The Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC has won awards for its performances and presentations on cultural traditions around the world. This year in 2010, the festival emphasizes the Asian Pacific American community.
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC is named the number 1 tourist attraction in DC and one of the top tourist attractions in the world.
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Burma has made headlines for the military regime’s human rights violations, but recently it’s gotten attention for its nuclear news. Al Jazeera released a documentary from the Democratic Voice of Burma which confirmed statements of the Burmese junta’s desire to become a nuclear power.
The National Endowment for Democracy held a panel to discuss Burma’s Nuclear Ambitions. The Democratic Voice of Burma,a grantee of NED, disclosed in its new documentary that the Burmese military regime is indeed pursuing a nuclear program.
Robert Kelley, an American Nuclear Scientist spoke about Burma’s nuclear ambitions. Aung Lin Htut, a Burmese military defector revealed the junta’s intent.
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– Kaye Lin
From DC to Burma- supporters worldwide wished Daw Suu a happy birthday!
All around the world, supporters of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi celebrated her 65th birthday. From Burma to the US, people celebrated the life and courage of Burma’s leading lady.
The rally in DC was held on Aung San Suu Kyi’s birthday, June 19th to call for the release of the opposition leader as well as all the political prisoners in Burma. Nyi Nyi Aung, a US citizen who was recently released from Burma’s prisons, gave a message to Suu Kyi as well as to all her supporters world wide. ( Watch the video to see what he said)
Monks chanted prayers and supporters sang Aung San Suu Kyi a “bitter sweet birthday” as she celebrated her 65th birthday under house arrest again this year. Although her birthday may have been bittersweet, there is no denying that she would have remembered her 65th birthday in DC. There was a lot of joy at the event-to commemorate Daw Suu’s birthday. The Burmese community put on a stage show filled with traditional Burmese dances and performances.
The Elders Leave an Open Chair for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Picture by Jeff Moore/The Elders
– Kaye Lin
Aung San Suu Kyi’s birthday is tomorrow, June 19, 2010, and all around the world people are celebrating the lady of Burma’s birthday by holding rallies, vigils and throwing memorable events. As Suu Kyi is under house arrest, she will not be able to celebrate with the people around the world, but she will be at each one of her birthday events in spirit, which is why the Elders held a tribute for Aung San Suu Kyi and keeps an empty chair at each one of their meetings.
The Elders, a group of prestigious world leaders- founded by Nelson Mandela, honored Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s birthday, and left an empty chair for her. Desmond Tutu describes Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as “ an incredible woman. I can think of no better way of underlining her courage, sacrifice and importance than to describe her as Burma’s Nelson Mandela.”
The Elders consists of Martti, Ahtisaari, Kofi Annan, Ela Bhatt, Lakhdar Brahimi, Gro Brundtland, Fernando H Cardoso, Jimmy Carter, Graca Machel, Mary Robinson, Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela.
– Kaye Lin
The United States released its 2010 report on human trafficking which graded nearly 200 nations. The State Department estimates that there are 12.3 million adults and children in modern day slavery – forced labor, sex trafficking and human slavery. The most common countries of trafficking are in Southeast Asia – such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Burma. US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton says that the US is pushing to end human trafficking worldwide.
The US estimate that a little more than 32% of women and children trafficked globally come from Southeast Asia. Girls and women are exploited in human trafficking. And in particular, Asian women are often found in prostitution, sex trafficking and now in involuntary domestic servitude- women are trafficked as house maids.
Watch the video and see what Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and Ambassador Luis Cdebaca, the head of the Human Trafficking Office at the US State Department have to say about human trafficking.
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June 20th is World Refugee Day, and I wanted to write about the millions of refugees who were displaced.
Refugees are displaced peoples with incredible stories. They are displaced because of conflict, natural disasters or persecution. However, their basic needs for food, water and shelter are far from being met as they struggle everyday for survival.
My coworker and I went to a town in the US, named Charlottesville, Virginia where a lot of the refugees live. Refugees resettle in the United States more than in any other country. These refugees seem to be living the American dream; they were happy that the US had taken them in and given them shelter and a sense of a community. However, many of the refugees found themselves wanting to back home.
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