Burma & Tibet: creative nonviolent activism

Tibet protest on the Golden Gate BridgeThis week, two peace actions in the San Francisco Bay Area are showcasing the ability of peace activists to organize creative and highly-visible symbolic events -- even at a time when some people claim that activism (especially against the war in Iraq) has become tired and rote.

Yesterday, three members of Students for a Free Tibet scaled high onto the cables of the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge, unfurling banners that call for Tibet's independence. With the Olympic torch scheduled to travel through the San Francisco region this week, this public nonviolent action held the same goals as similar efforts of resistance in London and Paris in the past few days -- but stands in nonviolent contrast to those individuals who, sadly, chose to attack people carrying the torch in those cities.

The San Francisco Chronicle quotes Sister Patricia Rayburn, a 64-year-old Franciscan nun from Redwood City who will carry the torch, who said protesters denouncing China's human rights record should know that "there are torchbearers who have similar sentiments." Sister Rayburn said she hopes the protesters will spread their message nonviolently, stating, "I'm praying and hoping that we can respect one another and do it peacefully." Fortunately, the action yesterday was indeed peaceful, as supported by our friends at the Ruckus Society, who train peace and justice activists to engage in nonviolent but media-savvy acts of resistance.

Another such event will be held tomorrow in San Francisco, when a meditative peace walk will take place across that same Golden Gate Bridge in protest of China's support of the Burmese military junta. The action will be led by Burmese monks and other Buddhists, and is being supported by our friends at the Buddhist Peace Fellowship.

The coalition of organizers report that "in no way" do they want to protest the Olympics, the athletes, or the torch bearers, but want to call attention to the pressing human rights issues facing Burma. Specifically the groups call on China to:

1.    Immediately halt all arms sales to Burma;
2.    Support an international arms embargo, comprehensive economic and financial sanctions against Burma through the United Nations Security Council;
3.    Push for true democratic reforms in Burma, including securing the release of all political prisoners, and helping start a dialog with Aung San Suu Kyi and her election wining party, National League for Democracy (NLD).

More details about the planned action can be found in a press release on the BPF web site.

Finally, looking well into the future, the International Fellowship of Reconciliation has called on FOR members around the world to plan to join together on October 2nd in support of human rights in Burma, on the day that the United Nations has recently named the International Day of Nonviolence. Put that on your calendars!