All Events
They Call it Myanmar: Lifting the Curtain
On 4th December 2013, the Oxford Burma Alliance, in partnership with St. Hugh's College, presented a screening of
'They Call it Myanmar: Lifting the Curtain' by Robert H. Lieberman.
'They Call it Myanmar: Lifting the Curtain' by Robert H. Lieberman.
Shot clandestinely over a three-year period in the second-most isolated country on the planet, Burma, 'They Call it Myanmar' lifts the curtain to expose the everyday life in a country that has been held in the iron grip of a brutal military regime for 48 years.
Culled from over 200 hours of striking images, the film interweaves spectacular footage of this little-seen nation with interactions with its people, including an interview with the recently released Nobel Peace Prize winner, and St Hugh's College alumna, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Though Burma has tumbled from being one of the most prosperous and advanced countries in Southeast Asia to being one of the world's poorest, 'They Call it Myanmar' is a story of beauty, courage and hope.
Culled from over 200 hours of striking images, the film interweaves spectacular footage of this little-seen nation with interactions with its people, including an interview with the recently released Nobel Peace Prize winner, and St Hugh's College alumna, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Though Burma has tumbled from being one of the most prosperous and advanced countries in Southeast Asia to being one of the world's poorest, 'They Call it Myanmar' is a story of beauty, courage and hope.
OBA Roundtable: Ethnicity and Experiences of Conflict in Burma
In association with the Asian Studies Centre at St Antony’s College, the OBA convened an informal roundtable discussion on Wednesday, 30th October 2013 exploring the theme ‘Ethnicity and Experiences of Conflict in Burma’. The panel provided both academic and practical responses to this, offering valuable insights from Burman, Mon and Kachin perspectives in particular.
Dr Matthew J Walton, Aung San Suu Kyi Senior Research Fellow in Modern Burmese Studies at St Antony’s chaired and introduced the session. He began by exploring the relationship between ethnic identity and ethnic conflict reflecting upon how this has shaped modern Burma. He argued that Burmans today enjoy a privileged position in Burmese society often at the expense of Burma’s other ethnic nationalities. This cultural dominance has been institutionalised over time, to such an extent that modern Burma is now very much informed by differential experiences of suffering, a fact that the country must acknowledge and accept if it is to realise lasting peace in the future.
Ms Karen Hargrave, a graduate student in the study of forced migration at Queen Elizabeth House and Vice President of the Oxford Burma Alliance now assumed a specific focus on the Mon people of the Thailand/Burma border, with whom she spent a year working before coming to Oxford. By presenting the voices and opinions of her Mon friends and colleagues, Karen offered some fascinating insights into the nature and substance of Mon ethnic identity, how young Mon view this today and why Mon language and culture is increasingly under threat.
Dr Matthew J Walton, Aung San Suu Kyi Senior Research Fellow in Modern Burmese Studies at St Antony’s chaired and introduced the session. He began by exploring the relationship between ethnic identity and ethnic conflict reflecting upon how this has shaped modern Burma. He argued that Burmans today enjoy a privileged position in Burmese society often at the expense of Burma’s other ethnic nationalities. This cultural dominance has been institutionalised over time, to such an extent that modern Burma is now very much informed by differential experiences of suffering, a fact that the country must acknowledge and accept if it is to realise lasting peace in the future.
Ms Karen Hargrave, a graduate student in the study of forced migration at Queen Elizabeth House and Vice President of the Oxford Burma Alliance now assumed a specific focus on the Mon people of the Thailand/Burma border, with whom she spent a year working before coming to Oxford. By presenting the voices and opinions of her Mon friends and colleagues, Karen offered some fascinating insights into the nature and substance of Mon ethnic identity, how young Mon view this today and why Mon language and culture is increasingly under threat.
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Mr Paing Soe, President of the Oxford Burma Alliance, pursued this theme in his presentation, offering personal reflections as a Mon living in Yangon. He talked specifically about the importance of education to Burma’s young people for whom command of Burmese is an essential tool with which to access the job market. Echoing Dr Walton’s assessment, Paing feared the effect this would have on the future of Mon language and culture. Education remains important but it must recognise and respond to ethnic identities if it is to be relevant to the people of Burma.
