Women of Burma Day - Blood Donation

To commemorate June 19th Burmese Women's Day, nine members of the Burmese American Democratic Alliance (BADA) and the Burmese-American Women's Alliance (BAWA) of the SF Bay Area made a blood donation at the Newark American Red Cross on the morning of June 23rd.

June 19th is the birthday of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, 1991 Nobel Peace laureate.She leads the National League for Democracy (NLD), and won a landslide victory in the 1990 general election, but the ruling Burmese military regime (named the State Peace and Development Council) has denied the election result to this day.Since 1997, NLD and exiled Burmese groups have celebrated her birthday as Burmese Women's Day.

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Marking the anniversary of  Women of Burma Day 2001, Burmese American Democratic Alliance - BADA is organizing a blood donation event to be held on June 23 at the American Red Cross in Newark, California. The detail information about the event is as follows:

Plece: American Red Cross, 39227, Cedar Blvd, Newark, CA 94560, Tel: 1800 GIVE LIFE. 
Date:  Saturday  June 23, 2001 
Time: 10:00 AM

Contact: Daw Yee Yee Lay    (510) 475-8904, Jean Gale (650) 756-5887, Daw Khin Nwe Soe   (408) 835-7260, Daw Nam San Kham Win 408 390 5610,Daw Htay Htay Kyi   (408)531-1427

To the women of Burma by Aung San Suu Kyi 
(June 21, 1999) On her 54th birthday, Burmese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi released a statement, published below, urging the women of her country to assert themselves to bring peace and progress to Burma. 

It is only by treating women with respect and by giving them their rightful place that we can build a modern, progressive society. In Burma, as in other parts of the world, we need to work harder to correct the injustices that have been imposed upon women throughout history: Lack of respect for their gender, lack of equal opportunities with men in acquiring professional skills, discrimination in the workplace, fewer chances of serving in high administrative posts.

Half a century ago at the time Burma regained her independence, the women of our country enjoyed a reputation for their vigor and progressiveness, and for their ability to work shoulder to shoulder with their men folk. 

Today, it is especially important for our women to work actively to overcome the difficulties with which our country is faced. According to a number of psychologists, women are better able to cope than men in crisis situations. We should use this ability to bring peace and progress to our country, and to better the condition of peoples the world over. There is a great need for our women of Burma to use their capabilities to bring democracy and human rights to our country. It is no longer possible even for housewives to keep out of politics, because politics has invaded the traditional domain of housewives. The root cause of upward spiraling commodity prices, greatly increased charges for electricity, and rising costs of education and  health care is a political one.

As our country is a union of many peoples, it is only by building understanding and unity between the different ethnic groups that we will be able to achieve genuine success in any cause that we undertake. Therefore, I would like to request the women of all the ethnic nationalities of Burma to strive together for our country. The majority of the women who have been driven by economic and political problems to live beyond our borders as refugees are Karen, Mon, and others of our sisters from the ethnic nationalities. I would like to appeal to international aid organizations to help these women who are struggling to cope with the difficulties of refugee existence. Let me also send a message of support to our refugee sisters who await a future when they can return to their own land.  We are working hard that you may be able to come back soon to a Burma that will be a refuge for all our ethnic nationalities. Please do not lose heart.

I would also like to take the opportunity to honor those women who are making so many sacrifices for the cause of democracy and human rights in Burma. In particular, I would like to mention women political prisoners and the wives, daughters, and mothers of political prisoners. With perseverance and with the loyal commitment to our political objectives, our cause will surely prevail. Let us all walk forward together with firm hearts and minds to build a peaceful, prosperous union.

I send my warm greetings and love to the women of Burma.

Female Political Prisoners in Burma

 

