Walk-A-Thon To Save MYANMAR

Walk-A-Thon to Save Myanmar

About Myanmar

Myanmar is the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia. It shares borders with Thailand, Laos, China, India, and Bangladesh, and has a coastline on the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
Myanmar possesses a great diversity of ethnic groups, comprising Burmese, Shans, Karens, Rakhines, Mons, Chins and Kachins. Buddhism remains a major religion, with Christianity and Islam also practiced.

Military Rule
Myanmar has experienced periods of difficulty since achieving independence from the British Colony in 1948. In 1962, when General Ne Win took control of Myanmar, the country was at that time, one of Asia’s most prosperous countries. Myanmar is still a country rich in jade and gems, oil, natural gas, and other mineral resources. Despite such potential, most citizens are now living in poverty, mainly, due to corruption, strict state control, falling export prices accompanies by shrinking markets and a smaller volume of sales.

Military Coup
Myanmar Military staged an unconstitutional coup on 1 February 2021. They have unlawfully detained leaders of the elected civilian government and refused to uphold the results of the 8 November 2020 general elections in Myanmar which was widely recognized by international observers as free and fair. A brief video describing the dire situation in Myanmar can be watched in this YouTube link: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuINrF4ycyI&ab_channel=CNAInsider) 

Myanmar Spring Revolution & Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM)
Since the coup, there are nationwide mass demonstrations. A large number of those in the medical profession, teachers, transport and banking sectors, and all other civil servants have started a Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).  Myanmar Military has been using excessive force to crack down the protests such as general public protests and CDM movements. Below are the news articles on Civil Disobedience Movement and how the people of Myanmar are taking risks every day to voice out for their quest to obtain freedom, justice, and democracy. 
https://thediplomat.com/2021/03/from-covid-19-to-the-coup-myanmars-doctors-are-risking-their-lives/ 
https://myanmar-now.org/en/news/how-the-coup-has-complicated-myanmars-covid-19-response  

The Hunger Game's 3 finger salute has become a symbol of a locally known, Myanmar Spring Revolution. 

Crime Against Humanity
To date, over 800 civilians (approx 50 children) have been slaughtered and killed by the Myanmar military and its illegitimate regime. The numbers are increasing day by day with mass-murdering are taking place in many cities across Myanmar. They use torture and fear to force civilians into submission. Over 4,000 people have been detained arbitrarily. (https://www.hrw.org/the-day-in-human-rights/2021/03/16)

Things that can get you arrested and tortured in Myanmar are 3 fingers salute; voicing against the military; posting on social media about protests; providing humanitarian aids and medical aids to people who are displaced as a result of the military's atrocities, and the list go on.  (https://thediplomat.com/2021/05/medical-workers-targeted-in-myanmars-post-coup-crisis/ )


Illegal Airstrikes across Myanmar
The military regime has also been carrying out a series of airstrikes across Myanmar since illegitimate coup on 1 February 2021.  At times, these airstrikes have increased intensity, particularly in Mindat town of Chin State.  Local people have reported around 30 airstrikes have conducted in one day alone. (https://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/statement-united-nations-myanmar-situation-mindat-chin-state-enmy ) 

People in Myanmar need URGENT help and support from International Community. All they want is the fundamental human rights of which many of us are enjoying. Their freedom of speech is suppressed and the cost to speak the truth could be their livelihood. (https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/04/09/submission-australian-parliamentary-committee-myanmar)

Please help support the people of Myanmar, victims of the Military's many atrocities, by donating as little as $20. This would help them going providing for their everyday essentials such as rice, oil, water, and medicine. 

Walk-A-Thon to Save Myanmar facilitated by BCSG
Burmese Community Support Group (Sydney) also known as BCSG is a group of dedicated volunteers, committed to promoting the well-being of the Sydney Burmese Communities and to contributing to common outcomes of peace and harmony in the broader Australian society. We are supporting and facilitating a group of amazing individuals (please see the name list below) with their movement to raise funds to help the victims and internally displaced people in Myanmar who urgently need food, shelters, cloth and medical care due to many war crimes and human rights violations caused by Myanmar Military.

Walk-A-Thon to Save Myanmar will be on 19th June 2021. We will be walking from Maroubra to Botanical Garden – in 2 categories.
Route 1: Starts at 8am from Maroubra Beach to Botanical Garden (30 km, 8 hours)
Route 2: Starts at 1pm from Watson Bay Beach to Botanical Garden (14 km, 3 hours 30 minutes) 

There will be a break of 30 minutes at Watson Bay beach for our amazing participants to have a rest and to take lunch approximately between 12pm to 1pm so please come and cheer on them if you are unable to participate in this challenge.
Also, there are many great picnic spots in between the destinations such as;
Shark Beach, Nielsen Park, and
Seven Shillings Beach, near Point Piper, so please come along and cheer our participants while enjoying your nice day out. 

Or just station at Botanical Garden and have a leisurely lounge or enjoy scenery while waiting for our enthusiastic participants to arrive the finish line near the gate to Opera House. 

Our AWESOME individuals fundraisers and participants in this challenge Walk-A-Thon to Save Maynmar are listed below. 

