He said since the latest military coup, not only politicians but writers and artists and workers had been detained and lost their freedoms. Democratically-elected state leaders had been detained, and protesters had been killed or imprisoned. About 800 people had been shot. People had lost jobs, and were struggling for survival, and needed humanitarian assistance. May Day was an appropriate time for workers around the world to unite in support of the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar, he said. Htoo said the protest aimed to help raise awareness of the country’s situation, and to bring pressure on the Government to not recognise the military government, and to encourage the re-instatement of the democratically-elected parliament.
Its rules prohibited grants for fundraising activities. Martin said the decline had come as a total shock. He had received an enthusiastic response from the committee members who first reviewed his application, and no advice that the fundraising effort could be an issue. In the past, people attending the concert had been asked to pay a koha at the door to help cover costs. This time, in the hope of raising a decent sum for Myanmar, organisers had adopted a more formal way of collecting donations. Bowen said it was no surprise panel members had been enthusiastic, but that was no guarantee of the final outcome, and as a frequent applicant, Unions Manawatū should have been familiar with the criteria.