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London ABSRF fund raiser.
- Subject: London ABSRF fund raiser.
- From: omtun@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 05:22:00
Email: omtun@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: 22/04/96
A POST CARD FROM LONDON
About three hundred Burmese and foreign guests took a
delightful 'gastronomic tour' at a fund raising food fair
sponsored by the All Burma Students Relief Fund (ABSRF)
in a hall in North West London on Sunday (yesterday).
The ABSRF have been holding such charity food fairs in
London since 1992, approximately twice a year. The ABSRF
have already sent an impressive sum of #39,434-50
to the students, so far. The event held yesterday was the 8th
in about 4 years. The profits from the magnificent
food stalls, no fewer than 12, which were set up by ABSRF
members and several Burmese democracy campaigners,
will go some way towards the specific and general needs
of some of those students in the border areas who have been
resiliently fighting against the more numerous and better
armed SLORC mercenaries for the achievement of democracy
and human rights in Burma.
Thinking about the students, one cannot escape from the
overwhelming sentiments and the outrageous memories of their
innumerable sacrifices, inexpressible sufferings and unforgetable
brave deeds during their relentless struggle to FREE BURMA from
the military tyranny. So, one likes to humbly express the profound
and heartfelt appreciation to all the Students in the Burma-Thai
border areas; the Burma-China border areas; the Burma-India border
areas; the Burma-Bangladesh border areas; Burma ( inside and
outside the SLORC's prisons); the various countries in the East and
the West; and to the outstanding student leader- MIN KO NAING.
One would also like to wish ALL OF THEM a satisfying and
victorious NEW YEAR, wherever they are.
Coming back to the gastronomic delights displayed at the stalls
around the hall where the ABSRF charity food fair was taking place,
lots of people, the Burmese and non-Burmese, were seen busily
devouring their favourite foods from the wide variety of
Burmese cuisine, and some were still in the process of making
hard choices from the delicious menu. All were either sitting at
the tables laid there or jostling in the narrow spaces, looking
and exchanging pleasantries to each other. It was not only
a charming occasion for the gourmet cooks and the connoisseurs of
international foods and delicacies, but also a joyful opportunity
for the Burmese and the foreign supporters alike to meet up
and enjoy each others' company in the enchanting atmosphere of
the Burmese New Year.
It's always nice to enjoy the exquisite food and delicacies -
consisting of twelve main dishes and ten other delicacies - oneself,
and to see others enjoying them, especially for the good purpose
of collecting funds for the needy students championing the cause
of democracy. But, one cannot help recalling the unhappy food
situation and sky-rocketing food prices facing one's fellow country
people in Burma today. The democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
has been vividly exposing the tragic situations prevailing in Burma,
to the outside world, in her well known letters to the" Mainichi Daily
News" in Japan. In her letter No.7. entitled "Breakfast Blues", she
speaks about debilitating inflation facing the ordinary Burmese
people by mentioning facts and figures. She has compared the prices
of the food today with the prices of the food that prevailed before 1990.
People can get the details in her letter mentioned above.
But, to quote her letter a little roughly, the present prices
of chicken and mutton were 400 kyats a viss (about 1.6 kilograms)
while pork was 280 kyats,shrimps 100 kyats and giant prawns
over 1000 kyats a viss. At the same time the price of an average dish
of 'mohinga' has gone up to 15 kyats.
According to my own calculations, the prices in general have climbed
up to 3 to 4 times within 4-5 year time. That is the inflation rate
for the ordinary Burmese people today. So, if one likes to make a
wish to all the people in Burma to have a happy and prosperous year,
one wonders whether it might sound hollow, unrealistic and even
ridiculous to some people under the prevailing circumstances?
However, most people are fully aware that "a week in politics is
a very, very long time" and every Buddhist believes that things are
always subject to change. Moreover, it is better to be upbeat
than downbeat and better to be positive than negative. So, have
a Happy and Prosperous New Year my fellow country people!