文字遊樂場

今年二月, 香港幾個關注人權及亞洲局勢的民間團體, 包括國際特赦組織香港分會(Amnesty InternationalHONG KONG), 香港天主教正義和平委員會(Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese), 全球基督徒團結陣線香港( Christian Solidarity Worldwide Hong Kong), 香港婦女基督徒協會(Hong Kong Women Christian Council)...成立"香港支援緬甸陣線"(中文暫取名稱)Hong Kong Coalition for a Free Burma, 作為支援緬甸其中一亞洲分支, 結連團體支持緬甸市民捍衛人權及爭取民主自由. 同時, 透過活動向本地市民提供緬甸最近形勢, 鼓勵繼續關注緬甸情況.

繼去年年底中環天星碼頭的跨宗教祈禱會後, 今年3月9日, 我們為響應3月8日的全球為緬甸祈禱日及國際勞動婦女日, 將會在尖沙嘴天星碼頭將會舉行另一次的跨宗教祈禱會, 為生活在緬甸的不同民族的婦女祈禱. 緬甸自去年的9月的僧侶上街抗議至今, 局勢一直不穩, 市民仍然生活在軍政府獨裁統治下, 百般的恐懼之中, 當中婦女面對的問題尤其困難. 以下是當日活動介紹及緬甸最近的人權資訊, 希望大家出席現場, 向支持生活在緬甸各種族的婦女作出支持.


解放緬甸──為緬甸的婦女謀福(謝謝KELVIN幫忙作翻譯)

解放緬甸的運動仍未結束。

在去年九月至十二月，民間反對軍政府的起義此起彼落。數以十萬計的緬甸人民走上街頭，爭取為緬甸人民謀求各種經濟、政治、社會以及文化的權利。

緬甸聯邦國家和平與發展委員會對這些對民主自由的訴求，以一貫的方式──武力鎮壓，作出回應。

傳媒展示軍政府驅趕、槍射參與示威的僧侶及其他緬甸人民的手段，清晰可見。當中，婦女亦不能倖免。

根據緬甸婦女聯盟的報導，在去年的反軍政府示威中，有十九名婦女失踪，而根據援助政治囚犯協會的數字，截至二零零七年十一月十四日，共有一百三十一名婦女（包括六名尼姑）被當局拘捕。

示威事件發生後，全球各地紛紛作出動員，共同聲援緬甸人民。在香港，有關的行動及教育活動亦由不同的人權組織作出配合和統籌。

在香港的不同關注組織在上月組成「香港爭取解放緬甸聯盟」。

為表示對緬甸人民的支持，聯盟將於三月九日（星期日）下午6:30至8:30於尖沙咀天星碼頭舉行跨宗教燭光紀念晚會。當晚的主題是「緬甸婦女──公義自由」。此項活動是全球紀念三八婦女節的活動之一。

希望各位能出席是項活動，為緬甸人民爭取公義出一分力。欲出席的人士請回覆此電郵，或聯絡以下人士：Chato Gallo (91753092)、孔令瑜(92681803)、Bruce Van Voorrhis (94923064)或Eman Villanueva (97585935)。

香港爭取解放緬甸聯盟

Free Burma Now!
Justice for the Women of Burma!

The movement to free Burma still goes on.

In the fourth quarter of last year, popular uprisings spreadthroughout Burma. Tens to hundreds of thousands of Burmese marched tothe streets to call for the economic, political, social and cultural rights of the Burmese people.

The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) responded in the only way it has addressed calls for freedom and democracy in the country -with guns and repression.

The world has become a witness to the brutality of the regime as the media show violent dispersal and shooting of protesting monks and other sectors of the Burmese society. Under such a repressive situation, women are not spared.

According to a report of the Women's League of Burma:

In recent crackdowns on the Saffron Revolution, at least 19 women have disappeared, and 131 women protestors, including 6 nuns have been arrested by the regime (as of November 14, 2007 according to AAPP, Association for Assistance of Political Prisoners).

