Free Burma Campaign Worldwide

[zni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Dear All,

Here is a Free Burma Campaign worldwide update:


UREGENT ACTION ALERT

Mary Pack, the Editor of Burma Debate, has urged all of us FBC members to
launch  the petition drive in support of Burma Freedom and Democracy Act
ASAP. (I'll repost the sample letter, senate and reps. email address.)

There will be distribution of "Dear Colleage" letter in search of
cosponsorshop and endorsement among US lawmakers. Fellow colleagues, this
is extremely crucial and we can really make a difference here by letting the
Congress know that students and citizens really care about justice in Burma
and that it's about time to teach Slorc thugs and greedy CEOs a lesson by
passing this economic sanctions bill.  We congratulate the Stanford spiders
taking the lead in this campaign.  At Notre Dame, Liz and Free Burma folks
just did a successful petition drive there.  Thanks and congrats, ND folks.

Announcement I:  US Speakers' Bureau List is now available from the Free
Burma Coalition.  If your group is interetsed in obtaining a copy of the
list, please send a note to zni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Announcement II:  The Free Burma Coalition world map is being created and
will be up at http://freeburma.org  soon.   If your want your Burma group
listed on the map, please contact Glen at freeburma@xxxxxxxxx

Announcement III:  Bill Rubenstein, co-writer of "Beyond Rangoon" will be
available to speak if your group plans to use the movie Beyond Rangoon for
promoting Free Burma campaign and if your group is located in California.
Contact:  zni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

News:

Amnesty International (USA) Burma Campaign is currently on-going and there
are more than 150 college and high school chapters working on the
campus-based AI Burma campaign.

Contact:  Meghan Faux at MFAUX@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


FBC activities:

1.  The University of Wisconsin Group will do the phone petition drive this
Tuesday and Wednesday as part of the March 13 Second International Day of
Action for a Free Burma.


2.  On March 4, 1996, there will be a panel discussion on socially
responsible investment and University of Wisconsin's illicit role (via its
investment in Pepsi, Texaco. and other multinationals) in political
oppression and human righst violations in countries including Burma, East
Timor, Nigeria, and Tibet.  (The two scholars on the panel are
internationally known in their respective fields and strongly in support of
the CSRI campaign.)

Panelists:

Michael W. Apple (John Bascom Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and
of Educational Policy Studies)

Joe Elder (Professor, Center for South Asia and Department of Sociology)

Rep. Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin State Assembly)

Mike Griffin (Labor Organizer, Decatur,IL)


Place: Memorial Union (UW Madison)
Date: March 4, 1996
Time: 7 PM

3.  Utah State University (Logan)

Burma folks will be showing Beyond Rangoon at there campus.

Contact:  Jennifer at SLWFN@xxxxxxxxxx or at 801-752-3328

4.  Georgetown University

There will be a Burma panel at the Peace Conference at Georgetown this
Saturday (Feb. 24).  Contact:  Jeanette Cecilia Voss
<jeanette@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> who is  Amnesty International Student
Coordinator for DC area. Her phone is (202) 676-2585.

5.  Hampshire College

Burma folks will be doing petition drive for Burma Freedom and Democracy
Act.  Also there will be Burma documentary film series follwoed by
discussion on Burma's political situations.

Contact: Lee at lccS95@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

6. University of California at Santa Barbara

Our FBC group will do "Beyond Rangoon" screening on UCSB campus.

Contact: Ben at uflamb00@xxxxxxxxxxxx or
 Dr. Carol Richards at 73030.64@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

7.  University of Arizona

The UA group will do the Beyond Rangoon showing.

Contact:  Naomi at naomi@xxxxxxxxxxxx or Christopher at crf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

8. Colorado College

Beyond Rangoon showing; Our FBC folks have been working on getting the
selective purchasing ordinance project going at the City Council there.

Contact: Jon Shay at erc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

9.  University of Minnesota and Twin Cities

Minneapolis City Council Burma Resolution

Contact: Drew at 612-298-8489

10. State University of New York-ESF and Syracuse University

These are two new groups and are willing to propose that the New York
Student Environmental Coalition (NY SEAC) adopt Burma as their statewide
issue.  There will be Burma film showings at these campuses.

