2008 March 24 « Walk For Freedom

Athein and Zaw Min Htwe , News on Fox 12

Athein and Zaw Min Htwe on News on FOX12 Channel in Boise City, Idaho Click and follow this link

Walking For Freedom (Fox12 News)

March 21, 2008 05:39 PM

Nampa — It’s been more than three weeks of walking…an estimated 800,000 steps as two men fight to make a difference in a county torn apart by injustice. They’ve taken a vow to walk from Portland, Oregon to New York City to hand deliver a signed petition to the United Nations Security Council.

It’s day number 21, more than 400 miles for 27 year old Zaw Htwe… and he’s tired.

“Just whole body pain, but we gotta keep walking and you know,” said Htwe.They are two Burmese refugees escaped from a country they describe as an in-humane military monopoly. Burma is located in Southeast Asia, nestled between India, Thailand, and China and has been run for the last 19 years by the State Peace and Development Council…although the country has been anything but peaceful.“Our country is genocide and torture the human violation you know, child soldier, and labor forced, the woman raised and killed,” said walking partner Athein.In 1988 at only 7 years old Htwe remembers one of Southeast Asia’s darkest moments. Millions of students, professionals, and civilians were gunned down and imprisoned in response to a peaceful march to bring an end to the social dictatorship. So now, twenty years later, he is marching peacefully in remembrance of his fallen brothers and sisters.“Right now the military government trying to arrest people who like to make peace, freedom, and democracy and human rights, and they arrest and torture people,” said Htwe.

Upon arriving in New York the men will implore the United Nations to make a change in Burma…they say this is the year for a revolution.“So I believe that for 2008, bring freedom to our country, and our people, ” said Athein.

They have also created a website explaining their mission, with the letter they hope to present to the UN Security Council.

If you’d like to find out more information or support their petition with your signature, go to www.freeburma.us .

The video of the interview is listed as

Walking for Peace

at:

http://www.fox12news.com/

March 24,2008 Posted by Asia stone | Protests | | No Comments Yet

3PM afternoon – At the moment they’re marching towards south-east 20 miles from Boise city (Burma Government is Terrorist)

We have already walked 560 Miles in 23 days from Portland City, Oregon state to Idaho state. We crossed through; river, mountain, storm, snow land, rain and heavy wind in 23 days. Our bodies are now more adjusted to the rigor of the walk and the cold weather. We are now ready to move on to the next steps. Our bodies were in pain during the first week we started walking. Athein was sick the first day of our journey and my brother Zaw Min Htwe suffered sore blistered feet for more than 5 days.

However, we will not return and we will not stop in the middle of the journey, I want people to understand that we are crossing the USA from Portland to New York on foot:

We are not just pace walking
We are not trying to become famous personalities
We are not creating a business with this walk to shape our future lives
We are recording all the supporter names on a list
All the donations, support and material-help received will be used during the journey without wastage
After our journey is completed any left over donations will go towards a useful place and we will announce its allocation (charity or organisation)
We are creating public awareness of the political crisis and inhumanities Burmese are suffering under the junta’s regime
We are not just walking, we are carrying the petition letter to the International Security Council (UN)
We want to clarify this to anybody who wants to understand the purpose of our plan. We don’t want to waste time talking or watching people dieing in our country. We Welcome everyone who wants to work together. We need action people only.

Day 21 and 22

Boise City Security police were waiting for them 10 miles away to escort them into the city. The police escort said to Athein and Zaw Min Htwe; “We’ve got news last 2 days from Baker City and we are waiting for no mistakes”. Athein and Zaw reported to Idaho security police department before crossing the Idaho border.

Athein and Zaw Min Htwe were surprised as they entered into Boise city. A Burmese lady by the name of Day Kyi Kyi was waiting for Athein and Zaw Min Htwe on the Highway 84. Day Kyi Kyi is a strong democracy supporter and agrees with the campaign of the 88 Generation Students of sending messages to New York.

Day Kyi Kyi has undergone 6 heart surgery operations in the last few years. Even though her health is still delicate she wanted to walk with Athien and Zaw from the first time she heard they had departed Portland. Day Kyi Kyi, Athein and Zaw walked 10 blocks and entered into Boise City together.

Day 22

The 88 Generation team rested at Boise City on 22th of March. During the day time Fox12 News (Boise, Idaho state) channel interviewed Zaw Min Htwe and Athein about their aims, progress and plan to meet the Security Council office, the interview also covered the meaning of the flag logo.

The video of the interview is listed as

Walking for Peace

at:

http://www.fox12news.com/

We appreciate Idaho state and every city we entered during our journey, everyone has been kind and provided us with an immense help,
we will always remember them.

~~88 Generation~~

March 24,2008 Posted by Asia stone | Protests | | 1 Comment

To / Mom and Dad

March 24,2008 Posted by Asia stone | Protests | | No Comments Yet

About

Aung San Suu Kyi her mother was ambassador to India and her father was Aung San the leader of Burma (1915-1947)

Suu Kyi won the election but was denied the office by the military government.