Mr Nbyen Dan Hkung Awng, Charles Wallace Trust Visiting Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Relations, concluded the panel presentations with an assessment of the ongoing conflict in Kachin State. He briefly explained the Kachin Independence Organisation’s agenda and the Kachin struggle for self-determination more broadly, before drawing attention to the government’s various human rights violations, namely its involvement in human trafficking and prostitution. Dan called for the government to redress this situation immediately and recognise the equality of all Burmese peoples. |
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There followed a lively response from the floor with many and varied questions relating to the nature of the current cease-fires, ethnic self-determination, education reform and development amongst others.
Dr SaSa: Lessons in Perseverance from the Indo-Burma border
On 6 June 2013 Dr. SaSa, shared with us his personal story of struggle and perseverance for an education for himself as well as a new hope for his community.
Dr SaSa was born in an isolated and impoverished village in Southern Chin State in north-western Burma. Life for the villagers of the Chin Hills of western Burma was difficult: lack of healthcare and education, on-going isolation, restriction of religious freedom and threat of military oppression. Hearing of his dream to become a doctor, the people of SaSa’s village gave up all they could to support his further studies in medicine. Regularly homeless, hungry and facing expulsion, SaSa was determined to do his best and graduated in 2009 with three distinctions before returning home to his people.
As SaSa often reminds those who hear his story, “blessed are those who are poor.” With donation of land from a nearby village, he established ‘Health and Hope,’ a primary health care training centre and has trained hundreds of community health care workers from 150 villages every year.
Dr SaSa was born in an isolated and impoverished village in Southern Chin State in north-western Burma. Life for the villagers of the Chin Hills of western Burma was difficult: lack of healthcare and education, on-going isolation, restriction of religious freedom and threat of military oppression. Hearing of his dream to become a doctor, the people of SaSa’s village gave up all they could to support his further studies in medicine. Regularly homeless, hungry and facing expulsion, SaSa was determined to do his best and graduated in 2009 with three distinctions before returning home to his people.
As SaSa often reminds those who hear his story, “blessed are those who are poor.” With donation of land from a nearby village, he established ‘Health and Hope,’ a primary health care training centre and has trained hundreds of community health care workers from 150 villages every year.
Racism in Burma: The Persecution of the Rohingya
On 2 May 2013 the Oxford Burma Alliance will host a panel discussion on the plight of the Rohingya ethnic minority in Burma. Panel speakers will include Tun Khin, President of Burmese Rohingya Organization UK, and Benedict Rogers from the Christian Solidarity Network.
Deemed one of the most oppressed minorities in the world by the UN, the Rohingya, who have lived in Burma’s Arakan State for generations, are denied citizenship and are unable to move, marry, or find jobs without obtaining permits or paying bribes. Many have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape such persecution, the majority of whom live as unregistered refugees and thus without assistance from the Bangladeshi government or the UNHCR, and are in constant fear of being deported.
In 2012, riots and sectarian violence broke out between the Muslim Rohingya and the Buddhist Rakhine in western Burma, leaving hundreds dead and forcing tens of thousands into internal displacement camp. Since the start of 2013 other incidents of anti-Muslim violence have occurred, notably in Meiktila, central Burma. Such events cast a suspicious light on Burma’s first steps towards democracy. The Panel will discuss the persecution and discrimination of the Rohingya, as well as the recent violence and the rise of religious and racial intolerance, and the wider implications this has for democracy and true reform in Burma.
Day & Time: May 2, 2013 (Thursday Week 2) – 6.30 pm
Venue: Event Space at the Oxford Hub, Turl Street Kitchen
Short Bio of the speakers
Despite being born and raised in Arakan State, Burma, Tun Khin was denied Burmese citizenship and was not allowed to attend higher education because of his Rohingya ethnicity. In the face of such persecution against the Rohingya, Tun Khin decided to leave Burma. Tun Khin is now the President of Burmese Rohingya Organization UK, which plays a crucial role in spreading awareness to the international community and providing a vital voice for the Rohingya people. He has addressed such institutions as the US Congress, Senate, and State Department, the British Parliament, the European Parliament, European Human Rights Council and Human Rights Commission, and the UN Human Rights Council, providing these bodies with critical information and contacts regarding the violence in Arakan State in 2012. He has written articles for The Democratic Voice of Burma and Mizzima Burmese Media, and has appeared on television networks such as the BBC, Sky News, and Aljazeera.
Benedict Rogers is the East Asia Team Leader at the international human rights organisation Christian Solidarity Worldwide. He specializes in North Korea, Burma and Indonesia, and oversees CSW’s work in the rest of the region. Ben has visited Burma and its borderlands more than 40 times. He is the author of five books, including three on Burma, and he appears on radio and television, including BBC, Sky News and CNN. Ben regularly briefs parliamentarians and government officials, and he has spoken at the White House, the US Congress, the European Parliament, the House of Commons, the Japanese Parliament, and at numerous prestigious universities around the world.
