The Saffron Revolution: A Local Look at Events in Burma

Steve Scher
10/01/2007 at 10:00 a.m.

Many Burmese people in Washington have been experiencing sleepless nights, checking the internet for news updates, trying to call their friends in Myanmar. During the last major uprising in 1988, protesters were shot right outside Pwint Htun's family home. She now lives in Seattle, and spent last week organizing protests outside of the Chinese embassy in Vancouver. Local grassroots organizations are working with Burmese refugees. Today we'll take a look at the situation. Have you been touched personally by the recent events? We want to hear your story.

Guests:
Larry Dohrs is treasurer and member of the board of directors for U.S. Campaign for Burma, the largest grass-roots organization supporting the Burma democracy movement in the world. Dohrs has been involved in Burma for over 20 years. He is also founder of the Seattle Burma Roundtable, which has met locally every month for the past 14 years.
Pwint Htun is an executive in wireless telecommunications industry. She was the first recipient of a Prospect Burma scholarship established using the prize money that Aung San Suu Kyi donated after winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. Pwint personally witnessed the massacres of 1988 in Rangoon. Because her mother, a doctor, organized medical students to treat wounded demonstrators, the family had to flee to Thailand to live as refugees.
Stephen Dun is a consultant for World Aid based in Ballard, member of the Karen National Union, and co-chair of the board of the U.S. Campaign for Burma.
Mary Callahan is an assistant professor in the Jackson School of International Studies and a political scientist specializing in Burma, especially military affairs there. She is also the author of numerous publications on Burma.