Ideas for Action Steps

A few ideas for Action steps:
Cut and paste to your heart’s content.
Demands could include:

1) Support UN, ASEAN and high level diplomatic efforts by immediately calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the recently arrested monks and activists and other political prisoners, as well as an urgent end to attacks against ethnic minority civilians, monks, and democracy protestors.
2) Compel the Burmese military regime towards an inclusive and representative national reconciliation process under the guidance of the UN Special Envoy for Myanmar Ibrahim Gambari.
3) Support UN Security Council resolutions on Burma.

Private letters and faxes (let’s start an avalanche):

The China Angle:
Burma has been isolated economically: the only country with real sway there is China. China also wields the veto in the U.N. Security Council which needs to shift, for U.N. action to take place. China is hosting the up-coming Olympics of which the theme is “One World, One Dream.”

Hon. Mr. Hu Jintao, President
Hon. Mr. Wen Jiabao, Prime Minister
Hon. Mr. Tan Jiaxuan, State Counselor
Hon. Mr. Yang Jiechi, Foreign Minister
Hon. Mr. Wang Guangya, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations,
Government of the People's Republic of China
Salutation: "Your Excellencies"

c/o Mission of China to UN
350 East 35th Street, New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-655-6100, Fax: 212-634-7626
E-mail: chinamission_un@fmprc.gov.cn

Hon. Mr. Zhou Wenzhong, Ambassador to the U.S. of the People’s Republic of China
Hon. Mr. Jiang Yu, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson
c/o Chinese Embassy to the United States
2133 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 625-2030

The Myanmar Angle: In this case be sure to refer to Burma as Myanmar and Rangoon as Yangon.

Hon. Mr. U Linn Myaing, Union of Myanmar Ambassador to the United States
c/o Embassy of the Union of Myanmar
2300 S Street NW, Washington D.C. - 20008
Tel: 202-332-3344, 202-332-4350, 202-332-4352
FAX : 202-332-4351
Email: info@mewashingtondc.com
E-mail: thuriya@aol.com



The Buddhist Angle: Officially called the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee (SSMNC) these are a group of monks who have supported the junta by enforcing Order No. 15, since 2001 banning monks who have ever been arrested from donning robes again once they are released. This is to intimidate monks who make up 3% of the population from taking part in the democracy movement. They administer the infamous “Monk Identity
Card” system which identifies “good establishment monks” from “pro-democracy monks.” Many monks have boycotted the identity card system even though they miss out on government subsidies that way. The State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee is opposed by the Young Monks Association,which has continued to support the 1990 “patam nikkujjana kamma" agreement, in protest of the mass killings of 1988, by which they
refuse to accept dana from government officials thus isolating them from absolution of their karma. This statement comes from section 262 of the Vinaya. There may be some point to American Buddhists influencing these senior monks to finally support the rest of the monks.

These are the establishment monks:

1. Agga Maha Saddhama Jotika Dhaja Sayadaw Bhaddanta Panna Dipa,
Dean of the Faculty of Patipatti at the International Theravada Buddhist
Missionary University (ITBMU).
2. Sayadaw Abhidhaja Maha Rattha Guru Abhidhaja Agga Maha Saddhammajotika
Bhaddanta Paññinda Bhivamsa, Vice-Chairman of the SSMNC and head of Aungmyebonsan Monastery
3. Magway Sayadaw Abhidhaja Maha Rattha Guru Abhidhaja Agga Maha Saddhammajotika Bhaddanta Kumara, General Secretary of SSMNC and Secretary Vice-Chancellor of the State Pariyatti Sasana Universities
4. Nyaungdon Sayadaw Abhidhaja Maha Rattha Guru Bhaddanta Osadha Bhivamsa,Vice president of SSMNC and Joint Secretary and Sayadaw Chairman of the State Pariyatti Sasana Universities Administration Board
5. Bhaddanta Thuriya Bhivamsa, Vice President of SSMNC
6. Bhaddanta Sandima, Secretary of SSMNC
7. Bhaddanta Agghiya, President of Shwekyin Nikaya SSMNC
8. Bhaddanta Sumangala Lankara, Tipitakadhara Tipitaka Kovida Dhammabhandagarika, Ph.D
9. Dr Ashin Sila Nanda Bhivamsa, Rector Sayadaw, ITBMU
10. Dr Canda Vara Bhivamsa of the ITBMU, Buddhist Education Department
11. Dr Punnobhasa of Sitagu International Buddhist Academy of Myanmar

They most likely can be reached at the:
International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University
Dhammapala Hill,
Mayangone P.O.
Yangon,
UNION OF MYANMAR.
Fax: 095-1-650700
Phone: 095-1-650702

