Some good deeds performed by the Free Funeral Services Society (Yangon) (FFSS)

Written By Kyaw Thu, 

9 October 2010

The Grim Reaper knows no laws

Ms. Than Myint Aung, secretary of Free Funeral Services Society (Yangon), and the staff members helped transport the bodies of Daw Ohn Yee (age 67) and her son U Khin Oo (age 48) from South Dagon township, Yangon for cremation at Kyi-Su cemetery at 9:30 am, 7^th October 2010 on Thursday.

U Khin Oo was a chronic TB patient. Daw Ohn Yee had taken care of her son, but the past five days was stressful because U Khin Oo had fallen into a coma. U Khin Oo’s wife had been struggling to meet the bare necessities of her two children. Daw Ohn Yee probably did not accept that her son was unconscious, and tried to have a conversation. On 6^th October 2010, she shook her son’s body and kindly uttered, “My son Maung Khin Oo …. My son Maung Khin Oo”.  She had a mental and physical lapse around 6 PM and passed away. Her son passed away at 8 PM, as if he had decided to follow his mother’s fate. The double tragedy left the survivors (U Khin Oo’s wife and two daughters) helpless.

Though the mother and son entered the world at different times, they left the world on the same day. Is it a coincidence?

Marana (the Grim Reaper) knows no laws and no bounds. There are no set rules based on class, wealth, friendship, and age to determine when one’s life comes to an end.

People who are hungry and crazy for power, properties and riches should pay heed to the Grim Reaper. People who love and cherish their parents, teachers, spouses and children should note that they and their loved ones are not immune to the Grim Reaper. It is therefore very important to practice morality and unbounded love, to offer humane services to the society, and to take the Three Refuges (Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha).

Sooner or later [even now] we will be sick

Sooner or later [even now], we will die

We will surely die, make your rare [and precious] life meaningful

Before you die, practice [insight] meditation and gain wisdom

(Dictum of Moe-Goke Sayadaw)

Ant Maung - Thakhin Ohn Myint Poem

Thakhin Ohn Myint

Ant Maung

September 19^th, 2010

 

Thakhin Ohn Myint

Abadoned medical student life

To wriggle as a journalist

Took part in student and youth conventions

Unfurled the peacock banner JournalGyaw

Hand in hand with U Chit Maung

Joined Bogyoke Aung San and

Thakhin Than Tun

To attend the conference of

Indian National Congress

Sent to Coco Island in the Bay of Bengal

And often rested in Black Garden

Delivering love and provisions

To comrades

And had now gone

On his long journey of revolution

Among raging billows။       ။

Political Parties start campaigning with handing out leaflets in Rangoon

 

MOEMAKA Reporter, Yangon

13th October 2010

Many campaign leaflets were seen distributed by political parties at the bus stops and public places only 24 days before November election of Burmese regime.

According to local residents from Kyauk-ta-da Township,

"The leaflets were still handed out near Pan-soe-dan bus stop, for candidate of 88 generation student (Union of Myanmar) contesting  at constituency of Kyauk-ta-da Township, yesterday evening ...”

It surprised some of bystanders and passerby and they seemed more ridiculed when they saw the symbol of the party which was similar to the fighting peacock from the flag of Burmese students  union. 

 

Although this is the first time in 20 years to hold the general election in Burma, the National League for Democracy (NLD) stood against and boycotts the election due to various issues of election laws and undemocratic constitution written and approved in 2008 by the Junta.

Some residents told MoeMaKa that the coming election is not being interested by most people and half of residents in Rangoon were not willing to cast the vote.

The Union Solidarity of Development Party (USDP), formerly Union Solidarity of Development Association (USDA) backed by the regime have been preparing and campaigning for the election spending funds and resources owned by the state and the people while other political parties were still struggling with their limited funding and human resources.

The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) military government issued the hardship election laws and procedure of constitutions which caused limited and intimidated support and funding for all competing political parties except their backed USDP Party. Therefore witnesses were saying that the only affordable and safest way to do political campaign for other parties was to handing out leaflets in public places in Rangoon.

(Photo – Picture of leaflet distributed by one of the political party)

Flood in Mandalay and Burmese Responses

Letters to MoeMaKa
October 11th, 2010

Youth for humanitarian Assistance requests humanitarian aid for Mandalay flood victims while People who experienced Cyclone Nargis are concerned with the forthcoming election

One letter to MoeMaKa was from the youths providing humanitarian assistance (Cit-ta-su-kha-pra-hi-ta Youth) especially to flood victims. You can see some of their activities on http://www.cittasukha.com and http://www.ourmandalay.net/index.php.

In another letter, A MoeMaKa colleague from Yangon said that the flood and natural disaster reminded him of Cyclone Nargis tragedy back in 2007, May, when the Burmese regime used force to get their constitution approved while flood victims suffered and died due to regime’s ignorance. He stated his worry that this time again under any circumstance and any cost, military government is determined to hold a one-sided unfair election in November 2010.

