Snapshot of a memorial dedicated to the martyrs of January 9, 1964 which paved the way to the negotiations of the Torrijos-Carter Panama Canal Treaty signed on September 7, 1977. This monument is located at the entrance of the Amador’s Causeway in Panama City, Panama.  Photo ©Omar Upegui R.

Martyrs’ Day is a Panamanian holiday which commemorates the January 9, 1964 riots over sovereignty of the former Panama Canal Zone. The riot started after a Panamanian flag was torn during conflict between Panamanian students and Canal Zone Police officers, over the right of the Panamanian flag to be flown alongside the U.S. flag.

U.S. Army units became involved in suppressing the violence after Canal Zone police were overwhelmed, and after three days of fighting, about 21 Panamanians and four U.S. soldiers were killed. The incident is considered to be a significant factor in the U.S. decision to transfer control of the Canal Zone to Panama through the 1977  Torrijos-Carter Treaties.

The United States relinquished jurisdiction of the Panama Canal Zone to the Republic of Panama on midday of December 31, 1999 during an emotionally charged ceremony at the Administration Building in Balboa.  A new era started for this small country located in the middle of the world.

Last Friday, I was kindly asked to cover preparations for Martyrs Day in Altab Ali park, Whitechapel. The green space was in dire need of regeneration. A group consisting of both Central St Martins students and the local Bengali community spent the weekend painting the most elaborate and wonderful of designs. Unfortunately for me, I only saw glimpses of colour, but already, the park had been re-oxygenated  and brought back to life.

Martyrs Day is significant. On 21 February 1952, Pakistani riot police shot and killed dozens of students and activists in a now independent Bangladesh. They demanded national recognition of their native Bengali language. Thousands visited the park on Sunday to pay their respects to the fallen protesters of the Bengali Language Movement.

It’s pleasant being involved in such projects.

Architect and artist

The designer of the Bengali paintings

Gandhiji has been killed by his own people for whose redemption he lived. This second crucifixion in the history of the world has been enacted on  a Friday – the same day Jesus was done to death one thousand nine hundred and fifteen years ago. Father forgive us.

Jawahar Lal Nehru in his remarkable address to nation said

the light has gone out of our lives and there is darkness everywhere. I do not know what to tell you and how to say it. Our beloved leader, Bapu as we called him, the Father of the Nation, is no more.The light has gone out, I said, and yet I was wrong. For the light that shone in this country was no ordinary light. The light that has illumined this country for these many years will illumine this country for many more years, and a thousand years later, that light will be seen in this country and the world will see it and it will give solace to innumerable hearts

On July 19, 1947 at approximately 10:37am, Burma Standard Time, several of Burma’s independence leaders were gunned down by the pro-colonialists while they were holding a cabinet meeting at what was known as ‘The Secretariat’ in down-town Rangoon.

The assassinated cabinet members were Bo Gyoke (General) Aung San, Thakin Mya, Dedoke U Ba Cho, U Razak, U Ba Win, Mahn Ba Khaing and Mai Pong Sawphwa Sao San Htun. Cabinet secretary U Ohn Maung and a bodyguard called Maung Htwe were also killed in the shooting.

Since then on July 19, the Burma Martyrs’ Day is observed to commemorate Bo Gyoke Aung San and six other independence leaders who were assassinated on that day in 1947.

But nowadays in Burma, military junta downgraded Burma Martyrs’ day in order to eliminate the true history of Burma independence heroes who truly sacrifice their lives for the betterment of the country opposite to those today military dictators.

The junta fears that due to the influence of the Bogyoke Aung San, who is the founding father of the modern day military as well as the architect of Burma’s independence, people love Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

So they wanted to remove all the images, history and records relating to Bogyoke Aung San so that they unwisely believe that people will forget Bogyoke Aung San as well as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

But, in reality the spirits of Burma’s Martyrs are in our blood, in our soul and in our body and we will never bow down to neither imperialist, fascists nor military dictatorship in shaping our country future.

In order to keep alight the torch of Bogyoke Aung San and Martyrs’ spirit, Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) will commemorate the Martyrs’ Day on 19 July 2010 from 17:00 – 20:00 in London, UK. You are cordially invited to join with us.