Deemed one of the most oppressed minorities in the world by the UN, the Rohingya, who have lived in Burma’s Arakan State for generations, are denied citizenship and are unable to move, marry, or find jobs without obtaining permits or paying bribes. Many have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape such persecution, the majority of whom live as unregistered refugees and thus without assistance from the Bangladeshi government or the UNHCR, and are in constant fear of being deported.
In 2012, riots and sectarian violence broke out between the Muslim Rohingya and the Buddhist Rakhine in western Burma, leaving hundreds dead and forcing tens of thousands into internal displacement camp. Since the start of 2013 other incidents of anti-Muslim violence have occurred, notably in Meiktila, central Burma. Such events cast a suspicious light on Burma’s first steps towards democracy. The Panel will discuss the persecution and discrimination of the Rohingya, as well as the recent violence and the rise of religious and racial intolerance, and the wider implications this has for democracy and true reform in Burma.
Day & Time: May 2, 2013 (Thursday Week 2) – 6.30 pm
Venue: Event Space at the Oxford Hub, Turl Street Kitchen
Short Bio of the speakers
Despite being born and raised in Arakan State, Burma, Tun Khin was denied Burmese citizenship and was not allowed to attend higher education because of his Rohingya ethnicity. In the face of such persecution against the Rohingya, Tun Khin decided to leave Burma. Tun Khin is now the President of Burmese Rohingya Organization UK, which plays a crucial role in spreading awareness to the international community and providing a vital voice for the Rohingya people. He has addressed such institutions as the US Congress, Senate, and State Department, the British Parliament, the European Parliament, European Human Rights Council and Human Rights Commission, and the UN Human Rights Council, providing these bodies with critical information and contacts regarding the violence in Arakan State in 2012. He has written articles for The Democratic Voice of Burma and Mizzima Burmese Media, and has appeared on television networks such as the BBC, Sky News, and Aljazeera.
Benedict Rogers is the East Asia Team Leader at the international human rights organisation Christian Solidarity Worldwide. He specializes in North Korea, Burma and Indonesia, and oversees CSW’s work in the rest of the region. Ben has visited Burma and its borderlands more than 40 times. He is the author of five books, including three on Burma, and he appears on radio and television, including BBC, Sky News and CNN. Ben regularly briefs parliamentarians and government officials, and he has spoken at the White House, the US Congress, the European Parliament, the House of Commons, the Japanese Parliament, and at numerous prestigious universities around the world.
Bones Will Crow: Burmese Poetry Reading - 20 November 2012
The Oxford Burma Alliance were delighted to host a reading of several contemporary works with leading Burmese poet Khin Aung Aye and James Byrne, the co-editor of Bones Will Crow. The reading was followed by a short discussion on Burmese cultural and literary issues, exploring the poet's influences, ranging from Burmese writers to the New York School and LANGUAGE-poetry.
Khin Aung Aye is regarded as one of the key postmodern and pioneering poets to emerge from the Khit San (‘testing the times’) era of Burmese poetry. He has published 11 collections of poetry. While his earlier collections reveal a somewhat more traditional approach to poetry—exemplified by four-syllable metered verse—his work is steadily becoming more influenced by modernism. However, Khin Aung Aye stresses that his style as a writer emerged from close readings of the old masters in Burma. He lives in Thailand and is also known to audiences outside of Southeast Asia having recently read his work in Europe.
James Byrne is the Editor and co-founder of The Wolf poetry magazine. James has been consistently talked of as one of the leading poets of his generation, remarked by The Times as one of the ten rising stars of British poetry in April 2009. His works include Passages of Time, published in 2002, and The Vanishing House in 2009. James's own poems have been translated into several languages, including Arabic, Serbian and French.
Khin Aung Aye is regarded as one of the key postmodern and pioneering poets to emerge from the Khit San (‘testing the times’) era of Burmese poetry. He has published 11 collections of poetry. While his earlier collections reveal a somewhat more traditional approach to poetry—exemplified by four-syllable metered verse—his work is steadily becoming more influenced by modernism. However, Khin Aung Aye stresses that his style as a writer emerged from close readings of the old masters in Burma. He lives in Thailand and is also known to audiences outside of Southeast Asia having recently read his work in Europe.
