousands of people about the struggle for human rights in Burma. Just as the world rallied to free Nelson Mandela and the people of South Africa in the 1980s, we will help free Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma.

Check out other Arrest Yourself events going on around the world.

Search for an individual’s personalized fundraising page.

Already signed up to host? You can find all of the materials in your host packet in PDF format here, as well as links to online videos that you can show.

Yesterday, the UN made a groundbreaking decision on Burma.

For the first time ever, a body of the United Nations — the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD)– declared that the continued imprisonment of Burma’s democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is illegal under Burma’s own domestic laws.

Through this ruling, the UN has shown that not only does Than Shwe’s military junta operate with a thorough disregard for international law, but they have also firmly entrenched a system of impunity for violating their own laws inside Burma.  

After the ruling, the United Nations called on Burma’s military regime to release Aung San Suu Kyi immediately and without conditions.  This is another example of mounting international pressure against Burma’s regime.

Watch this video to learn how you can help Aung San Suu Kyi to regain her freedom by participating in

Arrest Yourself 2009, a global campaign for Aung San Suu Kyi.

The U.S. Campaign for Burma is working hard to ensure that Aung San Suu Kyi’s freedom, and the freedom of all 2,100 courageous political prisoners in Burma, remains a priority for the international community.

Participating in Arrest Yourself 2009 is a unique way for you to spend time with family and friends while spreading awareness about Aung San Suu Kyi and supporting her struggle for freedom. Sign-up today to host an Arrest Yourself 2009 event.

You can learn more about the UNWGAD’s decision on Aung San Suu Kyi’s illegal detention in the following articles:

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7960506.stm

www.irrawaddy.org/highlight.php.

Thank you for all your hard work,

Mike Haack
Campaigns Coordinator
U.S. Campaign for Burma