For more information please contact;

Myo Thein [United Kingdom]
Phone: 00-44-208-493-9137, 00-44-787- 788-2386

Khin Maung Win [United States]
Phone: 001-941-961-2622

Daw Khin Aye Aye Mar [United States]
Phone: 001 509 586 8309

U Tint Swe Thiha [United States]
Phone: 001-509-582-3261, 001-509-591-8459

PS: Informative and Inspiring Speeches by the Burma Democracy Leaders, Ethnics Leaders, and Religious Leaders, Martyrs’ Day Honouring Live Songs, Martyrs’ Day Honouring Poems, Reading Short Biography of Martyrs, Discussion on Current Situation of Burma, and Questions Time. Refreshment will be provided. Please come and join with us.

http://bdcburma.org/Index.asp

So, its 2:00am. We are approaching Wandegs. Georgie floors the accelerator, hoping to speed past the traffic lights while the light is still green. Just as we get to the junction, though, the light turns amber (mune wa orange) and quickly, red. Georgie hits the brakes and brings the car to a halt just behind the zebra crossing. We sit there, as you would, waiting. (We are good citizens.) What we didn’t count on was the other drivers being good citizens as well. You will never guess what happened. Unbelievably, everyone waits. No one runs the red light. And when I say no one, I mean no one. Literally. For a moment, Georgie and I are convinced we aren’t in UGee anymore; we are certain someone’s playing a practical joke, that there’s been an impractical switch — that we are, in fact, in a parallel UGee on some parallel universe where drivers actually wait for the light to turn green in the abscence of traffic policemen. Even taxi drivers, road pirates extraordinaire and raiders of everything pavement-like, actually wait. By Jove, there’s hope for this country after all!

Around 20 officials from Thingangyun township authority in Rangoon arrived at the monastery in Laydauntkan ward where monks had received meals from National League for Democracy (NLD) members, a traditional way to celebrate Martyrs’ Day each year on 19 June.
According to NLD member Naw Ohn Hla, the officials “said intimidating words” to the monks and told them to report future donations to township authorities.
“They issued warnings and interrogated them,” she said. “They asked the monks how the offerings were made, how they were blessed with water, what kind of clothes were worn.”
Authorities threatened to seal off the monastery as had been famously done to Maggin monastery during the September 2007 monk-led uprising.
Monastery abbot, U Kumara, reportedly replied that his monastery had no “complicated matters” like Maggin, but was told by authorities that he had been “tainted with a black spot”.
Ohn Hla was among the 21 NLD members arrested and briefly detained whilst returning from Martyrs’ Mausoleum on Sunday.
“They told us not to wear clothes with [the pictures of] General Aung San,” she said. “When we headed towards the museum, they arrested us on the way.”
A number of those detained were “beaten up severely” and thrown into a van, she said.

‘The Philanthropist’ stays the course

Laurel church still helping cyclone victims

Burmese FM: Ban’s Proposals Not Off the Table

Ban called for the release of all political prisoners during his trip to Burma in early July. His request to see Suu Kyi was turned down by the military …

Rangoon Electricity Cut to Six Hours a Day

NLD’s Win Tin Unwell

Good Day: July 20, 2009

Fifty Burmese pro-democracy activists were arrested on Sunday while marching in Rangoon to pay respect to Burma’s independence heroes on Martyr’s Day.

“At about 11 a.m. this morning, 50 activists were arrested near the Martyrs’ Mausoleum in Rangoon,” said a source close to the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD). “Not only NLD members but also other activists, who are not NLD members, were among those arrested.”
“On the way to the Martyr Monument, there is a police checkpoint,” said a reporter in Rangoon. “The checkpoint only allows invited people and journalists. Without permission, nobody could enter the monument.”
Rangoon sources said Burmese authorities had tight security around the monument and the Shwedagon Pagoda near the mausoleum. Security forces questioned people were cameras.

The NLD held a Martyr Day ceremony at its headquarter in Rangoon which was monitored by authorities. An estimated 1,000 soldiers, riot police and officers in civilian clothes were stationed near the NLD office.

Sunday was the 62th Martyrs Day in Burma, recognizing the assassination of the nation’s independence hero, Aung San, and his key cabinet members on July 19, 1947.

