City of Orillia will hold their third annual raising of the Karen Flag

On July 2nd, 2010 at 10:00 am the City of Orillia and Project Umbrella Burma will hold their third annual raising of the Karen Flag to commemorate all those who have died, lost their homes and livelihoods as a result of the actions of the Burmese Military under the direction of the the Military Junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and to remember those Karen and other Burmese Ethnic groups who are still suffering the burning,and pillaging of their villages, systematic rape and forced portering and forced relocation. We raise the Karen Flag as an international responsibility to give awareness and hope.

The Packet & Times Jan 26, 2010

BURMA VJ: Monday Sept 28 10p CBC Toronto

We have been trying to get this important, multi-award winning documentary, BURMA VJ: REPORTING FROM A CLOSED COUNTRY to be shown in our area and we have just learned that it will be shown on CBC Newsworld at 10pm on Monday September 28th (for those like myself who are used to being asleep by 10:00pm, have a nap and stay up .I promise it will be worth it) We will also continue to try to get it shown in the Orillia area.
This is eastern time Toronto etc. For other areas please check CBC Newsworld.
Thanks for your continuing interest and please pass this on, as we don't have everyone's email.

For more information see the Democracy Now coverage.

video of karen flag raising

Dear All,
This is a letter from the President of the Karen Community of Canada. If you were at the Flag Raising, you will see yourself. This will go out to many countries around the globe!! Hurrah for the Karen and for The City of Orillia (and Project Umbrella Burma).
Enjoy!
Cathy




Hi Cathy:

Please check the following link. One of the Karen volunteers in London did a great job and uploaded on youtube for Karen people around the Globe.

The Orillia Packet and Times newspaper covered the Karen Flag Raising Ceremony. Thank you to everyone who attended.

Karen Flag raising Friday July 10th, 2009

The Green Room at the Orillia Opera House will be open from 10:00am until 12:00 noon for coffee, tea cold drinks and biscuits.

Speeches and the ceremony of the flag raising to begin at 11:00 am.

Your browser may not support display of this image.

Canadian Flag and Karen National Union flag flying over Orillia last year.

This year Project Umbrella Burma will again be raising the Karen Flag to fly proudly over the City of Orillia from July 10th to July 31st.

In Burma today, the Karen people are undergoing the most savage attacks on civilian villagers, an ethnic cleansing that has been ongoing for 50 years (4000 people have fled to Thailand in the last month). Over 2000 people are vilely imprisoned because they do not agree with the illegal military government. The Nobel Prize Winner Aung San Suu Kyi , Burma’s so distinguished voice for democracy, in a trumped up trial, is likely again to be stifled.

The City of Orillia, in its wisdom, has chosen to honour Project Umbrella’s mission and vision by endorsing this Flag raising as an expression of their international awareness. Project Umbrella Burma thanks them.

We are hoping the Burmese people, particularly the Karen Community, of Canada will join us in Orillia for this event.

To our friends from Burma who may come from a distance, please email Cathy and David dcdownham@sympatico.ca or call at 705 689 0358 if you require a place to stay on Friday evening, we hope to be able to accommodate you.

Orillia Flag Raising

Dear Friends of P.U.B,
As you know, in 2007 the City of Orillia endorsed Project Umbrella Burma, as their international outreach .
As part of their commitment, the city has again authorized P.U.B. to fly the Karen National Flag.
Our Vision is the safety and survival of all ethnic groups in a free and democratic Burma. Part of our mission is to raise awareness for the desperate situation of the people of Burma.
The Flag Raising will take place -

Friday, July 10th at 11:00 am at the Orillia Opera House.

Please mark this date on your calendars.
Details of this event will follow in mid June.

Thank you,

www.projectumbrellaburma.com