TEXT: "This is our home": Standing for Freedom in Burma
NARRATOR: The conflict in Burma is as complex as it is long. With a military dictatorship in power, many in the opposition are either imprisoned or
killed. In most of the country there is a false peace, due to the dictators' ability to control dissent. However, in some ethnic areas the regimes army is still attacking the people.
NARRATOR: There are over one million internally displaced people, and over one million refuges who have fled the country. There is continual
environmental destruction, an HIV/AIDS epidemic, the ongoing laying of land mines, human trafficking, and religious persecution. Because of the regime's mismanagement and corruption, it's the
world's second largest opium producer, and the main producer of methamphetamines in South-east Asia. Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize recipient and leader of the democracy movement, is
repeatedly put under arrest.
NARRATOR: The regime's army extends their control over the ethnic minorities by building roads and camps in ethnic homelands, forcing people to
relocate or flee into the jungle. There is documented forced labor, and the use of rape as a weapon. The regime's army lays land mines to keep villagers from returning home and supporting the
resistance. They aim to dominate the population, assimilate them, and exploit them. They do this directly through military attacks, selective cease fire agreements, and the use of proxy ethnic
forces allied with the regime.
NARRATOR: One devastating result is the internally displaced people, who are forced to flee their homes because of the regime's army. Some are
forcibly relocated and now living under the regime's control. Some who are attacked by the regime's army are able to return to their homes after the regime's army leaves. Others who are not
able to return live in temporary sites nearby, and many are on the run or in hiding now. All of these people lack security, food, education for their children, and suffer increased health
problems.
NARRATOR: Yet the people of Burma have not given up. The internally displaced peoples' unwillingness to give up their homelands is one of the
greatest examples of civil disobedience to the dictators. The pro-democracy movement is still active. In the war zones the ethnic resistance attempts to protect their people. They help
villagers escape the regime's army, clear land mines, and help people cross roads controlled by the regime's army.
NARRATOR: There are also many non-governmental organizations and community based organizations that work together to help provide basic services.
One example of how relief and care are given by groups working together is this Karenni family who's baby was accidentally burnt in a fire. Six different organizations participated in their
evacuation and care. The child made a complete recovery.
TEXT: "We have a right to stay in our own homes and farms, as we always have." - A Karenni grandmother
TEXT: "We don't need the dictators to control us. We want to be free." - A Karenni grandmother
TEXT: The grandmother's village has been attacked four times, but she refuses to leave her home.
TEXT: For more information and to learn of ways you can help, please contact: khrg.org shanland.org shanwomen.org burmaissues.org partnersworld.org
freeburmarangers.org burmacampaign.org.uk uscampaignforburma.org
TEXT: Thank you to everyone who helped make this film possible. Produced by Front Films (c) 2006 Free Burma Rangers
[Contains Graphic Content] A short and concise look at the nature of the conflict in Burma, the persecution of ethnic minorities by the military regime, and the work done by relief organizations to help and protect internally displaced peoples.
Sequence:
1 of 1
Creators:
Free Burma RangersRole: Creator
Front FilmsRole: Producer
Publishers:
Free Burma Rangers
University of Texas Libraries
Date Created:
// - //
Topics:
advocacy, activism, and responses to persecution--aid and relief organizations
advocacy, activism, and responses to persecution--eyewitness documentation
advocacy, activism, and responses to persecution--non-governmental organizations
armed conflict and persecution--internally displaced persons
armed conflict and persecution--weapons--landmines
economic, social, and cultural rights--social and cultural rights--ethnic identity
Languages:
eng
Geographic Focuses:
Asia--Burma
Asia--Myanmar
Southeast Asia
Geographic Base:
Asia--Burma
Type of Resource:
Moving image
Genre:
videorecording
Identifier:
fbrx0005
Rights:
This electronic resource is made available by the University of Texas Libraries solely for the purposes of research, teaching and private study. All intellectual property rights are retained by the legal copyright holders. The University of Texas does not hold the copyright to the content of this file. Formal permission to reuse or republish this content must be obtained from the copyright holder.
