Posted in Thailand Initiative by Aimee D'Hondt on 5/8/2012
Ministry Contacts At Last!!
The main ministry contact I will be working with in Thailand is the FREE BURMA RANGERS. This was not the original plan, but it is so cool to see how God works! I actually met with this contact during a short visit I made to Chiang Mai in February of 2011 while I was on the World Race. I was inspired to write several blogs on them that I have recently reposted if you want to check them out!
FBR as they are also known, has huge influence in Burma. The founder, Dave Eubank goes on missions into Burma with teams to bring food, supplies, medical care , and hope to the ethnic people fleeing from the oppressive military junta. FBR is mainly made up of ethnic leaders and volunteers who are trained in several areas including medical care and military skill to protect the ethnic minorities during attacks/ to bring relief.
When I arrive in Chiang Mai I am hoping to just help FBR with any needs they have. I may do some administrative work for them from time to time, but am mostly planning to work at a Burmese youth hostel teaching English and doing devotionals for the kids a few days a week. :) I am so excited for these Amazing ministry opportunities in thailand! 
(My World Race team and some Thai friends visiting the Free Burma Rangers in Feb 2011)
In addition to FBR, I will be partnering with several other organizations on a weekly basis as well. I have felt called to just "do life" and love on people over there so there will be some ministry variety. Here are some other organizations I have been speaking with and plan to volunteer with regularly.
Free Burma Rangers (as described above)
www.freeburmarangers.org
Remember Nhu: a children's home in Chiang Mai that takes in children that are at-risk for being sold into the sex trade industry. Working with them will include spending time with the kids and helping with construction of a new home.
www.remembernhu.org
YWAM Lighthouse in action: Working with the Love Acts branch that reaches out to women and lady boys working in the bars in the red-light district.
www.ywamthai.org/lighthouse/
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Posted in Thailand Initiative by Aimee D'Hondt on 4/30/2012
the following research was put together by Ericka Jackson from The Sound of Hope (http://thesoundofhope.org) and is an outstanding, but overwhelming look at the atrocities happening in Burma today. This is why I'm moving to Thailand to work with Burmese refugees... #1 - Military Junta
The definition of junta is - "a military or political group that rules a country after taking power by force." This has been the situation in Burma since 1962, when General Ne Win led the Burmese army troops in a successful coup that overthrew the democratic government.
The military regime in Burma is one of the world's most repressive and abusive regimes. The ruling junta controls the people with violent force and oppression. The Burmese people (especially the ethnic minorities) have no human rights and no real freedom.
In 1987 the military government demonitized the currency, which led to a collapse of the economy. Burma is now one of the poorest countries in the world, though it is rich in natural resources like precious stones and natural gas. The military junta controls and sells these resources, making their oppression very profitable.
#2 - 8888
August 8, 1988 - on that infamous day the people of Burma confronted the ruling military junta with a nationwide public demonstration. They wanted democracy. They wanted peace. They wanted opportunities. The crowd of unarmed demonstrators (made up mostly of students) went on a seven-mile march to downtown Rangoon, where they walked into a wall of police and soldiers blocking the government offices. When the people saw the soldiers they slowed down, and eventually stopped. Then the soldiers jumped from their trucks and aimed their automatic assault rifles at the demonstrators. They fired into the crowd mercilessly at close range.
Over 3,000 people were murdered by government troops over 4 days. Many others were wounded and arrested. Some of the wounded were shot dead in the hospital awaiting treatment. Any nurses or doctors attempting to protect them were killed as well. Video and photo proof of the massacre is rare, as anyone with a camera was shot on sight.
Though 8/8/88 was the worst public massacre by the military junta of Burma it wasn't the only one. There was also the Depayin Massacre in 2003 and the Saffron Revolution in 2007. And now, in 2011, the military still imprisons, tortures, or kills anyone demonstrating or working for democracy. At this time there are an estimated 2,100 political prisoners in Burma.
#3 - Aung San Suu Kyi
She is the revered, democratically-elected, and legitimate leader of Burma, who has never been allowed to take office and serve her people in government.
Her father was General Aung San. He won Burma its freedom from British rule in 1947 before he was assassinated by a political rival. At that time, Aung San Suu Kyi was just two years old.
