An Auckland University student wants to raise awareness of the human rights abuses going on in Burma. Lauren Mentjox reports
Tinmama Oo was 13 when she arrived in New Zealand as a refugee from Burma (Myanmar). She and her parents had fled decades of unrest in their homeland, including the infamous
August 8 1988 protest at which thousands of peaceful demonstrators were slaughtered. Now 19 and a student at Auckland University, Tinmama is still fighting for the cause. Last week she organised a rally and seminar series at the university to raise awareness about human rights abuses in Burma, and to mark the anniversary of the August massacre. A member of the university's Burma support group, Tinmama says she wants people to know what is going on. The group has written to the New Zealand Government and to the United Nations Security Council to request they put political pressure on Burma's military dictatorship. Fellow campaigner Pe Khin Aung knows first hand what it is to be at the mercy of the oppressive regime. The former political prisoner was sentenced to seven years' hard labour when he was 19 for his involvement in pro-democracy movements. He served ''five years, seven months and 18 days'' in prison before getting out of Burma and moving to New Zealand, where he has lived for five years. Pe Khin says there are currently 1196 political prisoners in 10 different prisons across Burma. Contact Tinmama at tinmama@hotmail.com for more information about Burma.
