ေဝးစမ္းပါေစ မိုင္ေပါင္းကေ႗..

Walker crosses country to raise awareness for Burma

By David Hotle 05/27/2008

If they can make it there, they can make it anywhere. In this case the 3,000 mile walk between Portland, Ore. and New York, N.Y., is being done to bring awareness to human rights violations in Myanmar (Burma).

On Friday, Zaw Min Htwe carried the American Flag and the flag of Burmese democracy through Washington on his way to the United Nations Building in New York. During the trip through Washington County, Zaw carried the banners while his brother Athein Min Htwe followed in a truck. Every 15 miles the two trade places. The walk began March 1 and they expect to reach the United Nations Building on Aug. 8.

"It is for freedom, democracy and human rights for Burma," Zaw said, his English still tempered with a Burmese accent after only spending four years in the United States. "I cannot live in my country and I cannot live in Thailand. We lived in a refugee camp. We do not have a future there. That is what America sponsor us to come here."

Zaw and Athein said they both fought for democracy in Burma. They explained after protests in August 1988, Athein and Zaw found themselves marked by the government. They became refugees and joined a group of students who traveled to the Thai border. The students became an organization called "All Burma Student Democratic Front." Athein hopes to present the petition to the United Nations of Aug. 8, the 20-year anniversary of 3,000 demonstrators being killed by their government in what has been dubbed "the 8-8-88 protests."

"Right now in my country people's government don't care about them," Zaw said.


For the full story, see the May 27 edition of The Washington Evening Journal
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19723041&BRD=1142&PAG=461&dept_id=568956&rfi=6