Facebook becomes tool to rally support for Myanmar democracy
by Lindsay Guentzel | Minnesota Daily (University of Minnesota)
Issue date: 10/3/07 Section: News
(U-WIRE) MINNEAPOLIS — On Sept. 28, the main Internet link in Myanmar was cut and
many of the country's newspapers were forced to halt production after the country's military regime threatened further anti-junta protesting.
Still, this hasn't stopped students from rallying support for the Burmese people through the popular social networking Web site Facebook.
Anti-violence groups and events have been popping up on the site throughout the past few weeks as the situation in Myanmar has violently heated up.
Pyi Maung, an architecture junior at the University of Minnesota, lived in Myanmar until 2003 when he moved to the United States for college. His siblings have all left Myanmar, but his parents still live there.
Maung said he hopes the movement on Facebook spreads to students who might not know about the situation in Myanmar.
"There was another uprising in 1988 but people didn't know that," Maung said. "But this time, because of the Internet access and use, students know that and have more awareness."
Brandon Erickson, an active member of the United States Campaign of Burma and the Burmese American Democratic Alliance, said he uses Facebook to invite friends to Burmese support events and rallies.
"I think we should keep capitalizing on it and really use it to get people more involved so that actual change can happen," Erickson said.
However, he said he hopes students expand their research beyond the Web site.
"It's a starting point, it's a really great starting point," he said.
Created Sept. 19, the Facebook group "Support the Monks' protest in Burma" has 252,144 members from around the world. The group's page contains 34 videos and more than 400 posted items such as pictures, personal accounts and links to other Web sites. The site also mentions "A Day of International Action for a Free Burma," an initiative that is scheduled to commence Oct. 6.
many of the country's newspapers were forced to halt production after the country's military regime threatened further anti-junta protesting.
Still, this hasn't stopped students from rallying support for the Burmese people through the popular social networking Web site Facebook.
Anti-violence groups and events have been popping up on the site throughout the past few weeks as the situation in Myanmar has violently heated up.
Pyi Maung, an architecture junior at the University of Minnesota, lived in Myanmar until 2003 when he moved to the United States for college. His siblings have all left Myanmar, but his parents still live there.
Maung said he hopes the movement on Facebook spreads to students who might not know about the situation in Myanmar.
"There was another uprising in 1988 but people didn't know that," Maung said. "But this time, because of the Internet access and use, students know that and have more awareness."
Brandon Erickson, an active member of the United States Campaign of Burma and the Burmese American Democratic Alliance, said he uses Facebook to invite friends to Burmese support events and rallies.
"I think we should keep capitalizing on it and really use it to get people more involved so that actual change can happen," Erickson said.
However, he said he hopes students expand their research beyond the Web site.
"It's a starting point, it's a really great starting point," he said.
Created Sept. 19, the Facebook group "Support the Monks' protest in Burma" has 252,144 members from around the world. The group's page contains 34 videos and more than 400 posted items such as pictures, personal accounts and links to other Web sites. The site also mentions "A Day of International Action for a Free Burma," an initiative that is scheduled to commence Oct. 6.
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