James Byrne is the Editor and co-founder of The Wolf poetry magazine. James has been consistently talked of as one of the leading poets of his generation, remarked by The Times as one of the ten rising stars of British poetry in April 2009. His works include Passages of Time, published in 2002, and The Vanishing House in 2009. James's own poems have been translated into several languages, including Arabic, Serbian and French.
War Crimes in Burma: Rape as a Weapon of War - 6 November 2012
The Oxford Burma Alliance hosted a lecture by the political activist Zoya Phan, from Burma Campaign UK, who spoke about the use of rape as a weapon of war used by the Burmese Army against women in the armed conflict in ethnic areas.
Zoya is from the Karen ethnic group and grew up in Karen State in eastern Burma. When she was 13, the Burmese Army attacked Zoya's village, torching houses and burning crops. For two years, she dodged capture, enslavement and torture, hiding in the jungle with thousands of other displaced people and ending up in a Thai refugee camp. She eventually won a scholarship to study in Bangkok, and became more involved in the activist community along the Thai-Burma border. After an assassination attempt by the Burmese Army in 2005, Zoya claimed asylum in the UK.
Currently an International Coordinator of the human rights organization Burma Campaign UK, Zoya Phan is an outspoken critic of the Burmese government and has repeatedly called for democratic reform in Burma, as well as economic sanctions from both the British government and the UN.
Zoya is from the Karen ethnic group and grew up in Karen State in eastern Burma. When she was 13, the Burmese Army attacked Zoya's village, torching houses and burning crops. For two years, she dodged capture, enslavement and torture, hiding in the jungle with thousands of other displaced people and ending up in a Thai refugee camp. She eventually won a scholarship to study in Bangkok, and became more involved in the activist community along the Thai-Burma border. After an assassination attempt by the Burmese Army in 2005, Zoya claimed asylum in the UK.
Currently an International Coordinator of the human rights organization Burma Campaign UK, Zoya Phan is an outspoken critic of the Burmese government and has repeatedly called for democratic reform in Burma, as well as economic sanctions from both the British government and the UN.
Unheard Narratives: Education in Burma - 8 June 2012
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The Oxford Burma Alliance hosted an event concerning education in Burma and what and how you can use your own education to help make a difference. Tom Kingsley, Development Officer at Thabyay Education Network, came from Thailand to talk about education in Burma and how Thabyay helps the next generation to bring about positive change through its Arohana Scholarship Fund, which allows Burmese students to go to universities across Asia, later returning to their communities in Burma equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to promote grassroots sustainable development and the growth of civil society. The OBA's Co-Founders and Presidents Ebba Lekvall and Nora Godkin, who both spent time on the Thai-Burma border as volunteer teachers working with Burmese refugees, also shared their experiences with volunteering with the Burma Volunteer Program (BVP). |
St. Hugh's Ball - 12 May 2012
The Oxford Burma Alliance is closely partnered with St. Hugh’s College, Oxford. Aung San Suu Kyi studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at St. Hugh’s, and was made an honorary fellow in 1990. In recognition of this important link at such a significant time, this summer guests of the College Ball have the option of making a small donation to the causes of the Oxford Burma Alliance.
The Oxford Burma Alliance is closely partnered with St. Hugh’s College, Oxford. Aung San Suu Kyi studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at St. Hugh’s, and was made an honorary fellow in 1990. In recognition of this important link at such a significant time, this summer guests of the College Ball have the option of making a small donation to the causes of the Oxford Burma Alliance.
Vicky Bowman & Htein Lin: Perspectives on Burma - 5 May 2012
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Vicky Bowman - former UK ambassador to Burma, and Htein Lin - artist and
former political prisoner, joined the OBA on 5 May to speak about their
personal experiences in Burma and share their unique perspectives on
the current situation. Htein Lin also showed us some of the beautiful art he produced while in prison, as well as pieces he produced
more recently. It was a wonderful afternoon, and we hope to see Vicky and Htein Lin back in Oxford soon!
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Zoya Phan & Democracy in Burma - 25 April 2012
The Oxford Burma Alliance and the Oxford Hub Series hosted Zoya Phan - political activist from Burma, and daughter of the
former General Secretary of the Karen National Union - for an interesting and informative talk on 25 April 2012.
When she was 13, the Burmese Army attacked Zoya's village, torching houses and burning crops. For two years, she dodged capture, enslavement and torture, hiding in the jungle with thousands of other displaced people and ending up in a Thai refugee camp. She eventually won a scholarship to study in Bangkok, and became more involved in the activist community along the Thai-Burma border. After an assassination attempt by the Burmese Army in 2005, Zoya claimed asylum in the UK.
