Militant greetings from Filipino trade union and social activists!
The Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) – a national labor center of different types of workers’ organizations in the private, informal and migrant sectors in the Philippines, and a member of the Free Burma Coalition – Philippines (FBC- Phils) warmly congratulates and extends our solidarity to our Burmese Comrades who are attending the 2 day conference here in Manila with the Theme” Burma in Focus”.
Democracy remains illusive under the tight grip of the military junta. There is no rule of law in your country. What prevails instead is the law of the rulers whose interests are to stay in power, who are unelected and unwanted by the people.
Tonight, the Alliance of Progressive Labor honors the people of Burma whose strong resolve to fight the Junta outside or inside your country remains firm inspite of all the hardships under an illegitimate and monstrous regime .
Also, we sincerely feel your suffering and those of your people, women, children and men, in poverty and severe fascist rule.
We know that your children have been in forced labour to build roads, bridges for the junta. Women have been trafficked to Thailand, China and Pakistan. Rape by the Burmese military, particularly against ethnic women, is institutional and endemic throughout areas of conflict in Burma.
We are aware that young mother activists are forced into hiding for resisting the junta. That nuns and lay people are targeted by beatings and perhaps even killing, in the last uprising. Thousands are in prison and are missing. Tens of thousands are dead because of the continues crackdown in Burma that is unrelenting even at this very moment, I supposed. The whole world saw the previous crackdown in one broad day-light, the junta massacred its own people. It’s hard to imagine how torture and other human rights violations happen at night.
The continues crackdown and non recognition of the duly elected government under the National League for Democracy and the continues house arrest of the most prominent leader, Aung Suu Kyi, is a big slap to the international community.
The opportunity to engage the military junta never waiver within the international progressive movement. It is now more than ever that we should step in and contribute to the restoration of democracy in Burma, particularly in the coming elections in 2010.
The people of Burma has suffered enough. They have been struggling long and hard in bringing back democracy and justice in Burma.
APL will never get tired of supporting the struggle of our Burmese comrades and the people of Burma. We vowed to continue to help in efforts to press the Burma’s ruling junta, to implement reforms towards the eventual democratization in that country, that would lead to REGIME CHANGE.
We are with the people of Burma, in your struggle for freedom to remind the world that there is still no democracy in Burma” ” “We support the struggle of our Burmese comrades to win its freedom, that in this supposedly modern world, democracy remains an elusive goal for our fellow oppressed workers, children women in a neighboring country.”
Twenty (20) years after the August 8, 1988 National Uprising in Burma is long enough to prove that the Burmese military government has failed miserably in uplifting the lives of the people which has only sowed terror and fear in the hearts and minds of the Burmese people longing for freedom and civilian authority in their country,”
The condition is ripe for change. This is the moment. A moment that should not pass.
Long live the struggle for democracy!
FREE BURMA NOW!