Smacks of military might

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by Craig Segal

Calling all politically conscious heroin users! A local Burmese solidarity group wants you to think twice about the country of origin of your favourite soporific. Because if you're buying it from Burma, says the Comité de Solidarité Birmanie, you're supporting an evil military junta that's been ruling since 1990. "Most of the heroin used here comes from Burma," says Jean-Michel Archambault-Cyr. "Buying heroin just supports the military regime, since they control the drug trade."

The Comité is holding a Burma solidarity night this Saturday at Café Chaos (1637 St-Denis). The evening will feature exiled Burmese activists "Minn" and "Charm," who are flying in from Thailand. "As many as one million Burmese fled to Thailand when the military came to power," says Archambault-Cyr. "The majority of them are illegal. And since they are struggling to survive, they end up working in terrible conditions." Minn and Charm's names are being kept secret to protect members of their families still living in Burma.

The evening will also feature Christina Fink, author of the newly published book Living in Silence, Burma Under the Military Rule--on the Burmese resistance under the leadership of Nobel Peace Laureate and prolific author Aung San Suu Kyi--as well as a slideshow and a discussion about actions to support the Burmese democratic movement. Call 270-0104 for more info.