Burma is ruled by one of the most brutal military dictatorships in the world. It is a dictatorship condemned internationally for its refusal to transfer power to the legally elected Government of the country which is led by Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The United Nations has also charged the dictatorship with a "crime against humanity" for its systematic abuses of human rights.

In the summer of 1988, the Burmese nation rose in protest against the one-party system. Peaceful student-led demonstrations for democracy were brutally put down and thousands of people were killed by the authorities firing on unarmed protesters. The military government closed every university in Burma and although the universities have been periodically reopened, they remain subject to arbitrary closure, and are closed more often than open. Those that are open are subject to repressive military control, and they are cripplingly under equipped. The reality within Burma is that a whole generation of young people has been deprived of the opportunity of education, and the effect on Burma's future is incalculable.

Recent events in Burma highlighted this problem but as is the way with the media, coverage lessens and once again Burmese people are starting to feel forgotten by the rest of the world. Katharine Hamnett has recently launched a T-shirt in collaboration with Prospect Burma to highlight the plight of the Burmese people and help bring about positive change by donating £15 from the sale of each t-shirt directly to the charity.

There is no quick route to solve Burma's problems but Prospect Burma, a UK registered educational charity endorsed by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, believes that the best way to bring about positive change in Burma is to invest in the education of her young people.

	If people are educated they can check the government abuse of power: if people remain uneducated the government can rule and oppress as it wishes.
	Prospect Burma student

Prospect Burma's mission is to invest in the democratic future of Burma through its young people. They educate those who will spread their knowledge and skills back to Burma for its future development. They give scholarships to gifted and needy Burmese students, many of whom are refugees. Without our help they would be unable to study.

Prospect Burma have grown from giving a single scholarship in 1992 to supporting 200 students around the world in 2007. Students come from every ethnic background within the country, and study subjects vital to the redevelopment of Burma, including public health, education and economics. They are all committed to using their skills to build a free and democratic society when the time comes. Many have already returned.

Prospect Burma have trained nurses, teachers, public health workers, journalists, engineers, economists and environmentalists. Their priority is to provide a taskforce with the skills that will be needed to build a thriving civil society in Burma.

The need is urgent. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of the democracy movement in Burma supports us, as she regards our work as vital to the future of her country. Please join her in supporting the work of Prospect Burma to make Burma's future a free and democratic society.

For further information on Prospect Burma or to make a donation , please see our website www.prospectburma.org

	Prospect Burma's scholarship changed my whole life. Without it, I would not have been abele to graduate. I dedicate my knowledge, skills, and the rest of my life to work for the restoration of democracy, peace, justice and prosperity in Burma.
	Prospect Burma student

For further information contact Elizabeth Bluck or Lindy Ambrose at
information@prospectburma.org
or telephone 020 7371 0887