Thursday, December 01, 2011

US Campaign for Burma Tell Clinton

Tell Clinton: Look Beyond Rangoon


Make your voices heard – tell Secretary Clinton to demand the release of all political prisoners and an end to human rights abuses in Burma. Tweet and Postto her Burma Trip Blog.

Secretary Clinton has arrived in Burma and tomorrow she starts her meetings with Burma’s regime officials. Today is the last day to make sure she hears from you. Secretary Clinton will only be in Naypyidaw and Rangoon, but we need her to look beyond those cities. Even if she can't go, she should still speak out about the reality of ongoing conflict throughout ethnic minority areas.

Secretary Clinton's trip to Burma is a strong sign that the Obama administration places Burma as a priority. Thanks to all our grassroots supporters who have worked hard to push Obama. We need to keep up the pressure though, and ensure that Secretary Clinton and the State Department continue to make the release of all political prisoners and the end of attacks against ethnic minorities a major political benchmark.

Even if Burma's leaders do not listen to the pleas of ethnic minorities, community leaders have reached out to Clinton, hoping she can help bring security. Ethnic people have issued letters to Secretary Clinton asking her to not forget the atrocities occurring in their areas. The Women's League of Burma has also told Clinton she needs to push for Burma's leaders to finally stop allowing rape to be used as a weapon of war. The Burma Army's brutal actions have not stopped in the lead up to this trip. Two major reports have come out this week that document abuses happening in Kachin State since June of this year. Read Partners Relief and Developments’ Report and Physicians for Human Rights' Report.

Last week we asked you to sign a petition to Secretary Clinton. Thank you to the thousands who signed. We need to continue our actions to push Secretary Clinton not to forget these atrocities. Click to open up the State Department's official blog for Clinton's trip to Burma. Scroll down to leave your own message in the "Want to Share Your Thoughts?" section:

- Tell her to not forget the growing conflicts and human rights abuses in ethnic areas. More people have been displaced this year than any other in the past decade. A genuine national dialogue of reconciliation must happen to bring peace to Burma.

-Tell her to push for the release of all political prisoners and for a lifting of the extreme laws that keep people locked up and perpetuate the climate of fear in the country.

Also, make sure to Tweet "Sec @H_Clinton push for a release of all political prisoners and end to #humanrights abuses in #Burma"

U.S. Campaign for Burma has been extensively working to organize advocacy efforts for this trip. For example, this week USCB and 11 other respected human rights organizations and one individual in the United States sent an open letter to Secretary Clinton strongly urging her to prioritize securing an end to crimes against humanity being committed in Burma. We have also worked with the media, and have been quoted and interviewed in many top news sources.

We are compiling all the activity and news around the trip. Follow the latest on Secretary Clinton's trip here.

In Solidarity,

Myra Dahgaypaw


Become a member of the U.S. Campaign for Burma.

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