Immediately, mobilizations for international solidarity with the Burmese people were conducted in various countries around the world. Here in Hong Kong, sustained actions and educational activities were conducted by different human rights groups or coordinated with each other.

Last month, concerned groups in Hong Kong formed the Hong Kong Coalition for a Free Burma.

As part of its solidarity activities, the coalition shall conduct an Interfaith Candlelight Vigil under the theme "Justice and freedom for women in Burma" on March 9 (Sunday) from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Star Ferry pier in Tsim Sha Tsui. The activity shall be a part of the worldwide commemoration of the International Women's Day.

We hope you can join us in this meaningful quest for justice. For confirmation of your attendance, please reply to this email or contact the following: Chato Gallo (91753092), Jackie Hung (2560 3865), Bruce Van Voorrhis (94923064), and Eman Villanueva (97585935).

In solidarity,

Hong Kong Coalition for a Free Burma


Dear Friends,

The people of Burma have been suffering severe forms of human rights violations, not only in their own country, but also in certain places where they have fled to seek refuge. One of these is Malaysia, which has more than 40,000 refugees from Burma registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), not to mention thousands of unregistered asylum seekers.

These refugees continue to face serious human rights violations by Malaysian authorities including its state-sanctioned vigilante force known as RELA. Even when the refugees are recognized by UNHCR, they are
not protected from arrest, detention and deportation. Malaysia has not signed the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol (also known as Refugee Convention). For this reason, Burma refugees are considered illegal immigrants even though they are entitled to protection under international human rights law.

Women, including those who are pregnant, as well as their young children are not spared from arrest. As recently as 17 February, RELA arrested 43-year-old Kai Tan and her 4-year-old daughter, together with 45-year-old Htu Mai who has a 1 1/2-year-old daughter. On 20 January, RELA burned down makeshift huts in a jungle camp leaving 75 Chin refugees homeless.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide UK has just released a report on its February 2008 fact-finding visit to the Thai-Burma border and Malaysia (available at http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=press&id=703
). Pointing to the vulnerability of Burma refugees in Malaysia, the report highlights "the seriously under-reported challenges facing Burmese refugees in Malaysia, and the desperate conditions in which they exist in urban and jungle camps in and around Kuala Lumpur. The regular detention and deportation of Burmese refugees by the Malaysian authorities, including severe mistreatment such as caning, require urgent international attention and action." Besides documenting testimonies of human rights abuses, CSW UK also refers to a recent report by Radio Free Asia claiming that:

"Burmese migrant workers in Malaysia live at the mercy of international human-trafficking gangs who sell them back and forth as slave labour with the full knowledge of Malaysian and Thai immigration officials".

CSW UK is calling upon the international community to take recommended actions to address the situation. In turn I am now asking you, our CSW supporters in Asia, to bring this matter before the Government of Malaysia and the UNHCR office in Malaysia

It is also crucial that we bring this to the attention of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) of which Malaysia is a member. Malaysia has recently ratified the ASEAN Charter which declares respect for fundamental freedoms, promotion and protection of human rights and social justice. While the Charter is not yet in effect
pending ratification by other member-states, we must hold Malaysia accountable arising from its own act of ratification.

Please write letters to the Government of Malaysia and the UNHCR, furnishing copies to the ASEAN Secretary General and all member states.

Below are the details which CSW UK has asked us to present to the Malaysian Government and UNHCR, together with a list of addresses.

It will also be of great encouragement for Burma refugees to know of your action, so please do inform us if you have written and we willrelay this to them.

