In late June 2003, Burma activists in Vancouver held a 100-hour hunger strike outside Canada Place to raise awareness about Aung San Suu Kyi's May 30th arrest and to collect signatures for the following letter, addressed to Governor General Adrienne Clarkson. They collected over 500 signatures.
See here for press coverage.
Friends:
I'm pasting below a copy of a letter I'm sending to the Gov-General and her
spouse. Also, a sample of the letter that Than Shwe sends her each year.
Feel free to compose your own letter or use mine. You can send your letter
by email to [email protected] or by letter post (no stamp needed) to the address
listed. If you do use mine, be careful to copy it and don't just use the
forward key. Since the Gov-Gen will be replying to the salutation from TS
within the next week or so, it's important to get your letters and emails in
rather quickly.
Please get the message out to others across the country who feel strongly
about Burma. I've heard that some in Vancouver will be collecting
signatures on July 1 to fax to Their Excellencies.
ES
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Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson
Governor General of Canada
His Excellency John Ralston Saul
Rideau Hall
1 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A1
Excellencies:
In a few days you will be receiving the customary salutation sent out
by Myanmar's Head of State, Sr-Gen Than Shwe, on the occasion of
Canada's national day on July 1st.
On this occasion it would be fitting to reply that the very best news
that Canada could receive from Myanmar would be that Nobel peace prize
winner Aung San Suu Kyi had been released from her confinement and that
immediate steps were being taken to begin a dialogue directed at
restoring democracy to the people of Burma.
Yours truly,
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Typical letter from General TS
You can be sure he'll send another this year
( 1 ) State Peace and Development Council Chairman
Senior General Than Shwe sends felicitations to Canada
Yangon, 1 July- Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of
the State Peace and Development Council of the Union
of Myanmar, has sent a message of felicitations to the
Right Honourable Ms Adrienne Clarkson,
Governor-General of Canada, on the occasion of the
Anniversary of the National Day of Canada which falls
on 1 July 2002.