Like the rest of the world, our motivation began with the recent protests in Burma. The first demonstrations were started by Buddhist monks in Pakkoku (Central Burma ). According to the political history of Burma, whenever monks are involved in protests, this is a strong indication that the people are unsatisfied. Monks depend on the Burmese people for donations. When the Burmese people are struggling to feed themselves, they cannot afford to make donations, and the monks cannot afford to eat. This demonstration which was direct result of the tremendous overnight petrol price increase in August 2007, was met with a severe governmental crackdown. Monks were reportedly defrocked and beaten.
The Monks requested a public apology from the regime. This did not happen. 2 weeks later, the monks began their peaceful marches to remind the government of their request. Still there was no apology. This time the people of Burma joined the monks in protest. After 2 days of protests the army intervened using violence against the protestors and the monks and making many arrests.
As pictures of the crackdown were sent out from Burma, the world watched on in horror.
We, at RED BAND FOR BURMA have very strong ties with the country. We have Burmese friends from all walks of life. We felt outraged. We felt the need to do something; to take action. It was certain that the protests alone would not result in the solution that the people had hoped for. As the international community became involved, many political strategies were suggested.
We understand that the situation in Burma is very complex. There is no simple solution. Certain sanctions will take power away from the government, but which? Will trade embargos work when large oil companies are still lining the pockets of the regime? If tourists boycott Burma this will take some money away from the regime, and it will also result in thousands of ordinary people losing their livelihood. It is a delicate balance and we hope that the international community will make the right choices for the Burmese people. We felt we could not confidently propose a political strategy.
So, how could we help? Although the solution is not a simple one, Burma NEEDS international support. It needs focus to be kept on the country and on the plight of it's people. Burma needs the international community to put pressure on the current regime to rectify harmful economic policies and to stop human rights violations. Only in this way will there be a chance of a change in Burma's current situation.
We needed a way for people to show their support in a very public and visual way, and so the idea for the RED BAND FOR BURMA was born. We also knew that if we could sell enough bands that, as well as increasing awareness, we would be able to raise funds for badly needed humanitarian aid. All net profits from the sale of the wristbands will be donated to charity.
Our group is multinational. The Red Bands are manufactured in Thailand and will be shipped internationally. Although China would have been cheaper, we saw that as a conflict of interest due to China's well publicized involvement with Burma. Through our web site, the international community can read our message and purchase the bands.
We hope you will join us and help increase awareness of the plight of the people of Burma. Every one of us can make a difference.
Wear a red band and show the world your support for the people of Burma.
All net profits go to registered charity, Burma Issues, helping awareness to be raised worldwide.
You can now place your order on our site.