The arrests in Burma could pose an issue at the Asean Ministerial Meeting now underway in Phuket, Thailand. On Monday, Asean foreign ministers are scheduled to adopt the Terms of Reference of the Asean Human Rights Body.

Since the 1988 crackdown on pro-democracy protestors across the country, Martyrs Day has become a kind of a political confrontation ground between security forces and pro-democracy activists.

Burma’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of Aung San, is currently on trial in the infamous Insein Prison in Rangoon. She donated food to ill inmates in the prison hospital on Saturday, according to her lawyer.

Irrawaddy correspondent Kyi Wai contributed reporting to this story from Rangoon.

Authorities in military-run Myanmar detained dozens of opposition party members on Sunday as they returned from ceremonies marking the death of the father of jailed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, witnesses said.

Some of the opposition National League for Democracy party members had been attending a ceremony at party headquarters to mark General Aung San’s death 62 years ago. Others had been at the official commemoration ceremony at Martyr’s Mausoleum.

At least 50 NLD members were walking in small groups Sunday when they were arrested, witnesses said on condition of anonymity for fear of official reprisal.

It was not immediately clear why police detained them.

“Some members were roughly taken into trucks, and those who ran away were chased,” a witness said.

Some who ran onto public buses were dragged out and taken away.

At least three journalists and cameramen who had been filming NLD members walking to the mausoleum were detained.

They were released minutes later after police told them not to use video footage that showed heavy security.

General Aung San and other government leaders were assassinated by gunmen during a Cabinet meeting on 19 July 1947, shortly after Britain granted independence to the Southeast Asian colony.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi marked the anniversary of her father’s death inside Yangon’s Insein prison.

She is on trial on charges of violating the terms of her house arrest by giving shelter to an uninvited American man who swam to her lakeside home in May. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison. Her trial is to resume Friday.

Earlier on Sunday, hundreds of riot police erected barricades secured with barbed wire and blocked streets leading to the Martyr’s Mausoleum.

More than two dozen trucks carrying riot police and four prison vans were parked near the monument, located near the famed Shwedagon pagoda.

Flags were flown at half-staff at the mausoleum as officials placed flowers at the tomb, and families of the slain leaders joined the tightly guarded wreath-laying ceremony.

Authorities allowed about 30 NLD members to pay tribute at the mausoleum but turned away others who wore T-shirts emblazoned with images of Aung San.

Suu Kyi, 64, who used to attend the official ceremony, was absent for a sixth consecutive year and instead marked the day by donating food to patients at the hospital inside the prison, said Nyan Win, a spokesman for her party.

Martyr’s Day was an important event on Myanmar’s calendar for years, but has been gradually downgraded as Suu Kyi has become more popular, particularly since a 1988 pro-democracy uprising that was crushed by the junta.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962.

Suu Kyi has been under detention for 14 of the past 20 years. Her opposition party won national elections in 1990, but Myanmar’s generals refused to relinquish power.

Her trial has drawn condemnation from the international community and her supporters within Myanmar, who worry that the ruling junta has found an excuse to keep her detained through elections planned for next year.
cbs news

Islamabad: On the 78^th death anniversary and martyrdom of 22 Kashmiris, who were riddled with bullets one after another by police for demanding the right of self-determination, fair justice system and democracy, from the century old Dogra monarchy, a meeting of All Parties Hurriyat Conference AJK was held here today under the Chairmanship of Muhammad Farooq Rehmani Convener APHC to commemorate the martyrdom of the martyrs of 13 July 1931. Speakers from the APHC including Gh. Nabi Nowshehry, Gh. Muhammad Safi, Ishtiyaq Hameed, Abdul Majeed Mir, Shoukat Hussain Butt and Shoukat Wani paid tribute to the great sacrifices of Kashmiri martyrs.

At the end a memorandum addressed to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon was faxed to the UN office at New York reminding the world body of the fact that the human rights situation of Kashmir did not improve after the Independence of India and Pakistan in 1947. The occupation and repression of the Kashmiris by Indian forces had added a terrific dimension to the situation.

The memorandum by the APHC Convener Muhammad Farooq Rehmani to the UN Secretary General stated that India had made an explicit and categorical promise with the world at large and Kashmiris in particular to hold a free, fair and impartial plebiscite to ascertain the wishes of the people of Kashmir. It further added that the United Nations had passed similar resolutions to urge upon India and Pakistan to settle the dispute peacefully by giving the right of self determination to the Kashmiris. The Memorandum further called upon the United Nations to remove obstructions created by India in this regard. It termed the current situation of Kashmir very gloomy and harmful to peace and stability of the region. It called for UN intervention in the latest tragic episodes of murder and rape and urgent international probe, repeal of black laws, withdrawal of troops, purge of criminals from the police, release of prisoners and removal of restrictions on peaceful demonstrations and public gatherings to create a healing atmosphere and security of life honor, property across the state.

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The article is otherwise great and I recommend you read it, Why Dissidents, Freed From Prison, Often Choose the Path of Most Resistance. But that clause is what inspired this post, which looks like it’s going to end up much longer than I originally thought it would.

A month or so ago I had a post mentioning the Shi’a Muslim holiday of Ashura, which commemorates the martyrdom of Hussein Ibn Ali, who died in the Battle of Karbala. He was not killed over his Muslim faith, as he and his army were fighting other Muslims, but because his supporters were fighting with the Umayyad Caliph Yazid’s supporters over who was the rightful Muslim ruler. So he was not a martyr to his religion, but to his nation.

The Sunni Muslims don’t even have a martyr figure at all. Christians, however, have a whole bunch of them. A calendar full of them and much, much more. I think you could even fairly say that crucifixion imagery amounts to honoring martyrdom.

Martyr is a word we don’t use much in the US. It’s kind of old-fashioned, definitely churchy. Wikipedia has a page on Christian martyrs:

The lives of the martyrs became a great source of inspiration for the Christians and their lives and relics were greatly revered. Second century Church Father, Tertullian wrote that “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church”, implying that the willing sacrificing of the martyrs lives leads to the conversion of many more.

Here’s a skimpy list of Christian martyrs.

Today I learned there’s something called a martyrology, which is a is a catalogue or list of martyrs arranged in the calendar order of their anniversaries or feasts.

Islam has nothing like this.

I’m seeing an amazing difference of opinion on how many Christians have been martyred lately, from an estimate of over 170,000 per year to just a few thousand a year. Here’s a notable quote from this page:

Have there been more martyrs in this century than in all others combined, as the current quote suggests? During this century, we have documented cases in excess of 26 million martyrs. From AD 33 to 1900, we have documented 14 million martyrs. So, yes, this quote is correct.

On the other hand, martyrdom has been on the decline for the past decade. The current rate is 159,000 martyrs per year — down from 330,000 per year at the height of the cold war.

I also found the site of this organization, the Voice of the Martyrs, (web address ‘persecution.com’) that wants to, among other things

emphasize the fellowship of all believers by informing the world of atrocities committed against Christians and by remembering their courage and faith.

Wikipedia’s page about martyrs even included a high school student at Columbine High School, who rates as a martyr apparently because she was asked if she believed in God right before she was shot.*

But enough about the church kind of martyr (although you wonder why this isn’t enough yet to conclude that the US has a western culture that honors martyrdom). An astute colleague pointed out to me that in the US we use the phrase “ultimate sacrifice” instead.

When you look at it that way, we have two national holidays honoring martyrs, Memorial Day and Veterans Day, and monuments all over the country honoring those Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice. Many other countries have national holidays to honor their soldiers who have died in war, and many of those countries call that holiday Martyrs Day.

Here are a few of the countries who have a national Martyrs Day: Panama, Albania, Burma, Armenia, Vietnam, India, Tibet, Israel. One of those is in the Middle East, anyway, but I don’t think it was what the author had in mind when he mentioned the Middle East culture that honors martyrdom.

Anyhow, that’s how one little clause led me to hours of Googling. In an otherwise very nice article, there was one little niggling phrase that was aimed at making Arabs seem strange, harsh, brutal. Wanting us to think Arabs are not like us, they don’t value their lives, they don’t love their children as much as we do. Backing up the arrogant assumption that we have evolved a little bit more than those people over there who dress like George Lucas’s Sand People.

As serendipity would have it, a friend sent me the link to this article today. From it:

I wish more Americans had an opportunity to get to know Muslims. Then they would not be susceptible to the silly anti-Muslim propaganda that is floated by some right-wing Christians.

Muslims are good folks. One fellow e-mailed me quite convinced that Muslims lop off the heads of every infidel they meet. I’ve been a guest in the homes of many Muslim friends, and the only thing they lopped off were extra servings of lamb.

Racism is a monstrous injustice because it imposes a stereotype on millions of innocent individuals. The only real solution is education and broad experience.

Disclaimer: I know that Arab doesn’t equal Muslim and vice versa.
——-

*Apparently this has been debunked, and the girl who was asked if she believed in God survived the Columbine shootings.
——-
Special last-minute bonus link: Which Pope am I?

The call to switch off your cellphones and observe Friday, 30 January 2009 as “Cellular Silence Day”.

The following open letter accompanies an online signature petition.

***

Dear Messrs Ratan Tata, Sunil Mittal and Anil Ambani

I am one of a billion Indian citizens.

I am somewhere in the middle of that pyramid that you wish to give voice—from bottom to top—through wealth creation.

I am proud of the brands you represent that have made India proud.

I am one of the burgeoning Indian middle-class that share your aspirations of mutating India from indolent elephant to thundering tiger.

It ends there…

I have hitherto been accused of being indifferent and apathetic, simply because I am overawed and felt overwhelmed in a system replete with Goliaths.

But when I saw you embrace the fascist mastermind of state sponsored genocide as a future Prime Minister and endorse the Modi-fication of India, it was disappointingly apparent that the brands that aspire to make India rich shall continue to languish in ethical poverty.

While I am filled with revulsion at your endorsement of Narendra Modi, I must respect your right to do so as a fellow citizen.

In writing this petition I am a mere David amongst the mightiest corporate Goliaths but I feel empowered to address your collective amnesia—through recollection of the Gujarat pogrom of 2002—by the true Goliath among Gujaratis in particular and Indians in general, Mohandas Gandhi.

All those who sign this petition will switch off their Tata Indicomm, Airtel and Reliance cellular phone and broadband connections from midnight on 30 January 2009.

It is eminently possible that I might be the one voice in a billion who will observe the 61st death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on as Cellular Silence Day.

Then again, there might be close to a billion who could join me on 30 January 2009 expressing their solidarity and silently insisting that the captains of India Inc adopt an ethical, compassionate path to wealth creation rather than the single-minded pursuit of the bottomline.

We shall know that by the end of 30th January, 2009.

Sincerely

A David among corporate Goliaths

Sign the petition here: PetitionOnline.com/30JAN09/petition.html

Also read: CHURUMURI POLL: Good for them = Good for us?

‘The man who sowed the dragon seeds of hatred’

Panama Canal Zone Riots

Exactly forty-five years ago on this day in people’s history, nationalist riots erupted in Panama over control of the Canal Zone. On January 9th, 1964 students from the Central American nation sought to raise the Panamanian flag over Balboa High School in the zone when their symbol of sovereign integrity was torn in an ensuing altercation. Years prior, clashes between the U.S. forces and protesters occurred when Panamanians attempted to plant their flag in the U.S. controlled Canal Zone. Attempting to diffuse building tensions, President Kennedy ordered in 1963 that Panamanian Flags should fly side by side U.S. flags in all non-military sites in the zone. The decision angered many U.S. residents known as “Zonians,” as did a subsequent move by the Canal Zone’s governor to remove all flags from civilian sites. Zonians responded in defiance by raising the U.S. flag in places such as Balboa High School. When Panamanians responded, riots ensued and U.S. soldiers fired into angry crowds killing twenty-three. January 9th is now known in Panama as “Martyrs Day.”

As for how this episode in Latin American relations should be remembered in the U.S; as Howard Zinn has often said “there is no flag large enough to cover the shame.”

The MES has been observing January 17 as “Martyr’s Day” since 51 years.

President of the city unit of the MES Narayanrao Tarale and working president Deepak Dalvi on Wednesday appealed to the people to respond positively to the “hartal” call.

Tributes would be paid to martyrs at Hutatma Chowk in the city, they said.

A public meeting would be held in the evening at Samyukt Maharashtra Chowk, they added.

The Hartal call has not received a great deal of response from the local pbulic. May be in the evening Khade Bazar and Ramdev Galli corner will be closed due to the meeting there.