We can feel proud on International Women's Day because we have more heroines of democracy and human rights than any other countries around the world. [March 8 is the International Women's Day]

Our women leaders not only shine the guiding lights on the political blackness and wilderness inside Burma, but they also are regarded as icons of democracy or statues of human rights by all freedom-loving people of the world.

In fact, since the current military regime first came to power, Burmese women's sufferings are immeasurably huge. As soon as, military regime came to power, they put student girls who protested against the regime into jail. There, student girls were cruelly gang-raped. Internationally well-acclaimed writer Pascal Khoothwe wrote in his memoirs that his girl-friend suffered the same fate in jail.

And then even today, girls and women are being endlessly raped in the ethnic minority areas as part of the regime's ethnic cleansing program.

When they are not raped by soldiers, Burmese girls are exploited by human traffickers_ Burmese girls are sold as sex-slaves in Thai brothels. Military regime never make any serious attempt to stop that sex-slave-trade.

And some Burmese girls have to work as house-maids in neighbouring countries, and get physically and sexually abused by their masters.

Even when they are working as labourers in Burmese garment factories, Burmese girls get unbelievably low wages and have to work for long hours in difficult working conditions with no labour-rights at all.

And very frequently village girls and women in Burma have to work as forced volunteer labourers for the militaries construction projects.

On the other hand, there is no woman in the Cabinet of the Military Government. There is no woman head of department in any government department. But Burmese military regime have formed government-sponsored women's associations, to which girls and women are forced to join. Once they join, they are trained to believe that a woman's life is meant to be just an obedient house-wife and to serve her husband like a domestic slave.

Despite all those oppressions, brave Burmese girls never surrender. They fight for democracy. They go on fighting for human rights. And they continue their fight for labour rights, women's rights, ethnic minority rights, etc.

These days every body on earth knows our leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

But apart from (Daw) Aung San Suu Kyind; there is (Daw) Cho Cho Kyaw Nyein, a pro-democracy activist; there is (Ma) Su Su Nwe leading labour rights activist; there is Dr. Synthia Maung, providing health for refugees and internally displaced people and exploited Burmese labourers in Thai-Burma border region.

And recently, the S.W.A.N, an ethnic minority Shan women's association has done many courageous actions to save the lives of ethnic minority girls from rapes and exploitations by Burmese soldiers. President George W Bush saw one of the leaders of S.W.A.N, Nang Charm Tong, and praised her courageous works and discussed with her for the ways and means to improve human rights conditions in Burma.

And as a widely respected leader in pro-democracy community, we must also mention (Ms.) Maureen Aung Thwin who have been providing great help to Burmese political activist around the world especially those resettled in U.S.

So let us repeat, here, again that we are feeling proud on the International Women's Day.