Webb negotiates, releases imprisoned American in Burma

Webb and Gen. Than Shwe discussed on Saturday despite the general's renown reclusion (LA Times)

On Saturday, Virginia Sen. Jim Webb won the release of an American prison inmate in Myanmar after talking with reclusive leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

After swimming across a lake to Suu Kyi’s villa in May, Missouri resident John Yettaw, 53, was arrested in May. Yettaw was sentenced to seven years in prison, including four years of hard labor.

Webb visited Yangon after a military court ruled that Suu Kyi was guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest by housing the uninvited American. Yettaw returned to the United States on a military plane.

Webb is a Vietnam veteran and former secretary of the Navy; he currently chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s East Asian and Pacific affairs subcommittee. While some view Webb as leading negotiations and political reforms with Burmese military junta, others are skeptic as to the hidden cost of Yettaw’s freedom.

Shepard Fairey’s political artwork of Burmese leader

An artistic feat, indeed.

Renown artist Shepard Fairey (famous for his Obama election “HOPE” posters and “Obey Giant”) released a poster of Burmese prime minister-elect and democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Nobel peace prize winner Suu Kyi remains under house arrest by the military junta; however, she is receiving wide international support of her freedom, human rights, and democracy in Burma.

Copies are available for distribution via download: http://obeygiant.com/ (not intended for sales merchandise or for-profit materials)

Benefit for Burma – Mighty Mic 2009

Mighty Mic’s first educational event, VOICES FROM BURMA is coming up soon, on Wednesday, February 18 6-8PM in Northwest Auditorium. The show is FREE, but we gladly accept donations of any amount. All proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders and U.S. Campaign for Burma.

VOICES FROM BURMA is a dramatic show featuring monologues written by individuals living within Burma who have experienced torture, abuse, imprisonment, and the growing degradation of basic human rights under an oppressive military regime. In Burma, there is no freedom of speech. We feel that it is time that the forcibly silenced people of Burma are given a voice. On this night, we hope to do their life stories justice by bringing them to life for the UCLA community.

Mighty Mic is organized and executed entirely by UCLA undergraduate students. Each year, they select a different social justice-related cause as the focal point of their event.

*Look for an in-depth interview with the creators of Mighty Mic in our Winter 2009: The Dialogue Issue.  Coming soon.

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Posted by: Maria