Currently a Campaigns Manager at the human rights organization Burma Campaign UK, Zoya Phan is an outspoken critic of the Burmese government and has repeatedly called for democratic reform in Burma, as well as economic sanctions from both the British government and the UN. (More information about Zoya Phan can be found here.)
Zoya spoke about the recent developments in Burma and what they mean for all the people of the country, including the ethnic minorities, who continue to suffer attacks from the Burmese Army despite the reforms. She talked about her childhood in Burma and becoming a human rights activist, and had a lot of very interesting insights into the current situation and what it means for democracy.
When she was 13, the Burmese Army attacked Zoya's village, torching houses and burning crops. For two years, she dodged capture, enslavement and torture, hiding in the jungle with thousands of other displaced people and ending up in a Thai refugee camp. She eventually won a scholarship to study in Bangkok, and became more involved in the activist community along the Thai-Burma border. After an assassination attempt by the Burmese Army in 2005, Zoya claimed asylum in the UK.
Currently a Campaigns Manager at the human rights organization Burma Campaign UK, Zoya Phan is an outspoken critic of the Burmese government and has repeatedly called for democratic reform in Burma, as well as economic sanctions from both the British government and the UN. (More information about Zoya Phan can be found here.)
Zoya spoke about the recent developments in Burma and what they mean for all the people of the country, including the ethnic minorities, who continue to suffer attacks from the Burmese Army despite the reforms. She talked about her childhood in Burma and becoming a human rights activist, and had a lot of very interesting insights into the current situation and what it means for democracy.
'Burma Soldier' Film Screening - 2 March 2012
"'Burma Soldier' tells the unforgettable story of Myo Myint, a former junta member and Burmese soldier who risks everything to become a pro-democracy activist.
'Burma Soldier' provides a rare glimpse of a brutal dictatorship seen through the eyes of a courageous former soldier, who quite literally, swapped sides. The documentary offers an exclusive and rare perspective, from inside the heart and mind of a former Burmese soldier who lays bare an understanding of a brutal regime, and the political and psychological power of the junta over this country." (Break Thru Films)
After the film, we were fortunate to be able to speak with Myo Myint via Skype to hear more about what he is currently doing and his thoughts on the current situation in Burma. This was followed by some insightful commentary by OBA member Zoë West, co-editor of Nowhere to be home: Narratives from survivors of Burma's military regime (http://voiceofwitness.org/burma).
The film was screened as part of the 10th Annual Oxford Brookes University Human Rights Film Festival at the Oxford Hub (16-17 Turl Street).
'Burma Soldier' provides a rare glimpse of a brutal dictatorship seen through the eyes of a courageous former soldier, who quite literally, swapped sides. The documentary offers an exclusive and rare perspective, from inside the heart and mind of a former Burmese soldier who lays bare an understanding of a brutal regime, and the political and psychological power of the junta over this country." (Break Thru Films)
After the film, we were fortunate to be able to speak with Myo Myint via Skype to hear more about what he is currently doing and his thoughts on the current situation in Burma. This was followed by some insightful commentary by OBA member Zoë West, co-editor of Nowhere to be home: Narratives from survivors of Burma's military regime (http://voiceofwitness.org/burma).
The film was screened as part of the 10th Annual Oxford Brookes University Human Rights Film Festival at the Oxford Hub (16-17 Turl Street).
Hkanhpa Sadan (Speaker Event) - 1 March 2012
On June 9, 2011 fighting began in Kachin State, Burma, abruptly ending a
17-year ceasefire. As many as 60,000 Kachin civilians have since been
displaced from their homes.
Hkanhpa Sadan, Joint-Secretary of the Kachin National Organisation, joined the OBA on 1 March 2012 for a talk and presentation about the current situation in Kachin State and what the 'reforms' taking place in Rangoon and Naypyitaw mean for the ethnic nationalities of Burma.
It was an extremely interesting and topical evening that gave a wider perspective on the recent changes occurring in Burma.
Hkanhpa Sadan, Joint-Secretary of the Kachin National Organisation, joined the OBA on 1 March 2012 for a talk and presentation about the current situation in Kachin State and what the 'reforms' taking place in Rangoon and Naypyitaw mean for the ethnic nationalities of Burma.
It was an extremely interesting and topical evening that gave a wider perspective on the recent changes occurring in Burma.
