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May - New England Burma Roundtable (r)



New England Burma Roundtable / May 97

May 9, 1997

Dear Friends and Supporters:

If this is your first mailing from us, welcome! And if you are a regular
receiver, thank you for continuing to support the restoration of democracy
in Burma. We will prevail.

1. May Roundtable Meeting: Tuesday, May 13, 7pm 
2. News from New England and Elsewhere
3. T-shirt Sales
4. Burmese Water Festival
5. New York City Poised to Enact Burma Law - Progress in Texas, North Carolina
6. Action Alert for May

1. May Roundtable Meeting: Tuesday, May 13, 7pm 

We will meet at the offices of Franklin Research and Development
Corporation, 4th floor, 711 Atlantic Avenue, Boston (South Station Redline T
stop). Don't give up because of the Central Artery construction...the
building is open. Since parking is almost non-existent, use public
transportation.

Speaker: Shalini Nataraj from the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
has just returned from visiting the Burma/Thai border and Burma itself.
She'll have lots to tell us about her observations.

2. News from New England and Elsewhere

Connecticut: The state legislature reported its Burma selective purchasing
legislation (HB 6354) out of the Government, Administration and Elections
Committee with a favorable recommendation on March 27. The legislature ends
its 1997 session on Wednesday, June 4. We need all the help we can get...so
if you know anyone in Connecticut, please mail the enclosed leaflet to them.
And feel free to write your own letters of support to Connecticut
legislators and Governor Rowland. Our own Governor Weld heard from
"outsiders" and we know it helped influence him positively. Call Ann Stewart
at  Franklin Research at 617-292-8026, extension 246 to keep abreast of
Connecticut happenings.

Quincy (Massachusetts) activists are working on a selective purchasing
ordinance for their city. Please contact Helen Poland at 617-773-0261 or
hpoland@xxxxxxx to offer your services.

3. T-shirt Sales

Burmese students in Massachusetts are selling t-shirts (2 different designs)
to benefit the Democratic Burmese Students Organization (DBSO). T-shirts are
100% cotton and available in M, L and XL for $12 (plus mailing). Call Ko Lay
or Nima Lay at 617-388-0038 for sales and information. 

4. Burmese Water Festival

The Burmese Water Festival is Saturday, July 19. Mark your calendars now!

5. New York City Poised to Enact Burma Law - Progress in Texas, North Carolina

New York City: it's expected that the city council will approve a Burma
selective sanctions ordinance (647A) on Wednesday, May 14 and send it on to
Mayor Rudy Giuliani for his signature. NYC activists are gearing up to
persuade the Mayor to enact the ordinance...The Texas legislature heard
testimony about a proposed Burma selective purchasing bill late last month.
Stay turned for more progress from the south...Colorado's state senate
passed a resolution last week against SLORC...Send us your news and we'll
print it here for all to admire and emulate!

6. Action Alert for May

Write Governor Weld (State House, Boston 02133) and ask him to stand firm in
support of the Massachusetts Burma selective purchasing law which he signed
into law in 1996. Ask him not to cave into European, Japanese or
multinational corporate and government pressure to water down the bill.
He'll be around for several more months before he goes to Mexico, so please
keep writing to him.

Write Attorney General Scott Harshbarger (One Ashburton Place, Boston 02108)
and ask him to withstand efforts to amend or repeal the Massachusetts Burma law.

Please Note

The Massachusetts Burma Roundtable is growing, hence the name change to New
England. If you'd like to participate in the "growing" of your organization,
please call 617-292-8026, extension 246.

Thanks!

To the Burmese community. Your participation (and your delicious cooking) at
the MIT April 26 "No to Dictators" conference continues to sustain all of us.

Ann Stewart
* for the New England Burma Roundtable*
c/o Franklin Research & Development
711 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA 02111
(617) 292-8026 x246
(617) 482-6179 fax
interns@xxxxxxxx