Burma Blackout

More Burma updates from avaaz....

Namaste,
S:)

Dear friends,

Last week, Burma went dark--the military shut down all internet, telephone and communication links with the rest of the world. They did it because it has been the pictures, blog posts, and emails--of monks brutally murdered, journalists shot--that have done the most to galvanize the entire world on Burma. Without that flow of information, the media is reporting dry diplomatic processes--and each day the danger grows that the press will move on.

We can't allow the Burmese blackout to succeed. Avaaz is working to support highly respected Burmese democracy and civil society groups by sending them $100,000 in crucial technical and humanitarian support this week. These groups, working in the region with the right equipment and tools, can help bring stories out of Burma and poke holes in the blackout, shining spotlights on the ongoing cruelty in Burma. They are desperate for help to give humanitarian assistance to the victims of the crackdown and tell their stories to the world before the current window of media attention passes. Other donors take months to raise money; only we can be fast enough to meet this urgent need. Can we raise $100,000 (75,000 Euros) in the next 24 hours so the money can be transferred this week? Click below now to make a donation online:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/end_the_burmese_blackout/1.php?cl=32806199

A massive military crackdown has quashed the public protests and thousands of peaceful monks and protesters are right now being brutalized in secret prisons, away from the TV cameras. Burma's people need us more than ever. Over the last several days, over 775,000 Avaaz members have answered the call for help and signed our petition, launched a global ad campaign, organized hundreds of protests, and lobbied their governments. Yesterday, we delivered our petition personally to UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and helped win stronger measures on Burma from the European Union. The UN Security Council, including China, has finally condemned the crackdown.

The pressure is working. Every news story on Burma cites the power of global public opinion in this situation. Burma's generals want to stifle that power by cutting off all communication, and there is a real danger this week that they will succeed, and the press will move on. But we can stop them. Click below to donate whatever you can:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/end_the_burmese_blackout/1.php?cl=32806199

With hope and determination,

Ricken, Pascal, Graziela, Ben, Paul, Milena and the whole Avaaz Team

PS - If you're new to Avaaz and want to know more about us, our name means "voice" in many languages, and we are a legally registered non-profit organization, co-founded with the support of major NGO partners like Oxfam and MoveOn.org, and working with global figures like Al Gore on climate change and Desmond Tutu on poverty. We have offices in 6 countries and an administrative office in New York City at the address below. Our mission is a global democratic one, and our community has grown in just 9 months to over 1.5 million members from every nation on earth. Here are some links to more information about us:

Economist magazine features Avaaz after our launch in January:
http://www.economist.com/world/international/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=8703047

A summary of all our recent campaigns and their impact:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/report_back_1/

A report back on all of our work on Burma so far –
http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en

And here are a couple of articles about the situation so far:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/burma/story/0,,2186651,00.html

http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/EdOp/2007/Oct/02-Oct-07.html