'Burma: It Can't Wait' Campaign Extends into June in Wake of Myanmar Cyclone Tragedy

The Human Rights Action Center, the U.S. Campaign for Burma (Myanmar) and the social-shopping site Fanista are extending their campaign to free Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi and raise awareness of the human rights violations against the people of Burma waged by the country's brutal military regime. The campaign entitled "Burma: It Can't Wait" and featuring provocative short films starring actors, filmmakers and musicians including Sylvester Stallone, Felicity Huffman, Tila Tequila, James Cameron, Sheryl Crow, Eva Longoria Parker, and Anjelica Houston, was to end May 31st, but in light of the tragic cyclone that ravaged the country and the junta's slow response to accept foreign aid, the campaign will continue throughout the month of June. On June 19th, Aung San Suu Kyi's 63rd birthday, "Burma: It Can't Wait" will work with social networking sites and websites to post images of Aung San Suu Kyi with the slogan "ASSK WHY IT CAN'T WAIT." Users will then be directed to information about the imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner and how they and their friends can help join, and donate to the campaign promoting the idea that freedom is the best birthday present.

"'Burma: It Can't Wait' has taken on a more urgent meaning given the tragedy in Burma," said Jack Healey, founder of the Human Rights Action Center and former director of the Peace Corps in Lesotho and Amnesty International USA. "There is a direct connection between the junta's policies of censorship, imprisonment of political activists and torture to the government's recent failure to allow foreign aid to save the lives of those affected by the cyclone. The press is continuously reporting that the proper aid is not reaching the victims. But what the public may not yet understand is why. We need to continue to drive home the point that this government is the problem."

More artists continue to join the effort, including legendary television producer and activist Norman Lear and popular recording artist Matisyahu, who's known for his unique blending of Jewish stylings with reggae, hip-hop, and rock. Matisyahu is appearing in a short video featuring "I Will Be Light," an unreleased song from his upcoming album. The campaign has also caught the attention of artists Brett Dennen and Damian Marley who also showcase exclusive songs in their spots. "Burma: It Can't Wait" highlights the Burmese struggle for liberty, democracy, and human rights. In addition to the public awareness campaign, "Burma: It Can't Wait" is helping to raise funds for those affected by the cyclone. Thus far, it has raised more than $260,000 in aid from a combination of donations and also from contributions resulting from Fanista's charitable Rewards program. Thanks to "Burma: It Can't Wait," The U.S. Campaign For Burma has had nearly 20,000 new members join the campaign during the month of May. These numbers are startling when you consider the effort has attracted 35,000 members over the past six years. At least as importantly, the campaign has far exceeded its initial goal of reaching a million people and making them aware of the situation in Burma.

According to the Burmese government, more than 134,000 people died or are missing as a result of the cyclone. The United Nations estimates that 2.4 million people were affected by the cyclone and more than 1.4 million people remain in desperate need of food, clean water, shelter and medical care. International relief agencies have complained that the junta's slow response in accepting aid has further endangered the lives of the survivors.

The urgent need for humanitarian relief in the region has pushed the other human rights violations of the Burmese government off the front pages. The government (who changed the country's name to Myanmar in 1989, against the will of the Burmese people) has been responsible for recruiting more child soldiers than any other country in the world, has coordinated programs of ethnic cleansing that rely on rape as a weapon of terror, and practiced policies of forced labor, censorship, and imprisonment of political activists. The government imprisoned Aung San Suu Kyi, currently the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient, after her political party won more than 82 percent of the seats in parliament in Burma's last election. Burma's military junta placed her under house arrest, where she has remained for 12 of the past 18 years. (On May 27th, the military junta chose to extend her house arrest by another year, rather than to release her, as had been scheduled.) Because of her peaceful fight for human rights and democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi has been forced from her children and family. On April 24th, the U.S. Senate awarded Aung San Suu Kyi with the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress' highest civilian honor; President Bush signed the legislation in a White House ceremony on May 6th. Suu Kyi is the first person in history to be awarded this medal while under arrest. Past winners include George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela.

"Just as the world came together twenty years ago to free Nelson Mandela and South Africa, we can do so again for Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma," said Jeremy Woodrum, co-founder of U.S. Campaign for Burma. "Our goal is to mobilize people to join the U.S. Campaign for Burma and become agents for change in Burma."

"We are proud of the ground-breaking work this campaign represents," said Dan Adler, Founder & CEO of Fanista.com, which underwrote the entire campaign. "The military junta's unconscionable behavior in response to the tragic cyclone just drives home all of the issues we wanted to raise through these spots. This was one of those rare cases where many of our culture's most respected icons joined forces with some of the most talented and committed behind-the-camera talent to produce unconventional spots which have moved and inspired millions."

The short films will be available through as many video websites as possible, though the full campaign will live within Fanista at http://www.burmaitcantwait.org. Please visit http://www.uscampaignforburma.org and http://www.fanista.com for more information.

About the Human Rights Action Center

The five primary goals of Human Rights Action Center are campaigning to include the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in citizen's passports, supporting growing human rights groups all over the world, creating innovative, forceful, effective solutions to assist victims in protecting themselves, to rightfully restore Aung San Suu Kyi to power in Burma, and to create a fund to get people out of harm's way in exceptional human rights abuse cases. Jack Healey heads the Human Rights Action Center in Washington, DC. Jack has been called "Mr. Human Rights" by U.S. News & World Report. He was named Person of the Week at ABC by Peter Jennings and his music tours of 1986 and 1988 both won 'tour of the year honors' by MTV. Jack marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the March on Washington in 1963, pioneered the World Hunger Run with Dick Gregory, and was Director of the Peace Corps Lesotho in Africa for four years. Becoming the executive director of Amnesty International USA in 1981, he made Amnesty International a household name with his pioneering of four successful musical tours including the Conspiracy of Hope and Human Rights Now! Tours.

About U.S. Campaign for Burma

The United States Campaign for Burma is a U.S.-based membership organization dedicated to empowering grassroots activists around the world to bring about an end to the military dictatorship in Burma. Through public education, leadership development initiatives, conferences, and advocacy campaigns at local, national and international levels, USCB works to empower Americans and Burmese dissidents-in-exile to promote freedom, democracy, and human rights in Burma and raise awareness about the egregious human rights violations committed by Burma's military regime.

About Fanista

Social shopping site Fanista (http://www.fanista.com) is a destination where people who are passionate about entertainment can share their opinions with a community of enthusiasts and champion their favorite artists, stars, music, movies, television shows, and games. Users can also discover new products and purchase entertainment directly from the site. Fanista fuses word-of-mouth reviews about entertainment and a Rewards program that allows the proceeds from everyday entertainment purchases to fund a range of charities.

Contact:

BeBe Lerner/ Chet Mehta

ID

323.822.4800