PRESS CONFERENCE
Bertil Lintner, David Mathieson, Kei Nemoto & Tin Win,
"Inside Burma's Opposition Politics"

The speech and Q & A will be in English and Japanese with simultaneous interpretation.

The world is disgusted with the Burmese military junta that has held the country hostage for decades. But in 2010 multi-party elections will be held which, in time, may slowly shift the balance of power away from the junta. (Although a new constitution approved in May would still bar the famed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from serving in public office.)

What is the state of opposition politics in Burma? To what degree is there disagreement within the junta? And what role might Buddhist monks play in bringing political reform -- considering that the last time they tried, during the "Saffron Revolution" in 2007, they were repressed?

The FCCJ is proud to host a panel discussion on the state of Burmese politics. The event coincides with the release of a comprehensive report detailing the Saffron Revolution and its political significance by Human Rights Watch, based on a two-year investigation.

The panelists include:

Bertil Lintner, a respected journalist and the author of the Human Rights Watch report. He is author of numerous books on Asia and Burma, including "Outrage: Burma's Struggle for Democracy" and "Burma in Revolt: Opium and Insurgency Since 1948."

David Scott Mathieson, an expert on Burmese politics at Australian National University in Canberra.

Kei Nemoto, a professor teaching Burmese politics and society at Sophia University in Tokyo.

Tin Win, the president of the Federation of Workers’ Union of Burmese Citizens, based in Japan. A Burmese political activist, following his arrest for opposition activities in 1988, he eventually fled to Japan in 1996 where he was granted refugee status.

Bertil Lintner and David Mathieson.

Kei Nemoto

Tin Win