Ada and Evelyn
Ada and Evelyn were running a table for Amnesty International today, just around the corner from my office. I was lined up for a bank machine when they put a flyer in my hand. I had been trying to block them out because I figured they were signing people up for credit cards.
If you're interested in writing the government of Myanmar to complain about the arrests and murders of peaceful protesters, you can do so at "Foreign Minister Nyan Win, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Naypyitaw, Union of Myanmar".
Ada and Evelyn also gave me a poster introducing the "2nd Murder by Numbers Film Festival", which takes place in Taipei October 12th to 14th at the Taipei Youth Activity Center (6F, No. 17, Sec. 1, Jen-ai Rd.) and Kaohsiung October 19th to 21st at the Kaohsiung Flim Archive (No. 10, Hesi Rd., Yancheng District). Sponsored by the Taiwan Alliance to end the Death Penalty (TAEDP), the program looks promising. Here's the billing: "When the death penalty is mentioned, what comes to your mind? A scaffold, a hangman's noose, stoning, an electric chair, lethal injection, or bullets? When death row inmates are mentioned, what comes to your mind? A devil, a monster, or an ill-fated person? What steps do you think are involved in the death penalty? Prosecution, judgment, execution, and finally justice? The 2nd Murder by Numbers Film Festival will bring you the truth behind the death penalty." They give some Web site addresses for the festival: www.deathpenalty.org.tw and taedp-film.blogspot.com
I mentioned that Amnesty was out on the street, even though a typhoon is bearing down on Taiwan, to my colleague. He seems to think that Myanmar is the trendy place to be indignant about right now. (I guess that's because they're firing on crowds of peaceful protesters and arresting monks and it's on CNN.) He also pointed out that most countries are, in one way or another, up to no good. Who can argue with that? But I'm glancing at the literature right now and Amnesty seems pretty clear in calling "on the authorities to ensure that all people in Myanmar are able to peacefully exercise the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly without fear of harassment, intimidation or arbitrary detentionn, in line with international human rights standards".
2 comments:
It is so funny --- I had been trying to block them out because I figured they were signing people up for credit cards.
A diplomat official resigned, is he the person who read your letters?
We should keep going until the evil is gone, right?
Which diplomat are you talking about?
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