NBC hosts seminar for the female half of Norway’s Burmese diaspora

On the occasion of Aung San Suu Kyi´s birthday 19 June, the Norwegian Burma Committee (NBC) will host a seminar for Burmese women in Norway. Instrumental in arranging this two-day event are NBC´s two interns, Naw Khin San Htwe from the Burmese Women´s Union and Lway Dang Jar from the Paulang Women´s Organisation, right. Their hope is to inspire Burmese women in Norway to take a more active political role. (15-JUNE-07)

Based on the invitation and programme for the seminar, this article is written by HRH F / Niels Jacob Harbitz. Photo of San Htwe and Dang Jar: HRH F / Niels Jacob Harbitz.

The aim of the seminar, San Htwe and Dang Jar explain, is to let Burmese women in Norway meet and exchange experiences, and to introduce ways for Burmese women in exile to get involved in the women´s movement among Burmese women, other immigrant groups and i Norway in general. The Burmese diaspora in Norway consists currently of around 1800 refugees.

Theory and practice, seminar and demonstration
The seminar will introduce the Burmese participants to a selection of key Norwegian and international women´s organisations, such as International League for Peace and Freedom (IKFF), Center for Gender Equality, MiRA Center resource center for immigrant and refugee women), the Christian Democratic Party´s Women´s group (KrFK) and one other women immigrant organisation. In addition to the in-house programme at the Human Rights House in Oslo, the participants will also take part in a short demonstration on Aung San Suu Kyi´s birthday, demanding her and a number of other political prisoners´ release. Pictures and names of the prisoners will be displayed.

-Make strategic use of China´s role and strong interests in Burma
The demonstration in front of the Norwegian parliament will further consist of two appeals, one by long-term activist for democracy in Burma Camilla Buzzi, the other by a representative for the Burmese women in Norway, and a symbolic ´release´ of 150 balloons, to mark the standing demand for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all the other approximately 1100 political refugees in Burma. -The situation in Burma requires more than just symbolic politics, like denial of visa and the freezing of accounts belonging to the Burmese junta, as has been introduced by  some countries, says Inger Lise Husøy, right, the Executive Director of NBC. The junta will only react to direct pressure. -China, the powerful neighbour and ally of the Burmese military dictatorship, plays a key role. China´s economic interests in Burma are strong, and Norway and the whole international community must make strategic use of this, with a view to promote political changes in the country.   

Over to Bergen
After the events in Oslo, there will be another seminar in Bergen, Norway´s second largest city, where there is also a Human Rights House, called the Rafto House, and where there has been a strong interest in the plight of Burma for almost two decades.

For more information, please contact:
Lway Dang Jar
Paulang Women´s Organisation
Cell phone: +47 45 66 45 84
Email: lwaydjar@gmail.com

or

Naw Khin San Htwe
Burmese Women´s Union
Cell phone: +47 95 46 69 04
Email: htwelay05@gmail.com