MANILA (August 5) – “Progress without freedom is a meaningless achievement.” Thus wrote Aries B. Espinosa as he added his message and photo to the 8888 Faces photo petition to free Daw Aung San Suu Kyii and all political prisoners in Burma. He is one of the more than 200 biking enthusiasts that traversed some 78 kilometers around Metro Manila last August 3 to call public attention to the human rights situation in China. The Bike for Rights activity was organized by Amnesty International – Pilipinas.
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MANILA (August 5) – “Progress without freedom is a meaningless achievement.” Thus wrote Aries B. Espinosa as he added his message and photo to the 8888 Faces photo petition to free Daw Aung San Suu Kyii and all political prisoners in Burma. He is one of the more than 200 biking enthusiasts that traversed some 78 kilometers around Metro Manila last August 3 to call public attention to the human rights situation in China. The Bike for Rights activity was organized by Amnesty International – Pilipinas.
As the 2008 Beijing Olympics draws near, people wonder how China translates the Olympic goals of ‘promoting a peaceful society’ and ‘preservation of human dignity’. China is a staunch supporter of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), Burma’s brutal military junta. Under its iron rule, the peoples of Burma suffer from grave oppression and indignity. More than 2000 political prisoners are languishing in jail including Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and popular democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who remains under house arrest.
Free Burma Coalition – Philippines (FBC-Phils) members met with the bikers during breaks and invited them to sign up to the petition. Florencio R. Florendo, another biking enthusiast immediately posed for the camera when FBC-Phils activists explained to him the situation of political prisoners in Burma and the intent of the 8888 Faces petition. Although signing up as an individual, Florencio wrote the message as “Kami [ay] sumusuporta [para] sa karangalan [ng] tao sa Burma” (We extend our support for the dignity of the peoples of Burma); using the pronoun ‘we’ instead of ‘I’. Perhaps in his mind, all the bikers present are for the promotion of human rights and preservation of human dignity – including that of Burma’s populace.
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