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HART Art Exhibition: Remember Burma's Ethnic Minorities - 24 February - 2 March 2012
The OBA co-hosted the Oxford leg of HART's recent art exhibition,
'Remembering Burma's ethnic minorities in a time of change'. The
exhibition featured drawings from refugee children living on the
Thai-Burma border and photographs of the region, accompanied by artwork
submitted by British students wishing to speak out on behalf of
children living in Burma’s borderlands.
The artwork was on display at the Said Business School during the 2012 OxFID Conference and at the Oxford Hub (16-17 Turl Street).
The artwork was on display at the Said Business School during the 2012 OxFID Conference and at the Oxford Hub (16-17 Turl Street).
St. Catherine's College MCR Annual 'Charity & Cocktails' Evening - 10 February 2012
The OBA would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the St. Catherine's MCR, who raised over £1000 for the Arohana Scholarship Fund
at their annual charity auction this year, on 10 February 2012. We were
truly impressed by the generosity of the St. Catz students, whose
donations will make a huge difference for bright Burmese students
working to get the education they need to be able to help their
communities and their country on the path to sustainable development and
peace.
Thank you from all of us at the OBA!!
Thank you from all of us at the OBA!!
Burma & OBA Info Evening - 24 January 2012
The OBA held an informal information evening at the beginning of Hilary Term 2012 (24 January 2012) to provide those who were interested with a brief background of Burma's history, a discussion of current events and information about the OBA. Below is the event description:
You have probably heard that Hillary Clinton and William Hague have both recently visited Burma, the first US Secretary of State and UK Foreign Secretary, respectively, to visit Burma in over 50 years. Things seem to be looking up…
But are they really? Did you know that the flurry of international delegations has come at a time when the pace of reforms has slowed significantly? There are still as many political prisoners in Burma as there were five years ago, while the upsurge in fighting in the country's border regions has displaced at least 60,000 civilians from their homes.
Come and learn about learn about Burma's history and important issues, get some commentary on recent developments and the implications for democracy in Burma, and get to know the OBA and its projects - and how you can get more involved - at this informal information evening.
OBA members will talk about Burma's background and present situation, about first-hand volunteering experiences on the Thai-Burmese border and about the OBA's campaigns and projects. Discussion topics are flexible, as the event is discussion-based, and OBA members will be happy to answer any questions.
We plan to host another information evening at the beginning of Trinity Term 2012, so keep an eye out for updates!
You have probably heard that Hillary Clinton and William Hague have both recently visited Burma, the first US Secretary of State and UK Foreign Secretary, respectively, to visit Burma in over 50 years. Things seem to be looking up…
But are they really? Did you know that the flurry of international delegations has come at a time when the pace of reforms has slowed significantly? There are still as many political prisoners in Burma as there were five years ago, while the upsurge in fighting in the country's border regions has displaced at least 60,000 civilians from their homes.
Come and learn about learn about Burma's history and important issues, get some commentary on recent developments and the implications for democracy in Burma, and get to know the OBA and its projects - and how you can get more involved - at this informal information evening.
OBA members will talk about Burma's background and present situation, about first-hand volunteering experiences on the Thai-Burmese border and about the OBA's campaigns and projects. Discussion topics are flexible, as the event is discussion-based, and OBA members will be happy to answer any questions.
We plan to host another information evening at the beginning of Trinity Term 2012, so keep an eye out for updates!
OBA's First Event: This Prison Where I Live - 22 November 2011
Oxford Burma Alliance and Amnesty International present 'This Prison Where I Live', a film by Rex Bloomstein.
The OBA held its first event, in collaboration with Oxford's branch of Amnesty International, on November 22nd, 2011 at 19:30 at the Turl Street Kitchen. We screened the documentary 'This Prison Where I Live' about Burmese comedian Zarganar (who was recently released from prison in the October 2011 amnesty), which was followed by a discussion with the film's director, Rex Bloomstein.
Through the generous donations of attendees, we were able to raise £100 for the Arohana Scholarship Fund!
Find out more about 'This Prison Where I Live'
The OBA held its first event, in collaboration with Oxford's branch of Amnesty International, on November 22nd, 2011 at 19:30 at the Turl Street Kitchen. We screened the documentary 'This Prison Where I Live' about Burmese comedian Zarganar (who was recently released from prison in the October 2011 amnesty), which was followed by a discussion with the film's director, Rex Bloomstein.
Through the generous donations of attendees, we were able to raise £100 for the Arohana Scholarship Fund!
Find out more about 'This Prison Where I Live'
