- photos by Thandar Htike; commentary by Thandar Htun

March 27, 2009 is 64^th Resistance Day of Burma. 64 years ago this historic day, lead by General Aung Sun, Burmese patriots started their fight for freedom of Burma, against fascist Japanese Imperialist army’s occupation in Burma .

Resistance Day has been renamed as Armed Forces Days, by new era fascist Burmese Military Governments who frequently kill masses of their own innocent citizens for perpetuation of military dictatorship. How miserable! Because of only one power mad person, we lost a lot of new generation students, citizens and holy monks. How many more do we need to sacrifice for freedom of Burma? We don’t know; still most of our leaders Daw Aung sun Suu Kyi and about 2000 other political prisoners are in prison and under torture now.

‘Not that we hate Japanese people, but we are fighting against  fascism,’ said General Aung Sun, on that revolution day. So also today, we do not hate soldiers, only we are disgusted by a military dictatorship. Absolutely we do understand that our country needs the armies for people’s security, but not as an executioner for dictator.

Resistance Day is the historical and meaningful name for Burmese people. On that day, lead by General Aung Sun,  patriots started to fight back to fascistic colonialist and we gained the Independence. It is not the day of foundation of Army which act as an executioner for military dictators.

History cannot be changed by renaming it. History tells the truth of your past, whatever you did good or bad things. You cannot change the nature of truth, your past. You may think that you can, but you can only lie to yourself; you can’t change your history. We did a lot of  sacrifice for freedom avnd Independence. That history is marked on our heart; cannot be erased by renaming it. The 8888 revolution and monks’ strike cannot erased too from history.

Burmese bloody history is now being rewritten by military regime, black bloody and horrible history.

Since ages ago a lot of anonymous heroes did noble sacrifices for their belief in freedom and their love for their mother country. In addition to General Aung San who led the fight against independence from fascist colonialism, ethic leaders and other little known heroes did great sacrifices for our mother land.

Today, new generation Daw Aung Sun Suu Kyi, Min Ko Naing, Zar Ga Nar and a lot of new generations from every layers of life are doing sacrifice for freedom of Burma. We do believe that continuously new generations also will follow their elder heros’ steps, until we get democracy.

On today March 27, 2009, 64th Resistance Day, we, who love Burma, did demonstrations in front of Burmese embassy UK and Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) to reject regime’s planned sham 2010 elections and to work to realize 1990 elections results.

Also in front of Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO), we requested that

1. The EU strengthens the common position, including banking and financial sanctions and sanctions stopping European Companies providing insurance in Burma,

2. The EU does more to pressure the military regime to free all political prisoners in Burma,

3. The EU rejects the military regimes 2010 election and sham 2008 constitution in the present form,

4. The EU does more to encourage reconciliation and tripartite dialogue without delay,

5. The EU does more to challenge the dictatorship to immediately stop all human rights abuses in Burma.

Let’s bow to our leader, martyrs and elders who did, and still are doing, sacrifices for our people, to take our country to freedom!