ACTIVISTS AND MONKS TO SPEAK ABOUT THE STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM IN BURMA
WHITTIER, CA (February 12, 2008) -- Whittier College will host an event to foster awareness of current political activism in Burma (also known as Myanmar). The program, which is free and open to the public, will take place Tuesday, March 4, at 7 p.m., in the Whittier College Memorial Chapel, 13406 E. Philadelphia St., Whittier, CA 90608. Parking is available on and near campus.
Beginning with Buddhist chanting in the ancient language of Pali by monks from the Burmese monastery in La Puente, the program will include traditional Burmese food and dance, a screening of the documentary film "Do-A-Ye" (Our Cause), and an open forum with activists and monks about the "Saffron Revolution" and the struggle for freedom in Burma. The event is co-sponsored by the Religious Studies Department and the Global and Cultural Studies Program.
Active organizer for the democratic rights of the people of Burma and event co-organizer, Ko Pyay, said the event is meant to promote awareness of Burma in line with democratic leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's appeal to people in other countries, "Please use your liberty to promote ours."
Whittier College professor and fellow co-organizer Jason Carbine says, "The people of Burma have been forced to live under a brutal military dictatorship since 1962 and many attempts to restore freedom and democracy have been violently crushed by the Burmese military." He adds, "It is our hope that this event will not only provide first-person perspective from those who live under or who have escaped this reign of terror, but will also mobilize our local community toward awareness and activism on behalf of those in crisis."
Carbine, whose academic research focuses on Burmese Buddhism, is currently completing his manuscript, Negotiating Continuity and Rupture: A Burmese Buddhist Monastic Tradition. His website follows the events in Burma / Myanmar (http://kukan123.googlepages.com/ burmamyanmarlinks).
"Four months ago, Burma was all over the headlines. For the first time since 1988, monks and lay people had protested majorly in the streets. The self-professed Buddhist military had beaten, shot, and killed Buddhist monks," says Carbine. "After forty-five long years, the country again seemed poised on the brink major political change. Where do things stand now? A military clampdown, phone lines cut, internet access reigned in, the opposition terrorized into partial submission, a fragmented but important international response, a reassertion of military support of Buddhism, and not even a footnote in the evening news."
Founded by Quakers in 1887, Whittier College is an independent, four-year college offering a traditional liberal arts program integrated with both professional and pre-professional courses of study. With an emphasis on diversity, community, and curricular innovation, the College’s primary mission is to endow students with the education, skills, and values appropriate for global leadership and service. Whittier College is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
Whittier Law School, which is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools, is located on a separate campus in Orange County.