Andreas Quiring (14 km)
Ang Maurice Soe Htay (14 km)
Aung Zaw Myint (30 km)
Aye Min (14 km)
Aye Nyein Soe (30 km)
Aye Thiri Htun (14 km)
Benzhamin Khabib (14 km)
Bettina Brenstein (14 km)
Cathy Luo (14 km)
Chan Wai Thaw (14 km)
Clement Lui (14 km)
Cordell Dabreu (14 km)
Dan Kyaw (30 km)
David Wilcox (14 km)
Declan Hickey (14 km)
Dini Looi (14 km)
Dr. Angela Liu  (14 km)
Dr. Anna Panis (14 km)
Dr. Aye Su Htun (14 km)
Dr. Khaing Khaing Yin Mon (14 km)
Dr. Lay Zin Nwe (14 km)
Dr. Lin Lin Myat (14 km)
Dr. Myint Mo Oo (30 km)
Dr. Thaw Dar Htet (14 km)
Dr. Yvonne Selecki (14 km)
Ei Mon Htwe (14 km)
Elousie Hill (14 km)
Erika Wong (14 km)
Hla Myat Mon (14 km)
Hnin Htwe Chit (14 km)
Hnin Lei Win (14 km)
Hnin Mon Yi (14 km)
Hsu Myat Win (14 km)
Hsu Yie (30 km)
Htar Wint Hlaing (14 km)
Htet Aung (14 km)
Htway Htway (14 km)
Jameson Chan (14 km)
Kevin Aung (14 km)
Khawn San Aung (14 km)
Lay Lay Thet (14 km)
Leah McFaul (14 km)
Linda Dabreu (14 km)
Lucas Ho (14 km)
Lynn Croft (14 km)
Maung Swe Hein (14 km)
May Sithu Aung (30 km)
MengNy Muljono (14 km)
Michelle Myint (14 km)
Min Thant Zay Ya (Edward Zeya) (30 km)
Min Thet Naing (14 km)
Mon Zin (14 km)
Mya San (14 km)
Myint Khaing Khaing Soe (14 km)
Myint Myint Kyi (14 km)
Nang Wo Hom Kham (30 km)
Nwe Hlaing Aye (14 km)
NweNi Myint (14 km)
Parisa Soltani (14 km)
Phoebe Waugh (14 km)
Phoo Ei San (14 km)
Phyu Han (December Han) (14 km)
Poe Ei Hlaing (14 km)
Pyae Sone (30 km)
Rike Homb (14 km)
Sandy Aung (14 km)
Sein Win (14 km)
Soe Lin Oo (14 km)
Soe Nanda Tun (14 km)
Su Hnin (30 km)
Thet Hnin Swe (14 km)
Thet Mon Yi (14 km)
Thet Swan (30 km)
Thinn Nwe Soe (14 km)
Thireindar Min (14 km)
Thiri Po (14 km)
Thwin Saydana (30 km)
Tin Sein (14 km)
Wai Lin Aung (14 km)
Wai Yan Myint Thu (30 km)
Wer Wer Myint (30 km)
Yamin Aung (14 km)
Yamin McCartney (14 km)
Ye Lin Tun (30 km)
Ye Mon Oo (14 km)
Yu Yu Zin (14 km)
Zar Phyu Myint (14 km)
Zaw Htet (30 km)
Zaw Myo Htut (14 km)
Zayar Thein (30 km)
Zin Aung (14 km)

Our AMAZING sponsors and volunteers for this cause, Walk-A-Thon to Save Maynmar are listed below. 

Dr. Aye Aye Bartlett
Lay Lay Thet
Moe Min Aung
Mya Mya Than
Naing Sun
Pan War
Phyumon Kyaw
Sandy Soe
Su Hlaing Zay
Thidar Nwe

Donation Distributions
50% of the fund raised from this challenge will be donated to Internally Displaced People (IDPs) camps due to the Military’s ILLEGAL airstrikes, and by many of their crimes against humanity in various locations across Myanmar.
The rest 50% will go to the participants of Civil Disobedience Movements (CDM) across all regions and states in Myanmar. Technically, they are also internally displaced as with the military's heavy crackdown and brutality on participants in CDM, many have to leave their homes.

The humanitarian aid providers, and non-profit organisations in Myanmar are doing their best to provide aids to the internally displaced people camps in Myanmar, however they are fearful of persecution from Military and therefore for their safety, we would not be able to publish the recipients of our funds.  There are many reports of these humanitarian aid workers who are either on the run or being captured and tortured. (https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/2021/05/03/complex-chaotic-myanmar-coup-shrinks-frontline-aid, https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/junta-arrests-man-fundraising-for-mindat-idps-and-confiscates-donations )

If it is reasonably safe to share the information of the recipients, we plan to email the details to our donors. Our no. 1 priority is the safety of our amazing humanitarian aid providers within the country. Also please note that the banking system in Myanmar is on the verge of collapsing, with minimum withdrawal limits are imposed and were reduced further. Even to withdraw the reduced cash limits, many have to pay fees to those who work at the bank and even then these cash withdrawals are not being permitted by most banks. Therefore we are unable to transfer the funds directly into the accounts in Myanmar (https://thediplomat.com/2021/05/myanmars-unfolding-banking-crisis/)

Please support and help us raise funds and raise awareness of what's happening in Myanmar as we take on this challenge, Walk-A-Thon to Save Myanmar, on 19th June 2021. The funds will be used to provide the daily essential basic needs, such as rice, oil, water, medicine, cloth and shelters to the victims of the Myanmar Military's crimes against humanity. 

Please see our Facebook Event Page: https://fb.me/e/EyEF4L2k

If you have any questions, please write your comments in this Go Fund Me page or alternatively, please send messages via BCSG Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Burmese-Community-Support-Group-111028317838203