 

Here is a letter about the plight of people in Mandalay:
“ … It started raining in Mandalay, Burma on 7th October 2010. It rained heavily the next day. Water rose and flooded almost the whole of Mandalay. People have to use boats to go from one place to the other. Water covered most of the lower areas. One storey buildings from both sides of Myot Thit  Pan-yan-daw River, from southeast Mandalay went under the water. There were also flooding from Pa-thein Gyi Township. But according to State-run Newspaper, it said water only rose to 11" (eleven inches). The patients from Cancer treatment hospital of Pa-thein-gyi had to relocate to the house owned by Oriental House hotel. Highway leading to Pyin-Oo -Lwin  was also under the water.

There were not enough boats for rescue people from the flooded areas. Some people were rescued, but we do not know for sure how many families are still plagued by flood and may be in critical situation. We managed to distribute the food package for victims but not systematically due to lack of resources.  Nor is the food package is sufficient to distribute for all victims.

For our (Cit-ta-su-kha-pra-hi-ta Youth) group, we started to provide the assistance on the night of (October 8 th) as much as we can.Since we are a small organization, we had to seek donors for the rescue efforts to aid the flood victims.

 

 

On the 9t th, we distributed about 400 food packages successfully. On the 10 th, we distributed more food packages including 500 bottles of drinking water. We are moving to distribute the foods by ourselves where the water level is up to our waists. The type of the food packages we distributed is for two persons and can be served for daytime and nighttime. Many large organizations also came to distribute the food. Mostly food packages and drinking water are distributed, as they are the bare necessities of life. We will continue to distribute the food for the coming days. The food which can be saved for a long period such as – snacks, biscuits, dried cakes, fried fish-paste, fried shrimp etc. will be distribute starting from tomorrow.

 

Our group was able to distribute food and water for only one section of Mandalay as we have limited volunteers and funds. We go to the remote areas and try to get to people who cannot be reached without with boats. We cannot afford to hire boats. We have plans to continue offering food to the flood victims everyday provided we have the donors/donations.

 

Contact address:
Phone: 09-2027574
(Photo – mg ba oo (Mandalay) (facebook) …”

Green light to prosecute anti-election proponents

Moemaka Reporter, Yangon,

October 11, 2010

According to the news from Nay Pyi Taw, the generals have given verbal orders to harass, prosecute and condemn anyone who act or say anything even a joke against their 2010 November election. “A formal written law and order may be issued if there are many movements to boycott the election. For the present, this is a verbal order from upper.” said a service from Nay Pyi Taw.

A monk from Mon state and more than ten students were detained for distributing the anti-election statements. Such news had emerged for the past few months. Political activists throughout the country feel that it is improper and unethical to vote in the 2010 election because the underlying laws are flawed and unjust.

Especially the National League for Democracy (NLD) party went to many parts of Burma to voice their concerns. They were urging the Burmese that people have their own rights not to vote in the election as well which granted by constitution.

The verbal order from the generals is to complement or override the traditional ways of persecuting politicians and activists. In the past 20 years or so, thousands of democracy activists were jailed using unjust laws and verbal orders given along the chain of command. According to the critics of Burmese political scene, the recent verbal order by the generals is another blatant violation of human rights violation.

U Lun Kwaye and his family to host their 3rd Art Exhibit

Photo News

October 13, 2010

Art Master U Lun Kwaye’s paintings will soon be on exhibition in Grand Railway Hotel. Together with his, the painthings of his whole family consists of Lun Mya Mya (his wife), Lun Thit (his son), Lun Kyaw Yee (his daughter-in-law), Lun Pan Chi and Lun Moe Yan (his grandsons) will also be included.

There had been two family art shows back in 2007 and 2009. According to Rays of Light Journal (ah-lin-tan journal) published in Rangoon, Master U Lun Kwaye will be performing live drawing on the last day of the exhibit.

Pe Nyunt Wai to host his first solo art show overseas

MoeMaKa Reporter Chaing Mai

October 14^th, 2010

Pe Nyunt Wai, renowned Burmese Artist is going to host his 5^th art exhibit opening from October 16, 6 p.m. in Chaing Mai, Thailand. This is his 5^th one-man show but this will be the first hosting overseas and it will last for 3 weeks. His collection named as “Bagan Drawings” will be paintings on Pagodas and scenes of Bagan, a historic ancient city of Burma. His sole attention is to express how rich the cultures and traditions of his home country, Burma, the artist said.

Pe Nyunt Wai born in 1952 in Ye Nan Kyaung, one small town of upper Burma was  graduated from Mandalay Art School and learnt  under the teaching of senior contemporary renowned artists such as U Win Pe and Paw Oo Thet. He was one of the founders Loka Nat Art Studio, one of the oldest and the first art studio ever hosted Burmese contemporary and modern arts of Burmese artists.