Justice for Burma Cycle Challenge for Motherland!

My name is Ko Aung. I am an activist human rights lawyer and Burmese political refugee living in the UK and I am raising money for my sisters and brothers in Burma fighting the ongoing Spring Revolution (Nway Oo Taw Hlan Yay) and Civil Disobedience Movement in our motherland.

Since Min AUNG Hlaing led the military coup, brave grassroots activists, including Student Unions activists; Labour activists; Farmer activists; Women activists; Youth activists and more, from different nationalities, ethnicities and groups, including NLD supporters, have taken to the streets to peacefully defy the most brutal military council in our Motherland, Burma. The military dictatorship has brutally cracked down these activists in the streets, killing, arbitrarily arresting, and torturing innocent people in several investigation centres.

Despite these atrocities, as grassroots activists on the ground continue to face highly dangerous and difficult daily challenges, they are even more determined to finish this unfinished revolution and bring an absolute end to brutal military rule in our wonderful motherland in peaceful ways, once and for all.

Every day I salute my brave sisters and brothers! That is why, I am raising funds for grassroots activists in Burma, to show solidarity, strength and unity across continents for our motherland.

My mission is to cycle from the UK’s southernmost point in Land’s End, England, to the northmost point in John O’Groats, Scotland. I will cycle over a thousand miles in this solidarity fundraising mission and you are all most welcome to join with me or contribute however you can. Fellow cyclist brothers and sisters, friends and activist communities can ride with me at any point and distance on my route.

My Land's End to John O' Groats cycle challenge will begin on 8th August 2021 - the anniversary of 8-8-1988 people uprising in Burma, in which I played a key role alongside thousands of peaceful student union activists who were brutally killed, imprisoned and tortured.  Over three decades later, our struggles continue and I am making this journey to show strength, unity and solidarity with today's young generation of activists fighting for justice and federal democracy in Burma. 

Funds raised will go directly to grassroots activists and families of those impacted by the violence on the streets of Burma, including basic living costs. Donations will also go directly to grassroots activist organising groups including local ethnic nationality youth groups, Women's Empowerment, All Burma Federation of Students Unions, school and university student unions, and the General Strike Committee of Nationalities,  as well as media activists such as Federal Radio FM,  which was set up using set up the grassroots funds management committee with youth groups inside Burma. Funds will help all these vital groups to survive, organise and grow in their movements on the ground to peacefully defy the brutal terrorist military forces!

We are working with Advance Myanmar, a UK registered charity working with grassroots organisations to promote change and human rights, will help us distribute these funds on the ground. Advance Myanmar is founded and run by a dedicated team of people we know with decades of experience of the humanitarian and human rights situation in Myanmar. Since the military coup on 1 February 2021, Advance Myanmar has been able to quickly provide assistance and funding to activists at risk.  With the ongoing brutal military crackdown, many activists have had to go into hiding, forced to flee their homes at short notice leaving everything behind. Advance Myanmar will be withdrawing the funds from this fundraiser and distributing to the people and organisations listed above. Please see here for their essential work which supports our cause: https://www.advancemyanmar.org/our-work/

Follow my live route via Komoot - anyone is welcome to join me along the way, any distance that suits, it would be great to see people as I fulfil this 1,000 mile challenge for peace and justice! https://www.komoot.com/collection/1242188/-land-s-end-to-john-o-groats-1

Thank you so much for your contribution!