Contact Dawn Grewer at djgremer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

11. Sara Lawrance College

At the NYSEAC conference to be held at Sara Lawrance, Bronxville, (March
1-3), there will be a Burma workshop.

Contact:  Scott at sdinsmor@xxxxxxxxxxxx

12.  Mary Washington College

A new Burma group was created recently and they are doing Pepsi Boycott
campaign.

Contact: Annebelle at ldanc7i6@xxxxxxxxx

13.  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Katie has suggested that local AIDS activists should be invited to join us,
after she saw a program on A & E (on Feb.11, 1996) where SLORC was
mentioned as having a policy of killing anyone with AIDS.  The UNC group
has been doing Pepsi Boycott.

Contact Katie at klkasben@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

14.  Warren Wilson College (NC)

"We will be sending press
relases to a number of newspaper next wee about our campaign on campus.
We recieved 200 Pepsi Boycott stickers from the Portland group and will
get them out this week.  Half the porceeds of the contributions for
these stickers will go to the yearbook and our own advertisemnet of the
Free burma cause.  We are planning an all campus Free Burma meeting on
Feb. 26th to address our Burma campaign and other such activities and
educational sessions.  We are become quite a number here on campus.
"

Contact:  George at ghobart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

15. Ohio University

Lisa and Burma folks have recently launched Burma campaign at Ohio
University in Athens.

Contact:  Lisa at lb252689@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

16. Northwestern University

There will be Burma Action at NW on March 6.  They recently had a Beyond
Rangoon showing there.  The Free Burma folks went and raised the issue of
Unocal's bankrolling Slorc at a public lecture by Donald Jacob, the 27 year
old member of Unocal Board of Directors and Dean of Kellog Graduate School
of Management.  Our folks were made to feel as "idots."

Contact: Brad at simpsonb@xxxxxxx

17. DePaul University

March 6, 1996 (7PM)

Burma talk at the Institute for Human Rights Law

Contact:  Mary at mbunker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

18.  Adrian College, MI

March 13 (7pm)

Burma talk under the name of "Youth on Global Issues"

Contact:  Erin at ebarkey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

19. Indiana University
There are already about 50 signed letters to be sent to Senator Lugar and
Senator Coats of Indiana.  The members of Asian Student Union at Indiana
University helped petition drive last week.

There are numbers of arranged movie shows around campus and Bloomington
community.  Burma Deception and Life On The Line Tape are the most
appropriate tapes at this moment since we are launching letter campaign
for Burma Freedom & Democracy Act. We are also waiting for Beyond Rangoon
tape from Wisconsin FBC.

The Amnesty International, Commission Of Multicultural Understanding
(COMU), and the Burmese Student Association are sponsoring Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi's keynote address tape to be shown in WTIU, the Indiana University
Television channel.

Next week, on Monday Feb 26, the Indiana Campaign for Free Burma is
sponsoring Burma benefit concert with local music group. Call your friends
in Bloomington, Indiana and encourage them to go to Burma Benefit Concert.

>From April 4th to 7th, Free Burma Campaign is going to have workshop and
information booth at Midwest Asian American Students Union Spring
Conference. There are many possibilities that the MAASU would do to help
FBC activities.

Contact: Tun at tmyint@xxxxxxxxxxx

20.  James Madison University

They have a growing FBC group there and meet every Wednesday.  Liz has been
doing the petition drive for several weeks.

Right now we are all busy preparing for next Thursday
(Feb 29) which we have decided will be our Burma Action Day- its the
closest day we can get to march 13.  We will be tabling on the Commons,
selling our "Boycott Pepsi" tee-shirts, "decorating" all campus Pepsi
machines with signs and stickers, and of course petitioning for the Burma
Freedom and Democracy Act.  So far we have over 60 letters signed and
mailed out to the Va senators. The other issue that we want to deal with
is Columbia sportwear- their clothing is sold in our campus bookstore.
Does anyone have a sample petition already written dealing with this
subject?  I can always revise it to suit our purposes here, it just would
make my life much easier if I did not have to start from scratch.  Also,
if anyone is going to be in the area around March 13-14 we are having a
potluck dinner and watching Beyond Rangoon- the food will all be
vegetarian and vegan.  Time, location and exact date are all still to be
determined.
Peace, FSU!
Liz

Contact: "Burma" Liz at ABERCREW@xxxxxxx

21.  University of Chicago Lab School

The Amnesty International chapter there is planning to do Beyond Rangoon
showing at the school.