Yours in solidarity,

Chato Olivas-Gallo
Chief Executive Officer, CSW HK

文/蒲錦昌牧師 (作者同意轉載)

美國總統布殊自上任以來的種種做法，的確叫世界看傻了眼。他不理會國際社的反對，堅決地向伊拉克開戰，並宣稱有證據顯示他們有大殺傷力武器。布殊更以「聖戰」（Crusade）(註1)來號召自己的子民參與戰事，以對抗這個邪惡軸心(註2)之一，以解放伊拉克人脫離薩達姆的暴政。可是，美軍到今日仍未能讓伊拉克人民有真正的和平，反而，伊拉克人及整個伊斯蘭世界的反美情緒卻一天比一天熾熱。其實，美國這樣做無異不斷為恐佈主義加添燃料，而美國人也變得更加防衛性。此外，布殊政府又單方面撕毀與俄羅斯之間的限核條約，更反過來大攪星戰計劃，導彈防禦系統，實際上是發動新一輪的軍備競賽。美國雖然擁有最大量的核子武器，但仍然認為不足以保障自身的安全，可見其恐懼感之嚴重。布殊政府在外交上的單邊主義 (註3)，簡直是不把其他國家放在眼內。美國現政府的施政，很多人都認為非常不智，但是，布殊卻得到美國保守勢力的強烈支持，尤其是美國基督教中的保守派。

美國前總統卡特是個公認虔誠的信徒，幾十年來每星期天都教主日學。他是美國南浸信會的會友，自認是保守派教會的成員。不過，他並沒有認同布殊的做法。兩年前，卡特更根據自己對基督教信仰、美國立國精神與傳統、當前政治狀況等等的了解，寫成了《我們瀕危的價值觀：美國道德危機》(註4) 一書，討論宗教原教旨主義的興起、宗教衝突、宗教與科學之爭、政教關係、離婚、同性戀、墮胎、死刑、兩性關係、反恐與人權、核武、環保等問題，毫不忌諱地表達自己信仰的立場及對社會課題的關切。卡特認為，布殊嚴重偏離了美國立國時政教分離的精神，先發制人的軍事哲學，更有違基督教信仰與神學傳統。在布殊總統的帶領下(註5)，美國正步向原教旨主義，一種比保守派更保守的信仰精神。原教旨主義究竟是什麼？有什麼好怕的呢？且看卡特的描述：

原教旨主義運動通常是由男權主義者領導。他們認為自己比別人優越，在其宗教團體裡，特別信奉征服女性，控制教徒。

儘管原教旨主義者通常相信過去比現在好，但是他們的歷史性宗教信仰和現代世界觀都含有自私利己的成分。

原教旨主義者認為他們是真正的信仰者，在自己和別人之間明確劃綫，相信他們是正確的，反對他們的任何人都是無知的，有可能是邪惡的。

原教旨主義者好戰，反對任何對他們信仰的挑戰。他們容易發怒，有時候使用言語和體罰虐待那些干擾他們將行動綱領付諸實施的人。

原教旨主義者自我定義非常狹隘，趨向於孤立自己，善於利用感情問題蠱惑人心，煽動情緒，並將變通、合作、談判等方式解決爭端看成是軟弱的表現。(註6)

仔細想想這段話，我們都會發現，原教旨主義在不同群體、宗教、國家、地區也會出現，它甚至可能是人類和平的最大敵人。

讀了卡特的著作，我想，還好，還有一個清醒的美國人，還有一個清醒的基督徒！

備註:
1.Crusade原是西方基督教國家中世紀要從伊斯蘭政權手上重奪耶路撒冷聖城戰事的名稱，一般譯為十字軍，意思是聖戰。
2.布殊稱伊拉克、伊朗、北韓三個國家為「邪惡軸心」，一如二次世界大戰時德國、意大利及日本三個結盟的國家一般。
3.「單邊主義」是指美國獨自進行決策，不循聯合國等國際性組織的途徑與其他國家協商。
4. 西安：西北大學出版社，二零零七年四月出版。
5. 原教旨主義為英語Fundamentalism的翻譯，原意不單指宗教上的派別與精神，也可指政治等不同範疇。
6. 吉米．卡特：《我們瀕危的價值觀：美國道德危機》，頁三十。

(原文刊登中華基督教會完全堂2007年6月24日週刊)