She won Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

To visitors you may need Burmese font so please click and install below images Key pad and Font

Click Map to Burmese language blog

Zaw Min Htwe is one of the 1988 student new generation, he is 27 years old and his father was a member of the A.B.S.D.F ( All Burma Student Democratic Font) Regiment 216 in 1988 Thai- Burma border.

In 1988 Zaw min Htwe was 7 years old and he didn’t know about the whole story of Burma but he knew thousands of thousand students and people died at that time when the Burma terrorist military junta shoot innocent people down.

He could not completed his school, he went as far as high school year 7 when he left the country because of the political situation. He was a very active freedom for Burma and hunger strike supporter.

This time Zaw Min Htwe wanted to join on Walk For Freedom and also he wants to write his story for Burma people.

Zaw says ” I could catch a plane to New York or post the Petition letter, I know its easy. I have my brothers and sisiters I have a good parents with me, I have a house to live and I have enough foods to stay on this land USA. Living in this country life style is 9 time out of 10 better than Burma, I can’t stand sitting in living room watching TV and forget everything past life. I know this is not right, I have to help Burmese people from my side the best as I can, this walking is not for me and I am not showing myself who I am on the road everyday but I am showing why we are walking on long road , where we are from and why we have to do this for our country. Realtively, people left in my home country, they have no freedom , they can’t do anything I am free to do here. We all must help people of Burma , please help us”

Zaw Min Htwe

This is our regiment camp based on Thai-Burma border, this mountain completely covered with bush land.
After we left home for Democracy in Burma, this is where I grew up with my brothers on this place more than 10 years.This is not someone writing fiction, this is true story, many life’s had been buried for Democracy and Burma freedom but this is not finished, we have to do and this is our duty to do . If I die new generation will take our place and they will take our duty till our country get freedom.
It was for so many reasons that I left my regiment and my friends, but this does not mean that I ran away from my country. I have always wanted to do something for my country, but I don’t know what the right way is for me to do this. Before, I believed we needed international help for Burma, but I haven’t seen any help from the world. There are only two choices left for every life in Burma, become a fugitive and rebel against their law, or obey their rules and stay with their ruling one-power government.
I already donated my life for my country, and now I have decided to do something that nobody else would do. Maybe someone has already done this, maybe this is the first time, but I am not crazy and I am going to do this until my job is done. I have decided to march to New York from my city. I live in Portland, Oregon, about 2,500 miles east of New York by plane. Walking this journey will be at least 3,000 miles. It won’t be easy to get there like sitting on a plane is, I know and understand that I will be walking for more than six months, and I don’t know what I will have to face on my journey.

Athein

A world away from America, the Southeast Asian nation of Burma made headlines in 2007 when Buddhist monks rose up in protest against the ruling military junta. The Burmese junta responded with violence and thousands of monks have since disappeared. While some ﬂed for their lives, many others have been tortured, jailed, or killed. Oppression in Burma began long before last year’s protests, though. The military took over the government in 1962 and has ruled with an iron ﬁst ever since. Over 650,000 people have been displaced and 3,000 villages have been destroyed by the junta, which targets civilians in ﬁghting against rebel groups. Army battalions routinely conﬁscate land from locals to use for their own proﬁt. Soldiers rape women with impunity and forced labor is common. The junta has been destroying the environment to mine gold, jade, rubies, and to build oil pipelines and dams. They are destroying the peoples’ lives and land and keeping the proﬁt for themselves. With an estimated 450,000 soldiers, Burma has one of the largest military forces in the world, and more than one-third of the national budget is spent on it. The government only uses this force against its own citizens. Nonetheless, countries like Russia and China continue to sell the Burmese junta the weapons that are the tool of their oppression. In 1988, Athein was just 15 years old. After participating in the August ‘88 protests, he found himself marked by the military government and in danger. With no other choice, he left his home and his family in northeast Burma and joined the multitude of student leaders who were ﬂeeing for their lives. He traveled on foot through the jungles of Burma to the Thai border, where he joined other students and found shelter with the Karen National Union, an ethnic rebel group. The students formed the All Burma Students Democratic Front, and continued their struggle against the junta from the border regions of Burma. Like many other students, Athein eventually made his way to the United States as a refugee – where he continues to struggle for change in his homeland, and works tirelessly to raise awareness about the atrocities the Burmese junta is committing against its own people. In March, 2008, Athein will step out from Portland on a journey to the United Nations ofﬁces in New York. Like thousands of Burmese who have traveled on foot through mountains and jungles in search of refuge, Athein will walk across the United States in a call to action to save Burma. Along the way he will speak to people in towns across America, telling the story of millions of oppressed Burmese, and collecting signatures on a petition to present to the United Nations. On August 8, 2008, China will hold the opening ceremony of the Beijing winter olympics, an event symbolic of global cooperation and peace. Athein will present his petition to the UN on this day – 20 years to the date that the Burmese military gunned down 3,000 demonstrators in the now infamous 8-8-88 protests.