March for Peace

By WES KAPPELMAN
The Oskaloosa Herald

Burmese activists spend night with Oskaloosa residents during 3,000-mile road march to New York.

Mary Patterson prepared a big breakfast on Thursday morning, but it was not because she and her husband, John, were particularly hungry.

John and Mary were also feeding Burmese activists before they continued their 30-mile per day march across to New York.

Athein, 36, and Zaw Min Htwe, 27, both originally from Burma — Burma is now known by the nation’s military government as Myanmar — left Portland, Ore., on March 1. Their goal is to reach New York City before Aug. 8 to raise awareness of human rights abuses in Burma and deliver letters in protest of the military government in Burma. They also plan to deliver a petition to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for actions by the U.N.

After detailing grievances with the military junta, the petition asks the U.N. Security Council to impose a universal arms embargo on the Burmese military junta, impose sanctions on the financial transactions of Burma’s ruling military, recognize that genocide is being committed against Burma’s ethnic minorities, take steps to save lives of civilians and hold the ruling generals accountable for crimes against humanity. The petition, which is on their Web site http://88portland.wordpress.com, has more than 1,100 signatures.

Athein, 36, is a student who protested the Burmese government during democracy demonstrations in August of 1988. Aug. 8 is an important date to Athein because it is the 20th anniversary of the day hundreds of thousands of Burmese protested the military government and called for democracy in Burma. According to the BBC’s Web site, human rights organizations had claimed that at least 3,000 people were killed in the 1988 protests in Burma. Aug. 8 is also the first day of the Olympic Games in China.

Athein said he left Burma in 1988 and lived in Thailand with Burmese students involved in the protests in 1988, eventually joining the All Burma Students Democratic Front. Min Htwe’s father was a member of the same student group.

In 2007, Athein and Min Htwe met in Portland, Ore., where Athein was demonstrating. Min Htwe, who had been visiting his parents decided to join in the demonstration.

Athein said his plan for a march began in 2003 after a military junta-inspired attack on Aung San Suukyi. The prominent figure for the opposition to the military junta and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner has been mostly under house arrest since.

The beginning of the march in Portland was difficult, as Athein and Min Htwe had to battle subzero temperatures and strong winds. In the Cascade mountains, they faced a demoralizing snowstorm.

The two keep a 30-mile-a-day pace, with each walking 15 miles while the other drives behind. With 1,080 miles from Oskaloosa to New York City, Athein and Min Htwe should comfortably reach their goal.

The Pattersons met Athein and Min Htwe through Zaw Htut, 33, of Des Moines, and they met Htut a few years ago through an exchange student that had gone to William Penn University. Athein and Min Htwe had been staying with people in the Burmese community in Des Moines for a few days before continuing their march east.

From Indianola, the two marched through Knoxville to Oskaloosa, stopping to rest Wednesday evening with the Pattersons.

John said the two look like army rangers in their military uniforms. Athein wears desert fatigues and Min Htwe wears a similar military garb, but with woodland colors.

“I think they are pretty courageous,” Mary said.

People have donated from around the world to help Athein and Zaw during their trip, with strong support from the Burmese community. The next major stop for Athein and Min Htwe is with the Burmese people in Chicago.