Birth film wins top television awar

[neo200@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Birth film wins top television awards

Media Release
February 21, 1999

Birth wins top honors in Central New York's television awards ceremony  
Birth: Voices from the 1988 Uprising in Burma, a documentary recounting 
the events of the nationwide demonstrations for democracy and human 
rights in Burma, won the Best Documentary and Best Public Access Program 
in the 14th Annual Time Warner Cable PEGASYS Awards for Television 
Excellence.  Birth, which made its television premiere in Central New 
York on PEGASYS station Channel 13 on November 18, 1998, features 
interviews with students and activists who were involved in and 
eyewitnesses of the pro-democracy struggle.  The film traces the 
evolution of the Uprising from its early beginnings as a student 
movement to its development as a popular struggle and finally to the 
Burmese military regime's brutal crackdown of the demonstrations.  It 
also examines the current situation in Burma as well as the reasons why 
Burmese activists continue working in the movement for democracy.

Birth is the first film on the 1988 Uprising produced by a Burmese 
activist, Shwe Htee (8.8.88). Shwe Htee, who was a student leader in the 
uprising, is currently Secretary of the Education Committee for the 
Democratic Burmese Students' Organization (USA).  Regarding his 
award-winning film, Shwe Htee responds, "I would like to thank everyone 
who helped me make this film, especially the Burmese students and people 
who shared their experiences of 1988.  I hope by winning these awards, 
it will raise more awareness of the terrible situation in Burma.  I 
believe one day Burma will be free."   Selected as Best Public Access 
Program, Birth will now travel to the 1999 Hometown Video Festival, 
cable programming's largest video festival, where it will compete with 
other documentaries nationwide.  

Birth: Voices from the 1988 Uprising in Burma is a project of the 
Nonviolence Empowerment Organization, Inc. (NEO).  The PEGASYS Awards 
recognize the best in community programming.  The awards ceremony aired 
February 20, 1999 on Channel 13 at 8:00 pm (EST).

For more information or to obtain a copy of the film, please contact The 
Nonviolence Empowerment Organization, Inc. (NEO), P.O. Box 6596, Ithaca, 
NY 14851-6596, USA, neo200@xxxxxxxxxxxx

The Nonviolence Empowerment Organization, Inc. (NEO) is an organization 
dedicated to educating the public about the situation of human rights 
and refugees all over the world.  






______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com