PROTEST THE BURMESE REGIME'S CRACKDOWN ON DEMOCRACY

When: June 19th, 10AM, Women of Burma Day and birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize Winner.

Where: Embassy of Burma's military regime, 2300 S Street, NW

Contact: Dan Beeton, 202-547-5985, dbeeton@freeburmacoalition.org

On May 30th, Burma's brutal military regime, led by the dictator Than Shwe, attacked the motorcade of Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of the National League for Democracy party using hired goons and members of its own brown-shirts-type group, the "Union Solidarity and Development Association."
Hundreds of men attacked the democracy activists with clubs, spears, and guns, killing as many as one hundred and injuring many more. In the time since, the regime has rounded up and detained dozens of people and many more are missing - some feared dead. Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders, including Vice Chairman U Tin Oo, 75, have also been held prisoner since.

The May 30th massacre spelled the end of any hopes for political dialogue in Burma. Although the regime had engaged in "confidence building" talks sponsored by the UN, in the past year the junta has refused to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi.

The crackdown is only the latest episode in a long list of human rights
atrocities committed by the regime, which has been widely condemned for using rape as a weapon of war, for using more child soldiers than any other country - 70,000, for widespread use of torture, and for imprisoning more than 1,400 political prisoners - many in solitary confinement.

Sponsored by: the Free Burma Coalition, the Committee for the Restoration of Democracy in Burma, and the Democratic Burmese Students Organization.