Memorial service held at Canberra in Australia for Black Friday’s victims
DVB (2003 June 14)

It is reported that a memorial service for the victims of Black Friday which occurred on the 30th of May was held today at 10am in Canberra, Australia. The service was held at Thilawut Burmese Monastery in Canberra and it was attended by more than 70 Burmese democracy activists, said Dr. Myint Cho, an activists in Australia as follows:

Dr. Myint Cho : We held a Buddhist memorial service for all members and supporters of the NLD who were brutally killed on the 30th of May and for the better future of their family members by donating nourishments to the monks, hearing the teachings and saying prayers according the Buddhist tradition. Although the service is mainly aimed for the people who have died on the 30th of May, we also prayed for all those who died in the struggles under the rule of the military government.

Moreover, the activists are working hard to make the international community to take punitive measures on the SPDC, he added as follows:

Dr. Myint Cho : Today, we went to Canberra and met the advisor of Mr Downer, the Foreign Secretary. We mainly argued that by looking at the incident in Dipeyin, aid given to human rights trainings given by the Australian government in Burma is no more effective. It would be like watering the poison plant. Therefore, the government will only be wasting taxes taken from the Australian people. We demanded him to withdraw the helps given by the Australian government to the Burmese regime.

Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1430 gmt 14 June 03