Contact: Nishchay at nmaskay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

22.  New York University

NYU and NY groups are rallying Burma supporters for Feb. 23 NYCity Council
Public Hearing RE: Selective Purchasing Ordiance.

**Next Friday, February 23, at 11:30am there is a very important public
hearing of the NYC City Council at City Hall, 2nd Floor.  The hearing is
concerning SELECTIVE PURCHASING LEGISLATION FOR THE CITY.  It is very
important to show the council that this bill has support.  Every one is
welcome to attend.  I (GREG HELLER) will be SPEAKING IN FRONT OF THE CITY
COUNCIL along with many other Burma Activists.  We need your support so
please come.

*SUNDAY, February 25 there will be a BURMA meeting at Loeb in rm 310 (i
think) at 2pm.  At the meeting we will show a film on burma and have some
special speakers discuss the situation and what we can do.  The meeting will
also be an out reach for SEAC, Student Environmental Action Coalition.  All
are welcom to attend bring your friends from other school.
        Loeb is located at the corner of Laguardia pl and Washington sqr
south.  It is an easy walk from the 6 and NR trains (get to Broadway and
walk south to W4th and walk west) or from the ACE at west forth (walk east
on W4th )
PLEASE RSVP to gph657@xxxxxxxxxx

Contact:  Greg at  gph657@xxxxxxxxxx

23.  University of Southern California


     USC Student Senate Unanimously Condemns Alumni Burma Tour
Citing tour-related forced labor, student reps call for cancellation

LOS ANGELES -- Academic Student Senators at the University of Southern
California
(USC) are calling on school officials to cancel an alumni tour with deep forced
labor implications.  In a unanimous condemnation, the Student Senate has
demanded
"a repeal of the University's sponsorship and promotion of 'The Road to
Mandalay'
tour and 'Visit Myanmar Year 1996.'"

The Senate staffers, who were planning to meet with Suu Kyi, had drafted
legislation aimed at imposing full sanctions on the SLORC regime.  Co-sponsored
by Senators Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate
Bill 1511 would impose a number of sanctions on the SLORC, including a ban on
U.S. travel to Burma.

Other scheduled alumni tours to Burma are meeting with strong campus opposition
at Illinois/ Champaign-Urbana, Indiana, Yale, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Penn
State, and others.  USC's Student Senators will continue leafleting on campus
until the tour's March 7th departure date.

Contact: David at freebrma@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

England

Burma Action Group (BAG) will hold a strategy meeting for Don't Visit Burma year
1996.  Also BAG's the alternative guide will soon be available.

Contact: Yvette at bagp@xxxxxxxxxx

Natherlands

On March 13 there will be a debate in the house of commerce in Rotterdam.
Speaking in favor of trade with thugs in Burma will be Phyo Wae Win, son of
Burma's shadowy dictator, General Ne Win.

Australia

Our fellow students in Australia plan to do Beyond Rangoon showing at
varous campuses there.

Canada

On-going PepsiBoycott.

Contact: Reid Cooper at ai268@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or Christine at

Media Coverage:

1. A French-owned International Newswire Service (AFP) based in Washington,
DC has just filed a story on the Free Burma Campaign.  The stories will be
distributed worldwide.  Will post it as soon as it becomes available.

2. The Chronicle of Higher Education is writing a story on the Coalition
for Socially Responsible Investment.  The Free Burma Coalition is part of
the Coalition and our members play crucial role in starting a Second South
Africa here at Wisconsin.

3.  Today's (Feb. 22) NYTimes (international business section) has a good
story on PepsiCo and other multinationals in Burma.


peace, love, hope, and solidarity

Free Burma Coalition


______
When spiders unite they can tie down a lion.  (Ethiopian Proverb)

The Free Burma Coalition
Tel: 608-256-6572
Fax: 608-263-9992