Except for:
Thegon Sayadaw Agga Maha Pandita Agga Maha Saddhamma Jotikadhaja Maha
Dhamma Kathika Bahujanahitadhara Dr Ashin Yanissara, Chancellor of
Sitagu
International Buddhist Academy Ovadacariya of the ITBMU and Honorary
Professor, who can be reached at:
Sitagu Vihara
Sagaing Hills
Sagaing City
UNION OF MYANMAR
Phone - 095-072-21270
or c/o Sitagu Ayudna Hospital
Phone - 095-072-21310
Fax - 095-072-21587



The Economic Angle:

U.S. companies doing business in Burma these days:

DHL
223, Sule Pagoda Road
7 (A ), Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd., Mayangon Tsp.
Tel 251752, 664434, 664423, Fax 664430

United Parcel Service
337 Boaungkyaw Street, Kyauktada Tsp
Tel: 245481 Fax 242734

Donations:

The previous massacre in 1988 was blacked out of the news, but this time private video and cell phones are making a difference. For video equipment for Burma, make out checks to “Stone Circles” and put “Burma Equipment” in the “for” line and mail to The Stone House, Attn: Burma Equipment, 6602 Nick’s Rd., Mebane, N.C., 27302.

U.S. Companies doing business in Burma -

I. Oil and Natural Gas - Since its 2005 takeover of Unocal, US oil giant Chevron has been one of the joint venture partners developing the Yadana offshore gas field in Burma, which earns the military regime millions of dollars and uses Burmese civilian slavery to construct the pipeline. Chevron also owns Texaco. Prior to acquisition by Chevron, Unocal settled a multi-million dollar human rights lawsuit. It's French partner, Total SA is currently the subject of a similar lawsuit.

David J. O'Reilly, Chairman and CEO, Chevron/Texaco, 6001 Bollinger Canyon Rd., San Ramon, CA, 94583, USA, Email: comment@chevron.com

Baker Hughes Corporate Headquarters, Oil and Natural Gas Industrial Supplies, 2929 Allen Parkway Ste 2100, Houston, TX, 77210-5177, USA, Fax: + 713 439 8699, Email: info@bakerhughes.com

J. W. Stewart, Chairman, President and CEO, BJ Oil Field Services, 5500 Northwest Central Drive, Houston, Texas 77092, USA, Email: rcoons@bjservices.com

Andrew Gould, Chairman, Schlumberger Oil Field Services, 153 E. 53rd St., 57th floor, New York, NY, 10022-4624, USA, Fax: 00 1 212 350 94 57

II. Tour and tour guide publication companies - Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese democracy movement have asked tourists not to visit Burma because it helps fund the regime and gives it legitimacy.

A World Away Travels, PO Box 596, South Fork, Colorado, 81154, USA, Fax: +1-719-457-5932, Email: info@worldawaytravels.com

Geoffrey Kent, Chairman and CEO, Abercrombie & Kent, Inc., 1520 Kensington Road, Suite 212, Oak Brook, Illinois, 60523-2156, USA

Archaeological Tours, 271 Madison Avenue, Suite 904, New York, N.Y.,10016, USA, Fax: + (212) 370-1561, Email: ArchTours@aol.com

Managing Director, Fodor's/Random House, Inc., 1745 Broadway, New York,NY, 10019, USA

Managing Director, Hunter Publishing/Nelles Guides, PO Box 746, Walpole,MA 02081, USA, Email: comments@hunterpublishing.com

Managing Director, Let's Go/Pan MacMillan Publications, Inc., c/o Southeast Asia Section, 67 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA, Fax: 617 496 7070, Email: feedback@letsgo.com

Old Burma Tour and Trading Company, 1825 Ponce De Leon Boulevard, P.O. Box 383, Coral Gables, Florida, 33134, USA, Fax: 305 569 0074, Email:info@oldburma.com

Financial Services - Swift financial services is owned and controlled by many of the world’s largest banks, including Citibank, HSBC and ABN Amro. Swift hosts an electronic network that banks use to make transfers to each other. Following the imposition of financial sanctions by the United States government in August 2003, the regime faced a crisis, unable to use dollars in financial transactions. Swift came to their aid, making four Burmese banks part of its network. The regime is now able to avoid US financial sanctions by making financial transfers in Euros using Swift’s
network.

Jaap Kamp, Chairman, Swift, C/O ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Head Office, Gustav Mahlerlaan 10, 1082 PP Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Leonard H Schrank, Chief Executive Officer, Swift, Avenue Adèle 1, B-1310 La Hulpe, Belgium, Fax: 00 32 2 655 32 26, Email: kara.condon@swift.com

Managing Director, Swift, 7th floor, The Corn Exchange, 55 Mark Lane,London EC3R 7NE, Fax: 020 7762 2222


May benefit arise from this.