Free Burma
The Lost Boy
England to Thailand to Timor-Leste and back
Who am I?
My name is Matt. I live in Bangkok. I work for Plan. I used to write stories. I love social media. You should follow me on Twitter. There's more about me here. Here is my RSS feed.
Some pics
If only other S.E Asian countries would now stop the diplocatic talk and act. It's all very good for one leader to say "they are digusted" about what is happening, but it doesn't really matter when the Burmese Junta's are putting 2 fingers up and saying "we don't give a fuck, lalala"
Oh and Total and Thailand aren't helping matters. Thailand loves the cheap gas it gets, and Total loves selling that cheap gas.
http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/pm/weblog.php?id=P152
i think this "International Bloggers' Day for Burma" is very odd. and nobody of the participant is actually blogging some content, information, add his/her own thougts and so on.
you have been sceptical with the 'red shirt day campaign', but now that? blogger peer pressure?
'red shirt day' – naive, was the first that springs to my mind, cynical how i am.
but later thinking about it, i tought it's a very nice gesture, a act to show solidarity, specially important if you live in a neighbouring country. a act of friendship from people to people. and you can show what you think about a military government.
by example, as a east german i had to face the fact that the people in the neighbouring countries poland and czechoslovakia not really like us. the reason for that have not been old hard feelings because of the WW2, but much more younger history. like the invasion 1968 to bring the Prague Spring to end and when there was really no support but only arrogance for the 80's polish trade union movement solidarnosc. nothing official from the head of the state of course but also no understanding amongst the common east german people. stupid east germans have been always obedience to authority.
with a red shirt you can show some support, and the chances here in thailand are high that some real human burmese being recognise that and it give him some hope in these days. okay just a red shirt will be not enough but you can talk with the people, your colleagues, thai people, other foreigners. you could achieve not that much but much more as the wordless 'free burma' icon above will do.
did you know there are thousands of burmese refugees/immigrants in thailand. work under the poorest condition for a minimal salary, with no rights and under the pressure and arbitrariness of police and employers?
in phuket and other provincies the authorities prohibit burmese migrant workers from leaving their home between 8pm and 6am. they are not allowed to gather in groups of more than five, only at work of course. it's prohibit for them to ride a motorbike or drive a car or using a mobile phone. and that is written law. much more abuse happen in the grey zone.
you don't have to fly to burma, with the intend to inform the world in your citizen journalism style. just go to the nearest construction side in phuket, i am sure plenty burmese will be there around. and you will have a story that opens other peoples eyes and mind. a peace dove logo can not do that. you can do better.
however, i also don't get the logo, how INTERNATIONAL is a peace dove (old testament) in front of what looks like a the biblical circle of stars or the european union flag or what ever it is because it has more then 12 stars. but it reminds these symbols and they are far from being international.
Yes you're quite right. But really, I felt I could relate more to a blogger initiative than some Norwegian guy who sent a message to all his friends to tell them to wear a red shirt.
And yes, the plight of the Burmese in Phuket is terrible, but it's well-documented in this area. I proposed the idea of writing a story about it to my boss and he said it would be like writing a story about the weather to people in Phuket. It's not a hidden fact. If I had the time I would write a story for this blog, but there aren't enough hours in the day.
Without that gas I'd be in a dark place.
i'm pretty sure many of the labourers who built the King Power complex on Soi Rangnam were burmese.. and some of the young flower sellers roaming Bangkok are also. i dont believe the issue of burmese workers here is a story many thais want to ready about, but it'll certainly sell abroad..
watch now how the UN envoy Gambari reports back saying they gave the generals a firm ticking off, and we should all be hopeful that change is acoming. apparently Than Shwe has said he'll meet Aung San Suu Kyi if she drops her support of sanctions. here we go again, yet again the UN in being played, pursuing a false hope. the generals are grade A cxnts and nothing is gonna change. theyre laughing..
they will never give an inch, until someone takes it by force. diplomacy failed long ago. i think the best hope is a small group of high-ranking soldiers close to the generals taking it upon himself too assasinate them. the only options left are bloody ones, and that would be the least bloody.