Since 1989 she has been forced to serve 3 terms of house arrest - totaling 15 years of imprisonment (of the last 21 years). The years of imprisonment have robbed her of much. Her husband, British academic Michael Aris, died in 1999 of cancer. She could not visit him as he was dying without risking being exiled from her country forever, and the junta refused him an entry visa to Burma. She has not seen her two sons in more than a decade. She has never met her grandchildren. Every year her sons apply for visas, every year they are rejected without explanation.
Her most recent release from house arrest was on November 13, 2010. It is not yet clear if any conditions have been placed on her release.
In 1991 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights. She is a symbol of heroic and peaceful resistance in the face of oppression.
It is illegal to speak her name in Burma, so her people lovingly call her, "The Lady".
#4 - Genocide
Burma is home to around 135 different ethnic minorities, largely grouped in the country's seven border states where conflict has stretched over decades. Many of the tribal minorities are targets of genocide by the Burmese Army. The Karen people are one of the main targets of this genocide for complex reasons (political, religious, ethnic).
The Burmese military has been attacking the villages of the tribal people for decades. They shoot anyone in sight (including women and children) and set fire to their homes. Anyone who is caught is tortured or chopped to death with machetes. The military then kills their livestock, burns their crops, and destroys all the nearby fruit trees with the intent of starving the people. Then they bury landmines around the village to kill any tribal people brave enough to return.
What appear to be state-sanctioned abuses such as rape by Burmese troops of ethnic women, as documented by various rights groups, has led some observers to accuse the regime of an attempted 'Burmanisation' of the minorities.
Those who escape the attacks of the Burmese military are forced to hide in the jungle. They live in constant fear of more attacks by the military, and are at risk of malaria and starvation. There are over 1 million of these Internally Displaced People living inside Burma.
There are another 1 to 2 million refugees who have run for their lives across the border.
#5 - Child Soldiers
Burma has the largest number of child soldiers in the world, and the number keeps growing. The children are often kidnapped without their parents' knowledge while on their way home from school. They are then brutalized and physically abused during their induction and basic training before being shipped off to fight in the country's ethnic states. Those who attempt to escape or desert are beaten, forcibly re-recruited or imprisoned.
The overwhelming majority of Burma's child soldiers are found in the Burmese military, which forcibly recruits children as young as 11, although armed opposition groups use child soldiers as well. That means that in conflict situations in Burma you will often find children fighting children.
There have been some reports of children as young as three years old living in military barracks and undergoing training, along with many confirmed reports of children five to six years old. The Human Rights Education Institute of Burma reported that the extreme psychological abuse causes child soldiers to cry themselves to sleep in humiliation or attempt suicide either by themselves or by volunteering for the most dangerous of enlistments.
Current estimates place the number of child soldiers in Burma at 75,000.
#6 - Forced Labor
Burma is well known for its use of forced labor. The brutal Burmese government routinely forces civilians to work for free on state infrastructure projects, such as the building of roads, bridges, military bases or even towns.
In the ruby mines, children as young as four years old are forced to do backbreaking work alongside other children and many elderly people. These mines produce 90% of the world's rubies, which are controlled by the Burmese military.
Threats, harassment, beatings and even killings are not uncommon, and women risk rape and other sexual abuses. Forced labor often means that villagers are unable to work on their own agricultural work for days or even weeks on end. Regular forced labor in Mon State (South-eastern Burma), for example, has been a primary factor leading to an increasing food shortage.
One particularly brutal example of forced labor is the military's use of villagers as human minesweepers. Men, women, and even children are used to lead the way through the jungle so that if a landmine explodes they will be killed or suffer life-threatening injuries instead of the soldiers.
#7 - Refugee Camps
There are an estimated 1 to 2 million people from Burma who have fled the country as refugees. Currently, there are 10 to 13 refugee camps in Thailand on the Thai/Burma border, which house over 160,000 people. (I fear that number is actually much larger however, considering one camp I visited held around 60,000 people alone.)
These camps are "no man's land". The people who live inside them have no citizenship, no rights, no freedom, and no future. They live in temporary housing made of bamboo and leaves. They are not allowed to build more permanent structures, even though the camps have been in existence since the late 60's and 70's. The refugees cannot leave the camp without special permission (which is very difficult to obtain). They cannot get jobs outside the camp, which means they cannot afford even the most basic needs.
Their water consumption is limited. Food is provided by aid organizations. It is rarely enough and not very nutritious. The people receive things like rice, beans, oil, and fish paste as "rations". They do not get meat, fresh fruits or vegetables, and most of them cannot afford to buy these items. Growing food inside the camp can be difficult, since land and water aren't always available.
There have been cases of the Burmese military coming across the border to set fire to some of these camps and kill the people inside.
#8 - Drugs
Burma is the world's second largest opium producer (the main ingredient in heroin) and the main producer of methamphetamines in SE Asia.
It's estimated that less than 1% of Burma's annual opium production is intercepted by the authorities - the rest is smuggled out through China or Thailand into the world market. Approximately 60% of the heroin in America is supplied from Burma.
This thriving drug trade leads to drug abuse, drug trafficking, and the spread of HIV. Children are often used in the production, sale, and trafficking of these drugs.
There are reports that senior officials of the military regime are involved in the drug trade, and that funds from the drugs business often find their way into government coffers.
#9 - HIV/AIDS
Burma has one of Asia's highest adult HIV prevalence rates, following Cambodia and Thailand. An estimated 20,000 die from HIV/AIDS annually.
Burma's government spends the least percentage of its GDP on health care of any country in the world, and international donor organizations give less to Burma, per capita, than any other country except India. Unsafe medical practices, like the reuse of un-sterilized equipment, as well as insufficient blood screening, has also been a source of infection. Also, the relative lack of accessible health care in conflict areas along the Burmese border makes it difficult for AIDS patients to seek medical help. Interruptions in supply and delivery of ART (Anti -Retroviral Therapy) leads to drug resistance and could lead to new strains of HIV.
#10 - Censorship
The military junta in Burma controls everything that goes in and comes out of the country. There are restrictions on tourism, journalism, literature, and all sources of media. Universities in the country are closed, often for years at a time, to restrict the spread of ideas. Students attending these universities are not allowed to speak freely, to write freely or to publish freely. Most of the books in the country have been confiscated and the magazines and newspapers were shut down. Any that operate now are state-run and controlled by the junta, or are dangerously operating in secret, as the media can only report news sanctioned by the government. Reporters are expected to write pro-government propaganda and never criticize leaders or their political actions. Articles are not to mention political corruption, reform, education, or HIV/AIDS. Even stories telling about losing Myanmar sports teams and torrential rainstorms are forbidden. The press is not welcome at government meetings. Foreign journalists are often deported, and in 2007 a photojournalist from Japan was gunned down in the street.
Television channels and radio stations are few and they are also controlled by the government. Internet access in Burma is rare, and computer laws require government approval for use or ownership of computers, modems, and fax machines, which can connect Myanmar with international resources and influences.
If you enter Burma as a tourist, you may only go to officially designated tourist areas. Typically no one is allowed more than 5k (3 miles) into Burma, and you will usually have a government escort (military intelligence) accompanying you or following you at all times. The junta deports and blacklists foreign correspondents who attempt to report on the opposition movement.
The military government won't even allow aid in the country during times of disaster. In 2008 Cyclone Nargis hit Burma, leaving at least 138,000 dead or unaccounted for, and more than 2.3 million affected in its wake. The military turned away aid organizations, allowing no help in for those in need. After an uproar in the international community, a small amount of foreign aid was accepted, but most of it was confiscated by the military at the border. The aid was then provided to disaster victims to make it look like it came from the military regime. State-run television continuously ran images of General Than Shwe ceremonially handing out disaster relief.
Recently a 6.8 earthquake struck Burma, and again aid has been refused. The people affected have no clean water, no food, and no rescue teams to find those buried in the rubble. Hospitals are overrun with the wounded and sick, but foreign aid organizations are not allowed access to the country. Any video or photos of actual damage must be smuggled out by locals or undercover journalists.
It is almost impossible to find any accurate information about these events as any official current event or historical reports from Burma are skewed. The military government drastically underreports the number of people killed or injured in its natural disasters, as well as any protests that they use deadly force to end.
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Posted in Thailand Initiative by Aimee D'Hondt on 4/12/2012
SOOO I am coming home to do some support raising/ fundraising and spend some time with people before I leave for Thailand in August. I will fly into San Jose, Ca on May 14th and head back to Georgia July 6th. I will not be in town the whole time, but will be making my rounds and actually going to Haiti in June for a week to help lead a trip for Adventures in Missions.
On Thursday, May 31, I will be having a fundraising event at the Chevy's Restaurant in Gilroy. It will be during dinner time between 5pm and 9pm. Chevy's will donate 15% of your bill to my ministry in Thailand through Adventures in Missions.
IMPORTANT: In order for them to count your bill towards this fundraiser, you need to print a flyer to show them or mention that you are there to support the fundraiser. I will try to attach the flyer through a second email...
Thank you so much and I would love to see you all out there! If you know anyone who is interested in this, please let them know. The more the merrier!!
In addition I will be having several open houses to share with anyone who is interested in hearing more about my ministry in Thailand or thinking about supporting me financially.
The confirmed dates are: Thursday, May 24 around 7:30pm in San Jose at Jenny Sparks' apartment Friday, May 25 in the evening (time to be determined) in Gilroy at the Hock home.
There will be another open house scheduled in Morgan Hill potentially on Sunday, May 20th at the Perteet home. More details will soon follow, but please start letting me know if you will be able to make it and also get the word out for whoever you know that would like to be a part of this!!
God Bless :)
Aimee
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Posted in Thailand Initiative by Aimee D'Hondt on 4/2/2012
Last Wednesday was another fun and eventful day with Friends of Refugees in Clarkston...but here is my main highlight.
When I got there I was asked to do one-on-one tutoring with a Karen (Burmese ethnic group) woman who is 8 months pregnant! She has missed a lot of class and so she is really far behind. Her name is Lily and she is just so sweet!
Lily has been in the US for several months, but she hardly speaks a word in English. The goal for her before graduating the program is for her to know basic name exchange greetings, her phone number, address, and alphabet/ numbers.
She made a lot of progress over the hour and a half we worked together. She was often confused about things since I couldn't explain anything in her mother tongue, but she was such a good sport.
Even though we spent a short time together, I felt like we shared a bond. It was a beautiful thing. After our class time was over, we separated for a few minutes, but then I found her sitting by herself eating an orange in the hallway. I smiled at her and walked towards another room to help with the kids. As I walked by, she held out half of her orange to me. (I was actually extremely hungry and my stomach had been growling for the past hour- I'm sure she heard...) I didn't want to take her food, but to be polite I took one slice and tried to hand the rest back. She refused, motioning for me to eat the whole half. Relieved and grateful (because I was seriously hungry...), I sat down next to her on the bench and enjoyed the orange with her. It may seem insignificant to some, but it was a beautiful moment. I felt so blessed by her gesture and even though we could hardly communicate it just seemed like a wonderful moment of human connection and appreciation of one another.
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Posted in Thailand Initiative by Aimee D'Hondt on 3/22/2012
Last week I returned from a week long support raising trip
that Amy Duncan and I took to Indiana. It was such a fun week and we were so
blessed by people along the way.
The downside of the trip happened early on, so of course it
went way uphill from there. 
(Amy's car after a little fender bender outside Nashville
Day 1) :-/ It was her first accident and definitely a bummer way to start the
trip.
Our first stop was in Nashville, Tennessee where we stayed
with some old family friends, the Geyers. It was so awesome to be able to
reconnect with them and they were so gracious and hospitable!
Next we went to Oussian, Indiana to stay with Amy's parents.
The Duncans were so awesome and took care of me as I was sick with a bad cold
all week! I loved getting to know Amy's family, especially since I'll be
spending the next 2+ years with her!
The first night we were in Indiana, we went to speak at a
church for the youth and some parents. It was such a cool experience! Amy and I
hadn't done a presentation together yet, so it was cool practice for us. The
group was so awesome and had great questions to close. I loved how passionate
the youth got during our talk and how excited they were to get involved and
help combat injustice going on in Burma!
One of the really awesome parts of getting involved with
this church too was that several members got together and donated a bunch of
their old stuff to our Burmese family in Clarkston, Ga!! We were able to load
up a car full of toys, clothes, baby things (the mom is pregnant), and even a
rocking chair, to take back to Georgia with us! (blog about this soon to follow...)
As a way to raise money to pay for our gas for the trip, Amy
and I did manual labor with her father on a family friend's farm. I learned how
to drive a tractor, use a chain saw, and spent endless hours cutting down old
metal fencing with wire cutters. It was cold and exhausting, but we had a good
time and were really blessed by the money.
 
Before heading home, we also got to spend a few hours in
Chicago to reconnect with old friends which was so great! I had never been to
Chicago before!
We also hung out in Anderson, IN a few days where Amy has
several supporters and got to meet up with them and share our hearts too.
Thank you for all your prayers during our travels. It was a
long trip and it was funny for me to be a little homesick for Gainesville! Who
would have ever thought ;)
All in all, God taught us a lot and it was so great to see
His blessings flow.
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Posted in Thailand Initiative by Aimee D'Hondt on 3/13/2012
Breakin the Ice
Last week, before leaving for Indiana, Amy Duncan and I went
to visit our Burmese family. It was our third visit with them and normally we
would have called, but seeing as they wouldn't understand us...we just decided to
chance it.
After spending the morning volunteering with Friends of
Refugees (helping with the Mommy and Me Literacy program), we headed over to
our family's little apartment. Luckily the family was at home along with the
young man's brother who speaks a little English.
When we walked in the brother greeted us and we peeked
around into the kitchen to see the family sitting on the floor eating bowls of
soup. There was a table in the corner of the other room with a few things
scattered across it, but left unused. The three year old girl was home, but she
was so shy, she wouldn't come near us and stayed close to her parents.
After a little while, we all gathered in the living room and
sat around a bit "awkwardly". Fortunately after the World Race, situations like
this are not even awkward anymore (the silence is no longer deafening....somehow
more amusing). I talked with the brother for a little while asking questions
about how the family was settling and asking him to translate certain things.
The little girl was sitting with her father and after a while I reached out and
tickled her foot a little bit. She pulled it away, but a few minutes later I
did it again. When I stopped, she started deliberately putting her foot near me
so that I would tickle it. It was so funny! The whole family started giggling
and watching animatedly. A few minutes later, she got close enough so I could
tickle her sides. She started cracking up and thus began a silly tickling game
between us. I would chase her around the house while the whole family laughed
and she giggled. I'm sure they were a little confused by the crazy American's
antics, but they went with it. It was like the ice had suddenly broken.
Everyone was getting into the game. I have no idea what they were saying in
their language, but I got the feeling that they were giving her "strategic"
advice. She tried tickling me back and tried hiding in a variety of places to
get away. Eventually I was holding her in my arms and spinning her around the
room. Every time I put her down she would just run back over to me with her
arms held up.
This whole thing brought me so much joy! I loved spending
time with the family and communicating love in a way they could understand. It
was like they finally got that we are going to be their friends and we are
going to keep coming back! Amy and I want to show them love and support; to
play with their kids and get to know them! From our first visit, the little
girl was scared of us and wouldn't come near us or even speak around us. By the
time we were ready to leave this time, she ran out of the door and followed us
to the car crying.
It was such a special experience and I am so anxious to go
back and hang out with them again. I am even more excited because while we have
been in Indiana, Amy and I were able to collect all kinds of items for the
family from churches and individuals. We have a rocking chair, infant diapers
and bottles (the mom is pregnant!), clothes, shoes, tons of toys, and other
things. I can't wait to go visit again so that we can take them these things
that they need and show them that the Lord is providing!!
Thank you for all of your prayers for this family, from
before they even arrived until now! I am hoping to share some photos with you
some time, but I don't feel it is appropriate quite yet and I need to make sure
it will not endanger them at all or make them feel uncomfortable by posting
them. God bless!!
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Posted in Thailand Initiative by Aimee D'Hondt on 3/2/2012
Refugee Stories
During our month in Malaysia, one of
our primary ministries was working in Burmese refugee schools supported by the
UN. I absolutely love the Burmese people and it was a joy and honor to work
alongside the Burmese teachers this month. I will never forget the sweet faces
and amazing spirits of the children I was able to teach and love on. After hearing
many of their stories I can't help but love them even more. Their courage and
hope in the face of adversity and heartache astounds me. As a going away
present at one of the schools, the teachers gave us a little booklet the kids
had put together for fundraising means. It includes artwork and stories from
the refugee children. I was sitting there trying to get through the stories and
having the most difficult time. My eyes kept welling up with tears and I would
have to put it down. For some reason I kept trying though. When I got in the
car I picked up the book again but could only get through a few more stories.
Each one broke my heart.
I can't share all the stories with
you, but I knew that I had to give you a closer look into the lives of these
children. I have changed the names, but here are just two stories from kids at
the school where I taught.
John, 12 years old
"There are eight people in my
family. I have three young sister. We had many problems in Myanmar and had no
freedom. My father died because soldiers tortured him. They accused him of
being a spy from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). My mother also died and I
lived with my aunty and adoptive mother. My adoptive father ran away when
soldiers tried to arrest him. They arrested my adoptive mother who was five
months pregnant. They abused and tortured her until she lost her pregnancy. One
of the army battalion came to our village and they beat up people whom they
were suspicious of. We have seen soldiers persecuting people and killing them.
We were afraid that they may arrest us so we ran away from our country. The way
I came to Malaysia was very difficult. We often had nothing to eat or drink. We
came to Malaysia because my adoptive father fled here. My adoptive mother was
in a lot of pain and unwell all the time. I want to get human rights for
Myanmar people so they will not be discriminated. I want to be free from a
miserable life. I pray to God that I won't have to face such a broken situation
again..."
Sarah, 13 years old
In Myanmar I lived with my parents, sister and brother. My
parents were farmers. My sister sold vegetables in the market. My brother and I
were students. My parents were getting old and my sister was the only person in
the family earning income. One day soldiers from the village raped my sister.
So she was afraid to stay and ran away from the village. During that time
solders often searched for our sister, they beat my father and asked about her.
My dad had medical treatment for one week and my mom needed to look after him.
So my eldest brother became the sole bread winner for the family. We sometimes
only ate porridge with vegetables. Our life was a struggle in Myanmar. At that
time our village leader threatened our parents that if he didn't find our
sister he'll arrest me and my brother. So my brother, sister and I ran away
from Myanmar my car, foot, and by boat. We haven't had contact with our parents
since then. In Malaysia our life is still a struggle. Now we pray for our
parents and we hope that one day we will meet again.
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Posted in Thailand Initiative by Aimee D'Hondt on 2/22/2012
I have been asked many questions about the historical background of Burma as I have been sharing about this ministry. About two years ago, I hardly knew anything about the country at all. This is kind of a lot of text, but I wanted to post this information if you get the time to read it. This country and the people are close to my heart and it is so tragic what has happened and continues to happen over there. This information comes from a report at www.freeburmarangers.org called "Displaced Childhoods 2010." Also, if you have time check out this link for "10 Reasons Why it is Right to Be Involved in Burma."http://www.freeburmarangers.org/Features/10%20reasons%20to%20be%20involved.pdf Historical
Overview of Burma
British colonial rule in the nineteenth
century greatly influenced the geographic design and politics of modern-day
Burma. After assuming control over Burman-dominated central Burma in 1852, the
British slowly incorporated previously independent and self-governed ethnic
territories into its empire, including areas occupied by ethnic Arakan, Chin,
Kachin, Karen, Karenni, Mon, and Shan. The map artificially forged by the
British inextricably intertwined the destinies of many people previously living
in separate and distinct territories.
As the
campaign for independence intensified in the mid-1940s, largely through the
efforts of Burman nationalists led by General Aung San, the British conditioned
independence on the creation of a federal union with ethnic participation and
representation.
Following outreach by General Aung San,
some ethnic nationalities were invited to formalize their commitment to a
federal union in the Panglong Agreement of 1947. Fundamental provisions of this
agreement included a "principle of equality" between the Burmans and the ethnic
nationalities, and guarantees of political autonomy in the ethnic territories. However,
not only were many ethnic nationalities unrepresented in the Panglong
Conference, but the rights guaranteed by the Panglong Agreement were not
consistently applicable to all the ethnic groups, creating an atmosphere ripe
for civil war.
On 19 July 1947, General Aung San and
several other leaders of Burma's independence movement were assassinated,
resulting in weakened support for the union by the ethnic nationalities who had
placed great trust in the leadership General Aung San. Discontentment grew as
the new constitution, which went into effect on 2 September 1947, failed to
address particular demands of the ethnic nationalities. Within months of
gaining independence from Britain on 4 January 1948, the country broke into
civil conflict as various political and ethnic groups, disillusioned by unmet
promises, took up arms to protect themselves from the newly empowered central
government. When General Ne Win seized power in a military coup on 2 March 1962,
overthrowing the democratically-elected government, the prospects for peace in
Burma crumbled. Since then, Burma and its people have been held within the iron
grip of successive military regimes.
Two decades after General Ne Win seized
power, discontentment with military rule and sustained economic decline led to
a breaking point on 8 August 1988, as massive peaceful protests swept across
the country. In response to the call for democratically-held elections, the
military suspended the 1974 Constitution and declared martial law. In the weeks
that followed the protests, the military violently attacked unarmed civilians,
killing at least 3,000 and imprisoning many more.
In response to international pressure and
hoping to feign some legitimacy, the ruling military regime, then named the
State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), announced that elections would
be held in May 1990. The National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San
Suu Kyi emerged as the leading opposition party. Threatened by Suu Kyi's
growing popularity, SLORC placed her under house arrest in July 1989, where she
has remained for 14 of the past 20 years. Despite such tactics, the NLD won 392
out of the 485 parliamentary seats. Before the elected candidates could be
seated, the SLORC refused to implement the election results and called for a
new constitution.
It would be two more years before the
SLORC announced the convening of a National Convention, the mechanism governing
the constitutional- drafting process, in April 1992. The National Convention
took place sporadically between 9 January 1993 and 31 March 1996, resuming
again from May 2004 until September 2007. These sessions were fully controlled
by the military regime, with hand-picked delegates, open discussions restricted,
alternative proposals overridden, opponents intimidated, and previously elected
members of parliament excluded.
The Saffron Revolution
August-September 2007
Spurred by continued military rule, economic decline, and the
sudden and drastic rise in fuel prices, peaceful protests instigated by
1988-generation student activists erupted throughout the country in August
2007. The demonstrations grew as Buddhist monks led tens of thousands of
civilian protestors in daily marches calling for democratic change in Burma.
Following the tack set during the 1988 protests, the regime responded
violently, shooting at unarmed protestors and arresting more than 6,000 people
including as many as 1,400 monks. The
military regime specifically targeted the monks, who were integral in
organizing the protests, by raiding over 50 monasteries between 25 September
and 6 October 2007.
The protests and
subsequent crackdown led to an unprecedented statement by the United Nations
(UN) Security Council. The Presidential Statement on Burma issued on 11 October
2007 urged the release of all political prisoners and called on the regime to
"create the necessary conditions for a genuine dialogue...with all concerned
parties and ethnic groups."
In September 2007, amid spreading
nationwide protests, the military regime, renamed the State Peace and
Development Council (SPDC) in 1997, announced the closing of the final session
of the National Convention. Soon after, the SPDC formed a 54-member Commission
for Drafting the State Constitution. The Commission once again excluded
political and ethnic opposition leaders. On 19 February 2008, the Generals of
the SPDC announced that they would hold a referendum on its draft constitution
on 10 May 2008 followed by elections in 2010.
Eight days before the scheduled
referendum vote, Cyclone Nargis struck southwestern Burma, leaving in its wake
a path of death and destruction. Despite the massive loss of life and
devastation in the Irrawaddy Delta region, the Generals pushed forward with the
scheduled vote on May 10, allowing
a two-week
delay in only 47 affected townships, where millions remained without food,
shelter, or medicine.27 On May 27, the regime announced a 92.8 percent popular
approval of the constitution with a 99 percent voter turnout. In response, the
international community, including UN officials, denounced the drafting
process, referendum, and resulting constitution as a "sham" that lacked
legitimacy and genuine participation.
In 2009, the military government
continued to push forward its agenda of entrenching military rule through an
eminently flawed election process. On 14 May 2009, 13 days before Aung San Suu
Kyi's house arrest was scheduled to end, the SPDC re-arrested her and charged
her under the country's "Law to Safeguard the State from the Dangers of
Subversive Elements"- a law widely employed by the regime to suppress political
dissidents and opposition groups. The arrest came after an American man, John
yettaw, entered Suu Kyi's home and spent two days as her uninvited guest. On 11
August 2009, after a six-week trial, a criminal court in Rangoon found Suu Kyi
in violation of the terms of her house arrest and sentenced her to three years
in prison- a sentence that was later commuted to an additional 18 months under
her existing house arrest.
The military
government faced harsh criticism from the international community for the
procedural flaws in Suu Kyi's trial and the obvious attempt to silence the
leadership of Burma's main political opposition group, the NLD. Despite
condemnation by the international community, at the time of writing, the regime
has maintained its plans to proceed with national elections sometime in 2010.
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Posted in Thailand Initiative by Aimee D'Hondt on 2/16/2012
This time last year, I was in Thailand. Little did I know that if I looked a year into the future I would be planning my return.
I was reading my old blogs from my time there and I wanted to re-share this one. At the end of February I was introduced to the Free Burma Rangers in Chaing Mai and it would change my life. I knew basically nothing about Burma at the time nor the horrifying truths about life in the warn-torn country. I felt a stirring within my soul as Dave Eubanks spoke to us and showed videos of the Burmese fleeing their homes and country-- fleeing violence from their own military. My love for these people began to grow for the burmese refugees. Little did I know that the next month (March) I would be working with them all month in Malaysia.
Free Burma Rangers:
At the close of my time in Thailand,
my team was really blessed to be able to spend some time in a city up north
called Chiang Mai. Our contact, Ua, has a pastor friend up there who runs a
Girls Home and he allowed us to stay at the church. We were able spend some
time getting to know the girls at the home and even hear the pastor's
incredible testimony. The day before we left to meet up with the rest of our
squad for debrief, the pastor told us that he was going to take us to some
missionary's house nearby where we could ride horses, swim, relax, and hear a
powerful testimony. Little did we know what we were really getting ourselves
into...
Upon
arrival to the property, we were greeted by this amazing American couple (the
Eubanks). They made us feel so incredibly at home, as did their two daughters
who within 10 minutes had saddled up ponies for all of us to ride. While
looking around the room we had been set up in to stay for the night, we got our
first taste of the ministry the family was involved in. It was unlike anything
I had ever heard of. We read all kinds of articles on the walls about the Free
Burma Rangers and their dangerous journeys across 250+ miles of landmine
infested lands to reach innocent Burmese citizens caught up in a messy civil
war. We also met with Dave Eubanks later to watch videos and hear more about
the terrible atrocities that are going on in Burma.
Basically,
Burma has been involved in a Civil War for the last 50 years. Many of the
Burmese people groups are being violently killed and forced from their homes
for no reason, by the Burma Army. We heard story after story about people being
chased from their homes, women being raped and abused, and children being
murdered. I watched parents cry and grieve for their children who had been
killed or left behind. I watched the graphic scene of a 17-year old boy, who
had returned to his village and had his leg blown off by a land mine that was
hidden by the army. His raw bone was fully exposed and flesh hung limp from his
leg. He had to be carried for four days in a hammock to an area where he could
have a proper amputation.
The
amazing purpose behind the Rangers is that they walk for weeks to go into
Burma and reach these people who are being displaced and murdered. They have
intense training in order to go on these missions. They are trained for combat,
medical care, you name it-They must be prepared for the worst. The most
beautiful and amazing thing I heard though, was that their ultimate oath is to
protect the people from the army. That means that if the Rangers are with a
community providing for their needs and the army starts coming, the Rangers
stand their ground. They have committed to standing between the Burma Army and
the Burmese people and protecting them even to the point of combat.
One of the
first things I heard Dave say about all of this was that he never thinks twice
to serve the Burmese people. To him they are all friends and as soon as he
comes into contact with the people in hiding, his heart just swells for them.
At that point it is just an obvious duty for him to lay down his life to
protect and care for his friends- whatever it takes.
I was so
inspired during my short time with the Eubanks'. They are such gracious
servants and it was clear to me from the moment that I met them. I could talk
about the Free Burma Rangers and the impact their stories had on me for days.
Instead though, I want to encourage you to look them up for yourselves and see
the amazing things that are going on. I had no clue about everything that was
going on in Burma before this, but now I cannot ignore it. More people need to
be aware of the situation.
An
unacceptable situation is present in Burma and in other areas in the world, and
the atrocities should not be hidden. If we truly love others as we say we do,
what are we willing to do for them? What are we willing to do for our friends
abroad (or even at home)who are suffering injustice every day? The answer might
be different for everyone, but whatever it is, I hope that we can all become
more aware day by day of our ability, however great or small, to help those in
need. The BFR's are radical in their action and not everyone is able to respond
this way, but it is encouraging to know that there is a part in it for all of
us.
Website: www.freeburmarangers.org
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