Is the Expression of "Life Without

[Sidneypilg@xxxxxxx]

Subject: Is the Expression of "Life Without Freedom is Worthless" a crime in Burma?

Is the expression of "Life Without Freedom is Worthless" an attempt to break 
any law in Burma or is it an antigovernment slogan?  

Every body will agree that life without freedom is worthless.  If the regime 
thinks it is an anti government slogan, then it is admitting that there is no 
freedom in Burma.  That means Burmese people are under slavery of its own 
military leaders.  

If the SPDC regime is interrogating the American citizens or any foreigners 
for the words, it is being dictator as ever.  There is no anti government 
slogans on any of those papers.  If there were "down with the military 
dictatorship" or " Transfer the power to the people", I would have agreed 
that these were the anti government pamphlets.  But "Life without education 
is worthless" or "life without love is worthless" or "life without honesty is 
worthless" are the norms of all civilized society.  Many people from 
different countries express what is good for the human society by writing 
poems and slogans to educate and upgrade the moral of the people.
  
The American government should find out more details and protect the justice. 
 I am concerned about the news that our fellow citizens will be punished by 
the ruthless regime without committing a crime.  David Arnott please let me 
know if you have any updates about this news.

Sincerely yours,
Sidney Pilgrim




At 07:54 PM 10/20/1999 +0200, you wrote:
>soc.cult.burma@xxxxxxxxxxxx, soc.cult.asean@xxxxxxxxxxxx,strider@xxxxxxx, 
>free-burma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,burmanet2-l@xxxxxxxx, myanmar@xxxxxxxxxxx, 
>ocelle@xxxxxxxxxx
>To: MAYKHA-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> BBC Summary of World Broadcasts
> October 21, 1999, Thursday
>
>US citizen to be interrogated for anti-government activity
>
>Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1245 gmt 19 Oct 99
>
>Text of report by Burmese opposition radio on 19th October
>
>It has been learned that a group of tourists distributed anti-SPDC [State
>Peace and Development Council]
>pamphlets near Shwezigon Pagoda in Nyaungu. A 20-member foreign tour group
>led by tourist guide U
>Soe Min Oo surreptitiously distributed the pamphlets at about 1130 [local
>time] on 17th October.
>
>The tour group came to Burma under arrangements made by the Indochina
>Travel Agency. The person
>responsible for distributing the anti-SPDC pamphlets is [name omitted], a
>US citizen. On the pamphlet the
>following words - Life without freedom is worthless - are printed together
>with the round seal of the Free
>Burma Society below.
>
>Authorities were caught unawares, and they discovered the incident the
>following day. The Military
>Intelligence [MI] personnel are investigating the matter.
>
>The tour group departed Nyaungu for Mandalay by plane on the morning of
>18th October and will return
>to Rangoon today. DVB correspondent Kaung Myat has reported that the
>authorities and the MI in
>Rangoon are preparing to interrogate the tour group and [name omitted].
>
>
>Internet ProLink PC User