Burma VJ

The co-operative presents A Film By ANDERS ØSTERGAARD

Armed with video-cameras a tenacious band of Burmese reporters face down death to expose the repressive regime controlling their country

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If I went back to Burma I would be arrested and in prison forever

Published
by
Burma VJ
on July 7, 2009
in Guest bloggers and The coalition
. 2 Comments

What’s it like to be the daughter of a Burmese human rights campaigner? Introducing our third guest blogger, Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, a Burmese refugee living in the UK

My name is Wai Hnin Pwint Thon and I am a refugee from Burma. I left my country in 2006 to carry on my studying for my future. In Burma, I passed my high school exams in 2005 with good marks and hoped to go to university. I applied to study International Relations but the regime wouldn’t allow me to study the course, because my father campaigns for human rights and democracy in my country. After they rejected my application I decided to come to the United Kingdom so that I could study.

My father¹s name is Mya Aye and he is one of the leaders of 88 generation-students group and one of the political prisoners in Burma who are serving the 65 year sentences. My father believes in human rights and freedom and he believes that every single person in the world deserves these. The 88 generation-students group is not a political party but a democracy movement of the people who were active in 1988 uprising.

My father was arrested in 1989 for the first time when I was only 5 months old. He was sentenced for 8 years imprisonment for his role as a student leader in 1988 uprising. At that time I was too young to remember who my father was and my mother showed me his photograph and taught me to call him ‘Daddy’. My mother also explained to me that he lived in a separate place not far from our home, I always wondered why he never came to visit us.

Wai Hnin Pwint Thon

Wai Hnin Pwint Thon

On my fourth birthday, my mother said we would go and meet with my father. I imagined that we would meet in a park or some place very nice. However, when I arrived to the entrance of the notorious Insein Prison, I was so surprised. The black door and iron bars in Insein Prison were totally different from my imagination. My meeting with my father was not beautiful as I expected. There were iron bars between us. I was so sad because I did not have a chance to hug my father and I could only touch my father’s fingers through iron bars.

In 1996, my father was released from prison when I was eight years old. My father carried on campaigning for freedom and democracy for the people of Burma. Every night when he was released two military intelligence officers came to our house to talk with my father. All the time I was scared that he would be taken again by the military intelligence because of his campaigning for freedom.

When I received the rejection letter from the university for my education, I felt there was no future for me in Burma. I want to be a successful and educated woman in my life. So I decided to come abroad and study. I had to make many sacrifices to leave Burma because I knew that if I left my country I may never see my father again. I came to UK and carried on my studies. When I arrived here, I met a lot of Burmese refugees and I began telling them news from my father and his friends’ activities in Burma. Being in the UK I realized how precious having freedom and human rights is and it made me want freedom and human rights in my country, Burma. So I decided to participate in the democracy movements in the UK. I found the media groups like the BBC wanted to speak to me and find out the news from inside Burma.

My activities in London caused trouble in Burma. One day the military intelligence officers came to my family’s house in Burma and took my father away to question him about what I had been doing in London. After that my father and I realised that if I went back to Burma, I would be arrested and locked up in prison forever.

I was very sad but I realised I could not go back to Burma. I was forced to apply for asylum so that I could stay in the UK and be safe. All I wanted to do was to go home to meet my family ­ but it isn’t safe anymore just because I spoke to the media in London.

In August 2007, my father and his friends of 88 generation groups marched down on the streets because of the extreme increases in fuel prices. He and his friend were detained for more than one year and sentenced for 65 years and six months imprisonment in November, 2008.

My father was sent to Loi Kaw prison which is more than 500 miles away from his home town, Rangoon. At the moment, he is very ill and suffering from heart disease and there is no doctor in prison to take care of his health. I am very scared and worry that I will never see my father again in my life. However, I have to keep myself very strong to carry on my studying and fight for freedom and democracy for the people of Burma. My father wants to see me as an educated and successful woman. So I have to try to fulfill my father wish even though I am very worried about the desperate situation for my family.

I have joined the Burma Campaign UK and campaign for human rights, democracy and freedom in Burma. I am going to University in September to study Politics and Business and I will try my very best to help fulfill my father’s dream of a free Burma.

Wai Hnin Pwint Thon is now working for the Burma Campaignm. For more information, and to donate, click here.

The Co-operative and Burma VJ

Published
by
Burma VJ
on June 30, 2009
in The coalition
. 4 Comments

Why is a business like The Co-operative putting time and effort into promoting a film on human rights in Burma?

With more outlets than Starbucks and McDonalds put together, the reach of The Co-operative is vast. But it is not size alone that makes it stand out – The Co-operative has a unique 165 year history of ethical business, including a record of campaigning on issues that are important to its members.

The Co-operative’s first human rights campaign dates back to the 1860s, when it supported the anti-slavery movement in North America. Since then, Co-operative campaigns have covered a number of human rights issues, including landmines, the arms trade and trade justice.

Burma has been a consistent focal point: over the last ten years, The Co-operative has continued to call for democracy in the country. This has included two national press campaigns, a campaign for the withdrawal from Burma of the oil giant Total, participation in the All Party Parliamentary Group on Burma, and a national roll out of The Burma Play.

This stance on Burma is reflected in business practice: in line with the call from the democratically elected representatives of the Burmese people, The Co-operative does not trade with Burma, The Co-operative Travel has delisted the country as a tourist destination, and The Co-operative Bank will not finance any organisation supporting the Burmese regime.

Burma VJ is shaping up to be the biggest project yet. The Co-operative’s support for the film forms part of an on-going ‘outreach’ strategy, using film, theatre and other media to bring ethical issues to new audiences and mobilise The Co-operative membership and the general public. A film as powerful and captivating as Burma VJ offers an unmissable opportunity.

Speaking of the continued fight for democracy in Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi has said “please use your freedom to promote ours”. This phrase goes to the heart of The Co-operative’s continued commitment to Burma: until freedom is won, The Co-operative will continue to look for different ways to help draw attention to the horror, oppression and injustice that the people of Burma endure.

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The Burma VJ campaign begins…

Published
by
Burma VJ
on June 15, 2009
in The coalition and burma vj
. 1 Comment

Today we launch the Blog for Burma VJ, to give some insight and extra stories around the film and the Burma VJ campaign.

We will be also adding guest bloggers from the filmmakers, The Co-operative, Dogwoof, The Burma Campaign UK and Amnesty International. This will all culminate in a special satellite linked Saffron Premiere at cinemas nationwide on July 14th

To kick off here is an extract from the recent New York Times review, to give a taste of how strong the movie Burma VJ is:

“Burma VJ” is a rich, thought-provoking film not only because of the story it tells, which is by turns inspiring and devastatingly sad, but also because of the perspective it offers on the role that new communications technologies can play in political change. The viral videos of the Democratic Voice of Burma are like the hidden printing presses of earlier underground revolutionary movements, except that the portability of the cameras and the ease of Web and satellite-based distribution make them harder to suppress.”

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This film is brought to you by The Co-operative, working together with Dogwoof.

There are many oppressive regimes across the world; however Burma presents a combination of circumstances that makes a compelling case for action. As such, and in line with the call from democratically-elected representatives of the Burmese people, The Co-operative does not trade with Burma, The Co-operative Travel has delisted the country as a tourist destination, and The Co-operative Bank will not finance any commercial organisation with a significant presence in Burma.