Burmese Refugees in Buffalo gather to fight for Home
Medics on strike in Yangon (Photo taken by Kenneth Narrow)
In Myanmar or what formerly was known as Burma, has been taken control of by the military in their request for a year long state of emergency.
Last February Suu Kyi won the election by a landslide and the military claimed it was due to widespread fraud. They then demanded a recount,but the officials of the election said there was no evidence to support these claims. The military coup then seized the country before parliament could take its place. The coup would withdraw when a fair election has taken place, resulting in the end to the state of emergency.
More than 700 people have been killed in Myanmar. Protesters, political leaders and journalists have been in the streets fighting back for their country. They bang on pots and pans,block military vehicles, sing, and chant at soldiers. The coup has violently beaten, humiliated and arrested more than 3,000 of these people for not cooperating with the regulations the coup is enforcing. In Yangon, you can be brought to court for protesting because it is a martial law.
For years Buffalo has been a melting pot for many refugees, in fact the average number of refugees that have settled in Buffalo for the past 18 years is 906. Some people come to Buffalo in hopes of getting to Canada but end up staying. Buffalo seemingly has affordable housing than New York City, and several refugee support networks. These networks solely focus on ensuring that immigrants who come to Buffalo have a successful settlement. A lot of these organizations have helped spread awareness of what's happening in Myanmar, in solidarity with their Burmese brothers and sisters.
Journey’s End Refugee Services is a refugee support organization that has had many of their Burmese residents cry out for their people back home. Sarah Bertozzi, Director of Immigration Legal Services said that “social media has helped spread awareness about what’s happening so much. However in this stage of the world so much evil is happening! The people in Myanmar are not only dying from the pandemic but are being killed for wanting what we all want, which was how life was before. Only difference is they have to fight for it.” The pandemic has also decreased the amount of refugees that make it to Buffalo.
Burmese Community Services Director, Sander Aung said that “refugees come to Buffalo because they likely have family already here too. These tragedies have been hard to watch and hear for them. We must do our duty to bring awareness to what’s occurring in Myanmar. This cycle occurs too often and the people of Myanmar don’t deserve this.” The Burmese Community Services organization also mails clothes and canned food to their families home. Although the military has taken control over the carrier services resulting in less imports from and to South East Asia. Through the internet, they have confirmation that some families have received their packages.
The International Institute of Buffalo, Executive Director Eva Hassett says that “ the people of Myanmar are going to need our thoughts and prayers, during this time right now. The military is doing so much to stop the democracy they have built over the last decade. Our neighboring Burmese brothers and sisters are with you and we plan to help in every way we can.”
Protesters in Buffalo in solidarity have also gathered over the last couple of months to protest the military coup in Myanmar in front of City Hall.
The International Institute of Buffalo, Burmese Community Services, as well as Journey's End Refugee Services all take donations through their websites.They are taking volunteers too, you just have to sign up on the websites listed below:
http://www.burmesecs.org/about-us.html
https://www.jersbuffahttps://iibuffalo.org/lo.org/jers-team
https://iibuffalo.org/
Written by Michaela Frazier
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