Dear Free Burma supporters,
Please note that our forum is on MONDAY 12th at 12:30pm, not Tuesday
13th.
It's on the 8th Floor of Parliament House, Room 814/815. Please go to the
front reception desk when you arrive at Parliament and ask for John Kaye's
office, they will then direct you to the 8th floor.
On Monday 12 May, the Australian Coalition for Democracy in Burma will
host
a forum to discuss the voting, the outcomes, and what it means for Burma
's
future.
Hear first-hand accounts from inside Burma and the opinions of local
Burmese
community leaders and Burma specialists.
Monday 12 May at 12:00pm
NSW Parliament House, Macquarie Street .
Hosted by John Kaye MLC and Penny Sharpe MLC
Australian Coalition for Democracy in Burma
What Now For Burma ?
Post-referendum forum: Monday 12 May, 12:00pm
NSW Parliament, Macquarie Street .
On 10 May Burmese citizens will go to the polls - for the first time in 18
years - to decide whether to adopt a new constitution. But with no
independent monitoring and the real threat of harsh reprisals for those
who
vote against the military dictatorship, Burmese citizens face a grim
choice.
Written by the ruling military generals, the draft constitution clearly
aims
to reinforce their grip on power and weaken the opposition.
A quarter of all parliamentary seats will be filled by the military, and a
specific clause bans citizens married to foreigners from holding office -
a
deliberate strike against popular opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi whose
husband was British.
The military rulers have rejected UN offers to monitor the referendum, and
criticism of the draft constitution is banned.
Pro-democracy leaders in Burma have called for a "no" vote.
But having felt the harshness of the regime during the "Saffron
Revolution"
in September last year, and with no guarantee of a secret ballot, citizens
risk serious reprisals if they choose to reject the generals'
constitution.
Will citizens challenge the regime? How will the military respond? What
will
be the impact on the struggle for freedom in Burma ?
For more Info please call Luke Whitington 0425214731, Maung Maung Than
0411337816
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