The Sydney based Burmese Medical Association (BMA) organized a fundraising program for Humanitarian Relief in Burma for the first time since they migrated to Australia.

The fundraising program emerged after thousands of peaceful demonstrators were attacked by Burma’s military government in September. Thousands of monks and civilians were shot, beaten and detained by the military regime.

The funds will be distributed for health and education for the people of Burma, particularly the monks and people who live in extreme poverty, will be assisted said Dr Kyaw Myint Malia, the president of Burmese Medical Association.

Burma is among the countries with the highest Infant Mortality Rate in the world; infectious diseases like malaria and TB rage across the country. Infant and adult tetanus and diphtheria which are already eradicated in other countries still occur in Burma.

The AIDS epidemic is yet waiting to explode in Burma due to the military government’s ruinous economic policies. There is no access to either basic health care services or primary education especially in the rural areas.

“If one needs to have an emergency operation or procedure done in the hospital it is the responsibility of the patient and family to find the bandages, alcohol swabs and the medication. All of this in a situation where the masses are existing on a day to day basis, or shall I say minute to minute situation, in terms of where their next meal is going to come from, let alone finding medicine” said Dr Kyaw Myint.

The BMA fundraising program is expected to raise up to $30,000 for the first time event. This is the most successful fundraising program among the Burmese community in Australia. “We, the 15 doctors donated each $1000” said Dr Raymond Tint Way , the vice president of BMA.

An evening of Burmese food, entertainment and several speeches from community leaders became an attractive dinner event for the Burmese community in Sydney. Meanwhile, an estimated 800 tickets, each $20, were sold. BMA also received donations from individuals and organisations.

Today is Australia’s Election Day. The BMA has prepared a letter, along with the participants’ signatures from the dinner event. They will send the letter to the newly elected Prime Minister. “Whoever is elected, whether John Howard or Kevin Rudd, we will send our letter to the Prime Minister. We urge the Australia government to provide more humanitarian aid in Burma and to cooperate with UN and other INGOs to make sure that the funds reach to the people who are desperately in need” said Dr Tint Way.

The Burmese community in Australia is happy when the Labor leader, Kevin Rudd has been elected as Australia’s new Prime Minister. “Labor has a good history in supporting democracy in Burma . I believe Australia will work more effectively for the economic, political and social change in Burma under the Labor government” said Dr Myint Cho.

The current humanitarian crisis in Burma is terrible as the military regime spends more than 50 percent of the national budget for the military purpose. The budget spends very little amount for the people, only 8 percent spend on education and 3 percent is on health said Dr Myint Cho at the dinner event.

He says, education and health is a very important sector for the wellbeing of the people. But the military regime is only focused on military expansion for the army, navy and air force with good equipment to modernize like other Southeast Asia countries. The underlying cause of the humanitarian crisis is the lack of good governance.

“Aung San Suu Kyi said, the current crisis in our country is the result of political, economic and social crisis in Burma. These crises are due to lack of good governance” he said.

Dr Kyaw Myint said “it is imperative that we speak with one voice. Send a loud and clear signal to the oppressors that enough is enough. Stop the repression now! We must maintain the international diplomatic pressure on the military. Our brothers and sisters at home need our support in their demand for democratic rights. To quote DASSK, Let us use our liberty to promote the liberty of our countrymen back home”.

He says, lobbying the political leaders of Australia is essential, to stop supplying the brutal military regime with any aid. Urge the Australian government to take a more active stand in the UN and ASEAN against the regime and demand the release of DASSK without any preconditions.

“Our thoughts tonight are with those who are languishing in inhumane detention cells and the families of those who have lost their loved ones. Let us not forget the crying hungry child in our poster. Let us reassure our brothers and sisters that we are with them all the way and that they must not lose hope” said Dr Kyaw Myint at dinner event.