|
|
Burma Information Network- Japan (www.burmainfo.org) |
|
|
|
( Tokyo ) Ryuhei Kawada, a member of the Japan 's House of Councilors (upper house), has released a video message on YouTube calling for people to join him in supporting freedom for Burma.
Press
Release |
Embargoed For: December 4, 2007 (1pm JST)
Contact: , Kanae Doi
( Tokyo ) Ryuhei Kawada, a member of the Japan 's House of Councilors (upper house), has released a video message on YouTube calling for people to join him in supporting freedom for Burma .
The video can be viewed at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdrGWt3Rkxk
(From the YouTube homepage, search with "Kawada Burma ")
A Japanese video was also released:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF1I-K-rkmY
This past September in Burma , tens of thousands of people led by Buddhist monks demonstrated on the streets. The ruling regime cracked down on the demonstrators by force, and hundreds of people including Japanese journalist Kenji Nagai were killed or injured.
Since then, UN Envoy Ibrahim Gambari has visited Burma twice to urge the military regime to begin a dialogue with the opposition, but there has been no substantive progress. In mid-November, UN Special Rapporteur Sergio Pinheiro also visited Burma to investigate the human rights situation during and since the crackdown. His report is expected to be released on December 11.
Meanwhile, arrests of citizens and monks who participated in the demonstrations continue. In late November, the military regime ordered the prominent Maggin monastery in Rangoon to close down. The monastery has been raided four times since September, and many of its monks including the abbot have been arrested for participating in the demonstrations. Maggin monastery also provided treatment and other support to HIV patients. After the order was given to close down, the patients taking refuge there have had to move elsewhere.
In the video message, Mr. Kawada points out that Burma 's regime spends more than half of the state budget for its military, and that only a fraction of the state budget is spent on health. Himself an HIV patient who became infected through tainted blood products, Kawada is shocked about the closure of Maggin monastery: "These patients depended on the monastery because the military regime gave them no help. I find it appalling that the regime would deprive these people of the monastery's support and make them suffer more."
At the end of the message, Mr. Kawada quotes Nobel Peace laureate and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi: "Please use your liberty to promote ours." Mr. Kawada calls on viewers to join him in promoting freedom for Burma .
Related Websites: