London Indymedia

Burma: Pressure Shows Results : (Keep It Up: Sat :Tate 11am to T Sq)

~~~~ #### **** etc | 05.10.2007 11:15 | Globalisation | Other Press | Terror War | London | Oxford

last night the burmese "junta" agree to open talks with the democratically elected burmese peoples representation, after a meeting with the UN rep . . . .
The media spin of "doom doom" in the west, with the odd "deprioritisation" of this sort of mould-breaking news - with its echoes of the end of apartheid in south africa, or the irish peace processes "key moments" - is suspicious, but . . . . breaking news???? MUCH TO DO, keep up pressure, but FIGHT THE HYPE too!

World news reports last night showed that pressures "under the surface" too must have shown the opening of good results - these sort of meetings were seen as FAR from possible . . . . there was much doubt in the media that the UN rep was going to get to meet the chief of the burmese armed forces.
Far more pressure is needed - this pressure doesnt need to fall into the trap of getting used to amp up the "COLDWAR": FAREAST" theme of the warbucks types, seeing as the pressure that got these things to happen did come from china - but as china tightens its border to prevent the methamphetamines precursor materials from getting into burma (- used, it seems, to deaden the burmese soldiers to the reasonings of their communities, etc, allowing a short-term control effect) peoples, governments, religious types of all sorts, should STEP UP THE PRESSURE.
FREE THE MONKS
FREE THE PEOPLE TAKEN HOSTAGE
END THE FORCED SLAVERY
THIS PEACE IS POSSIBLE TOO
Opening talks to allow a different future, a safe peace process that includes all in that good future - the minorities within burma too - several good futures are possible - the burmese people dont need to allow burmas resources to get stolen cheap - by "corporations" that often pretend they are "from" various nations, but seem to show little loyalty to those communities either.


A WORD OR TWO MORE ABOUT THE ODD SPIN.
It does seem that the "media" - or those that influence the media - were trying to paint the "junta" into a corner. Why has the alleged "background" in reports so often jumped from 1988 to 2007 without a mention of the fact that the ENTIRE armed forces was happy to allow a democratic election as recently as a few years ago, or the fact that legitimised democratic leadership was there to talk to, (unexecuted) in a way that there wasnt in Iraq.
If the lack of media/ western support for efforts HERE are lacking - how much harder for old Warbucksprofiteers assortment of "tail wags dog" types to get war going in different bits of the world.

There are LOADS of things its possible for people to do.
It seems all too often people have got scammed that their "options" were MUCH less, when there was so much more to/for all of us . . . . to do.

TO DO
:
:
: ?get to Tate, 11am, this saturday (6.10.7)for march to Trafalgar square
:
. . . . if you "hardcopied" this, you could insert YOUR ideas for what you could do here!
:
:
:
:
etc



ps - also remember "prohibition" of iraq march nxt wk
see you!!!!


~~~~ #### **** etc

Additions

Wearing RED or MAROON in solidarity with the monks and nuns

05.10.2007 11:47

Someone suggested that wearing red or maroon on the march (in solidarity with the Burmese monks and nuns) could be a good idea. That strikes a chord with me, so I'm gonna do that. I hope I'm not the only one! :)

Shy Ki

Ki


direct action against the companies involved

06.10.2007 10:04

Target your local Total garage. Put a dent in their profits then write to them telling them
why. If we make it costly enough for them, Total will pull out of Burma - a massive blow
to the regime.

For example:

Bradford activists blockade Total:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/09/382212.html

Picket of Total garage in Oxford last week, another planned today:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/10/382701.html

Picket of Cardiff Total garage planned today:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/10/382817.html

die-in inside Total HQ:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/10/382648.html

Picket of Total HQ
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/10/382852.html
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/10/382839.html

discussion of picketing/sabotage in Notts
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/09/382268.html

We can have a much greater impact by targeting the companies involved directly
than by politely trying to persuade our local politicians to persuade other politicians
to persuade the junta to stop its brutality. The urgency and passion of the message
gets lost as it filters through so many layers of politicians with vested interests.

Having said all that, good luck to those marching in London today. I don't personally
believe its a particularly effective tactic, but our aims are the same and we're 100%
on the same side.

[]


Comments

Hide the following comment

a way of pressuring the China government

06.10.2007 10:43

Recent petitions on road pricing and banning China fur imports have received erudite brush-offs from civil servants, rather than a serious answer from anyone able to make a decision; their role is like an answer to an MPs written question and only the petitions with a few hundred signitories get an answer at all.

Another more popular petition simply asks the UK government to use its influence, which of course it does not have short of banning Marmite exports to Burma or making a sending a letter to the embassy.

This petition is more specific: threaten to embarass the China government by withdrawing government support for the Olympics unless [insert demand here]...
The China government is in a much stronger position to influence the Burma one.
Just an idea

John Robertson of Veganline.com
- Homepage: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Boycott-Olympics/


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