The Burmese military regime may have killed, maimed, or impoverished the bodies of the peoples of Burma—but the spirit of the Saffron Revolution and the peoples’ aspiration for genuine democracy are very much alive.

With the crackdown of the thousands of people who participated in the historic Saffron Revolution a year ago, the notoriety of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) was further revealed. The junta’s casual disregard to human rights has reached a level where all international laws were ignored in the name of power. And all in the mighty name of power, a monk must be killed, a media man’s life must be sacrificed and hundreds must be detained.

The Burmese military regime may have killed, maimed, or impoverished the bodies of the peoples of Burma—but the spirit of the Saffron Revolution and the peoples’ aspiration for genuine democracy are very much alive.

With the crackdown of the thousands of people who participated in the historic Saffron Revolution a year ago, the notoriety of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) was further revealed. The junta’s casual disregard to human rights has reached a level where all international laws were ignored in the name of power. And all in the mighty name of power, a monk must be killed, a media man’s life must be sacrificed and hundreds must be detained.

It was a massacre committed in broad day light. That was the day of infamy—the day when the military regime slapped the world on its face by telling us that tyranny is a good substitute to democracy.

The Saffron Revolution, which was led by peace-loving Buddhist monks is a manifestation of the instinctual disgust of the peoples of Burma to the ill-governance, mismanagement, and oppression of the Burmese military regime. It was the culmination of the huge snowball of resistance inside and outside Burma aimed at reforming the military regime’s repressive style of governance.

However, instead of sitting down in a dialogue to ventilate the demands of the people that include economic issues brought about by the sudden increase of fuel prices, the call for the release of all political prisoners and the demand for national reconciliation starting with genuine dialogue, the junta chose to flex its military might and with brute force, hit even the highest moral authority of the land—the Buddhist Monks. Nameless civilians were not spared and massive arrest of protesters, raiding of monasteries and curfew immediately followed.

A year has passed but there was no sign that the military regime learned its lesson. It has remained intransigent to the clamor to bring back democracy and justice in Burma. Political persecution is everywhere until today and poverty and hunger are still rampant while hundreds of people are intimidated, jailed, and killed for exercising political rights. Arrests and intimidation of political leaders and raiding of monasteries are still happening. We demand an end to this crackdown and we challenge the regime to sit down on a dialogue and institute genuine political reforms.

Today, the Free Burma Coalition-Philippines extends its heartfelt solidarity to the peoples of Burma and to all the heroes and martyrs of the Saffron Revolution. We are joining thousands of voices inside and outside Burma in a united call for the immediate restoration of democracy and social justice in that land.

We call on the United Nations (UN) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and all its member states, to continue applying pressure to the military regime and exhaust all possible means to hold the junta accountable to the crimes it has committed and will continuously commit against its own citizens.

The Saffron Revolution is not just a day to remember but a struggle that must be pursued until its victorious end. Today, we would like our brothers and sisters in Burma to know that we will continuously join them in their quest for genuine democracy, justice and peace in Burma.

ON WITH THE SAFFRON REVOLUTION!
WE WILL FIGHT! WE WILL WIN!

-FREE BURMA COALITION-PHILIPPINES
Amnesty International (AI), Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific (CATW-AP), Bagong Kamalayan, Samahang Demokratiko ng Kabataan (SDK), Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP)