(Warning: if you are a sensitive reader, please note this post contains shocking, tragic and heart breaking true life stories)

Burma is the most religious Buddhist country in terms of proportion of monks in the population and proportion of income spent on religion. Monks are treasured and revered by the Burmese community.

Burma is ruled by one of the most brutal regimes in the World. This was brought sharply to the world’s attention by the Saffron Revolution in September ’07. Tragically, many people where killed, jailed or went missing. Many monks where killed and many disappeared from the face of the earth forever ...and the world stood by and did nothing....

In Thai / Burma border region there are more than 10 refugee camps. These camps are occupied by more than 300,000 people. The Burmese army attacks its own people, burning down villages almost every day. Villagers on the run get shot or they are killed by landmines. Refugees who live in the jungle have nothing. Mothers, fathers, babies, children and elderly people live in fear of the junta army. People are arrested and forced into hard labour by the Junta. Civilians are used as minesweepers by the army. The army takes young children out of their schools to be soldiers for the Junta. In Burma there are more then 70,000 child soldiers.

In Burma there are more then 2000 political prisoners. People are been given long term jail sentences. Prisoners are being tortured and killed by the Junta. The most famous of these noble political prisoners, is Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. She won the Burmese presidential elections but has been under house arrest for almost 19 years.

Then there was the cyclone "Nargis'... which killed more than a 100,000 people. Thousands went missing but the Junta would not let any aid into the country.

Burma is in crisis. The UN is silent, The USA is silent, The EU is silent. ...the Junta continues killing its own people.

This is why Candle4burma has been created. May our candles create enough light to wake the world up to the suffering of the people of Burma. May the candles burn till the day Burma is free.

Please support this Network and encourage your friends and family participate in Candle4burma. Please do your bit to bring awareness to the world about this tragedy of our fellow human beings

Thank you and many blessings
Candle4Burma

Prayer for Freedom From Suffering

May all beings everywhere plagued
with sufferings of body and mind
quickly be freed from their illnesses.
May those frightened cease to be afraid,
and may those bound be free.
May the powerless find power,
and may people think of befriending
one another.
May those who find themselves in trackless,
fearful wilderness–
the children, the aged, the unprotected–
be guarded by beneficent celestials,
and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.

The Buddha

Find more photos like this on Candle4Burma Aung San Suu Kyi on Non-Violence