# Name Sentence (Years) Prison
1 Aung San Suu Kyi, Daw ????? house arrest
2 Aye Aye Swe, Ma 10  Bassein
3 Aye Aye Win, Ma Insein
4 Aye Myint Than, Daw Myaungmya
5 Aye Than, Daw Life Insein
6 Chan Mya Aung, Ma 7 Insein
7 Cho, Ma 7 Insein
8 ChoMar Htwe,Ma  7 ?????
9 Ei Shwe Zin Nyunt,Ma Tharawaddy
10 Hninn Pa Pa,Ma 5 Mandalay
11 Hla Hla Win,Ma 6 ?????
12 Hninn Hninn Phwe,Ma 7+7 Tharawaddy
13. Hninn May Aung@ Noble Aye,Ma 42 Insein
14 Hninn Mya Aung,Ma 7 ?????
15 Kalaya,Ma 7 Insein
16 Khin Aye Aye Mar,Ma 7 Insein
17 Khin Cho Myint,Ma 7 Mandalay
18 Khin Cho Myint @  Zulu,Ma 10 Moulmein
19 Khin Khin Leh,Ma Life  Insein
20 Khin Kyi Kyi,Ma 5 Mandalay
21 Khin Lay Nge,Ma 7 Insein
22 Khin Ma Gyi,Daw 3 Insein
23 Khin Mar Kyi,Dr 7 Mandalay
24 Khin Mar Yee,Ma 7 Insein
25 Khin Moe Aye,Ma 7 Insein
26 Khin Myint, Ma 3 Insein
27 Khin San Aye,Ma 7 Insein
28 Khin Sint,Daw 3 Mandalay
29 Khin Soe Myint,Ma ? Insein
30 Khin SoeWin,Ma 7 Moulmein
31 Khin Than Aye,Ma 5 Mandalay
32 Khin Tint,Daw ????? Mandalay
33 Khin Win Kyi,Ma ????? Insein
34 Kyi Kyi Mar,Ma 7 Insein
35 Kyi Kyi Win,Ma 14 Insein
36 Kyu,Ma 10 Mandalay
37 Kyu Kyu Mar,Ma 21 Insein
38 Lay Lay Mon,Ma 7 Insein
39 Leh Leh Cho,Ma 7 Myaungmya
40 Ma Ma Aye,Daw 7 Mandalay
41 Mar Mar Oo,Ma 14 Insein
42 Mar Mar Oo,Ma 7 Insein
43 May Win Myint,Dr 7 Tharawaddy
44 Mi Mi Aung,Ma 7 Insein
45 Mya Sabae Moe,Ma 21 Shwebo
46 Myaing,Ma 5 Mandalay
47 Myint Myint San,Ma ????? Mandalay
48 Natkyar,Ma 2 Kale
49 Nge Ma MaThan,Daw 10 Insein
50 Nilar Thein,Ma 10 Tharawaddy
51 Ni Ni Yin @ Chaw Chaw,Ma ????? Insein
52 Ohnmar,Ma 7 Mandalay
53 Ohn Mya,Ma ????? Insein
54 Phyo Phyo Yee,Ma ????? ?????
55 Phyo Phyo Aye,Ma 14 Insein
56 Saite, Ma 3 Kale
57 San San,Daw 20 Insein
58 San San Nweh,Daw 10 Insein
59 Sandi Win,Ma ????? ?????
60 Saw Hlaing,Daw 7 ?????
61 Sein May,Daw 10 Insein
62 Shwe Pone,Dr Life Mandalay
63 Soe Soe Khaing,Ma 10 Mandalay
64 Suu Suu Win,Ma 7 Insein
65 Than Nyunt,Ma 14 Insein
66 Than Than Htay,Ma 17 Insein
67 ThandaOo,Ma ????? Insein
68 Thant Shwe Aye,Dr ????? ?????
69 Thein Htya,Ma 10 Mandalay
70 Thein Kywe,Dr 7 Insein
71 Thi Thi Aung,Ma 7 Insein
72 Thida Htwe@ Thuza,ma Life Tharawaddy
73 Thida Win,Ma 7 Tharawaddy
74 Thin Thin Aye @Mi Mi,Ma 7 Tharawaddy
75 Thitsa,Ma 14 Insein
76 Tin Mar Kyi,Daw 7 Mandalay
77 Tin Mar Ni,Daw 7 Mandalay
78 Tin Mar Yee,Daw 7 Mandalay
79 Tin Tin,Ma 25 ?????
80 Tin Tin Aye, Ma 5 Mandalay
81 Tin Tin Myit,Ma 10 Insein
82 Tin Tin Yee,Ma 13 Insein
83 Tin Win Kyi,Ma 5 Mandalay
84 Tin Yee @ Khin Yee,Ma 10 ?????
85 Tin Zar Aung, Ma ????? ?????
86 Win Mya Mya,Ma 5 Mandalay
87 Win Win Htay @ Ma Po 7 Insein
88 YeeYee Tun,Ma 14 Tharawaddy
89 Yu Yu Hlaing,Ma 12 Tharawaddy
90 Zin Mar Aung, Ma 7 Mandalay


007-2001 

Statement
June 19, 2001

Female Political Prisoners in Burma

After the Burmese military seized power in 1988, countless women in Burma  have been arrested and subjected to long and arbitrary prison sentences handed down by the junta's biased judicial system. Currently, almost one  hundred women are known to be imprisoned in Burma for their involvement in peaceful activities relating to the quest for democracy and the human rights movement. (See the appendix)

In July of 1999, Dr. Shwe Pone, Daw Aye Than, Ma Khin Khin Leh, Ma Thida Htway were all arrested as a result of their role in peaceful  demonstrations. They were all denied legal representation and have been sentenced to life in prison.

Also in September of 1998, Ma Hnin May Aung, a National League of Democracy (NLD) member in her twenties was arrested for her connection with student activists. She is currently serving a forty-two year sentence.

The health of female prisoners' also continues to deteriorate as a result of relentless torture, inadequate food and inappropriate accommodations in prison. The lack of medicine and the non-existent access to any sort of decent medical attention also contributes to the rapid decline of their health.

We, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), request that the military authorities in Burma release all female political  prisoners immediately and unconditionally as the government said that they have "achieved an understanding between the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and the NLD".

In the general election of 1990 in Burma, the NLD succeeded in capturing a landslide victory. The ruling military junta, instead of recognizing the election results, arrested large numbers of both male and female MP-elects, writers, members of opposition political parties and young students.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize recipient and winner of  the 1990 general election in, has been put under house arrest twice since 1989, once for six consecutive years. She is once again being illegally detained in her home as a result of her leading role in the NLD.

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)