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| Awards 2008 |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Khin Ohmar from Burma receives Anna Lindh Award Khin Ohmar does not doubt that Burma’s democracy is within reach. She has dedicated the past 20 years of her life to the struggle towards that democracy. The Anna Lindh Memorial Fund recognizes this effort by presenting the Anna Lindh Memorial Fund to Khin Ohmar on June 18, the day that would have been the day before the late Swedish minister of foreign affairs Anna Lindh’s birthday. – Knowing how difficult it still is for women to reach to the highest levels of politics all over the world, I am deeply honored to receive this award in the name of a courageous woman foreign minister with a strong commitment to human rights, democracy and peace, says the award winner. In September last year monks led peaceful protests against Burma’s military regime. When the protesters faced violence, torture and death, the world’s eyes opened up to the oppression that this year’s Anna Lindh Award winner has known for a long time. In fact, 20 years ago, she was a part of the so called 8-8-88 uprising, in which several thousand people were killed and arrested. When Burma was hit by a cyclone with catastrophic consequences for Burma’s people in early May this year, Burma and the military regime’s strong hold once again became the focus of international media. – All of us within the Anna Lindh Memorial Fund are very pleased that Khin Ohmar has agreed to accept the Anna Lindh Award this year, when the suffering of Burma’s people is evident to all of us. Burma’s people need our solidarity now more than ever, says Jan Eliasson, Chairman of the Memorial Fund’s board. Khin Ohmar herself best puts into words the ties between the humanitarian catastrophe and the political crisis in Burma. – While humanitarian aid should never be politicized, we must recognize that the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Burma can not be solved through humanitarian aid alone in cyclone hit areas. The root causes of the Burmese people’s suffering are political and the solutions must include means for political change. The people of Burma carry a deep wound of long-term political oppression, a wound that can only be healed through national reconciliation and democratization, says Ohmar. This year’s Anna Lindh Award winner is the coordinator of Burma Partnership, a network that mobilizes the Burmese democracy movement. The network sends out weekly reports with otherwise nearly inaccessible information about the current state of Burma. In this and other leadership positions, Khin Ohmar has supported young people and particularly women in reaching leadership positions within the Burmese democracy movement. She herself is one of few recognized women leaders in this movement. Since the 8-8-88 uprising, Khin Ohmar lives in exile and works from the city of Mae Sot on the Thai border with Burma since the late 90s. The Anna Lindh Award will be presented to Khin Ohmar with 250 000 SEK because “With undying conviction, Khin Ohmar strives for a future Burma in which freedom and democracy shall see the light of day. Under her inclusive leadership, the Burmese resistance has come together in partnerships across and beyond all boundaries. Her courageous and visionary work is a source of inspiration for all those engaged in the struggle for human rights and for a life of dignity. For the people of Burma, Khin Ohmar’s unerring faith provides hope and confidence that a just future is, in fact, possible.” Media contact Charlotta Åsell + 46 (0)8-411 90 91 or + 46 (0)70-610 90 91 charlotta.asell@annalindhsminnesfond.se |
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