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09-23-2007, 09:02 PM | #1 |
Jellyfishsting
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Monks march in Burma
Burma march 'largest in 20 years'
Burma's largest anti-government protest in nearly two decades has taken place in the former capital Rangoon, led by Buddhist monks and nuns. Up to 20,000 people took to the streets on the seventh day of protests calling for an end to the "evil dictatorship". Unlike a day earlier, police barred a group of monks from entering the road that leads to the home of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The rallies began last month when the government doubled fuel prices. BBC South Asia correspondent Jonathan Head says every day the protests are growing in size - the campaign the monks began just six days ago is now openly challenging the military, urging all citizens to join in. Barricades A huge column of demonstrators made its way through the heart of the city, following an identical route to that used during the failed anti-military uprising in 1988. There are no exact figures but the rally was estimated to be 20,000 strong. Our correspondent says the mood was relaxed, even euphoric, with thousands of civilians joining Buddhist monks and nuns, and chanting the key demands of this campaign - reconciliation with the opposition, the release of political prisoners and lower prices. Apparently unsure what to do, the security forces appear to be standing back for the moment and the next act in the drama is impossible to predict, says our correspondent. Speaking on the sidelines of a UN meeting, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said America was "watching very carefully" the protests and denounced Burma's "brutal regime". "The Burmese people deserve better. They deserve the right to be able to live in freedom, just as everyone does." The head of regional grouping Asean, Ong Keng Yong said he hoped the Burmese authorities would not take any strong action "and turn the protests into a big confrontation". Ms Suu Kyi emerged tearfully on Saturday from the home where she has been under house arrest since 2003 to pray with the monks, after they were allowed through a roadblock. But on Sunday the barricades were firmly back in place and there was a heavy security presence near the democracy icon's home to prevent a repeat protest march past. Prayer vigils Witnesses said the crowds formed a protective human chain, as the monks and nuns set off from Burma's most famous landmark, the revered Shwedagon Pagoda. Some demonstrators chanted "Release Suu Kyi" as they continued to the nearby Sule Pagoda, before passing the US embassy. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Ms Suu Kyi has spent 11 of the last 18 years in detention. In 1990 her party won national elections, but these were annulled by the army and she was never allowed to take office. On Friday, the Alliance of All Burmese Buddhist Monks, which is leading the demonstrations, vowed to continue until they had "wiped the military dictatorship from the land". The monks have urged the Burmese people to hold prayer vigils in their doorways for 15 minutes at 2000 (1330 GMT) on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Scores of nuns joined more than 2,000 monks in prayer on Sunday at the Shwedagon Pagoda, before marching to the centre of Rangoon. LINK Ms Suu Kyi can be seen behind the police greeting protesters Monk leaders spoke at Shwedagon Pagoda during a protest against Burma's military government on Sunday. About 10,000 monks, nuns, and citizens demonstrated in Rangoon. The Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon was a rallying point for pro-democracy activists in 1988. On Sunday, thousands of monks, and nuns (in pink), gathered to pray at the site. Last edited by SisterMidnight; 09-25-2007 at 03:21 AM. |
09-24-2007, 10:55 AM | #2 |
Eskimo Enigma
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Let's hope change is finally starting.
UPDATE: An estimated 100,000 people joined Buddhist monks today in the biggest public protest to hit Burma's streets for decades. Demonstrators marched across Rangoon in the largest anti-government protest since a 1988 uprising that was crushed by the military. One Southeast Asian diplomat said the regime was under pressure from China to avoid a crackdown. "The Rangoon government is tolerating the protesters and not taking any action against the monks because of pressure from China," the diplomat told The Associated Press. "Beijing is to host the next summer's Olympic Games. Everyone knows that China is the major supporter of the junta so if government takes any action it will affect the image of China."
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09-24-2007, 11:13 AM | #3 |
creepycute
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Looks beautiful with all the people dressed in red, like a vein. I really hope these protests will lead to something positive and in a peaceful way.
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09-24-2007, 04:15 PM | #4 |
Eskimo Enigma
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UPDATE:
It prompted the Burmese military government, which has been unusually muted in its response to the demonstrations, finally to speak out. Religious affairs minister Brigadier General Thura Myint Maung warned that unless senior monks reined in their juniors who are leading the protests, the state would take action.
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09-24-2007, 04:21 PM | #5 |
Eskimo Enigma
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BBC are reporting that the Burmese military have ordered soldiers to shave their heads... and ordered monk robes... The theory is that they will dress soldiers up as monks and attack them... then blaming the monks themselves!!
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09-24-2007, 04:51 PM | #6 | |
Vegetable Eskimo
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The situation seems to be getting critical over there. Let's hope for the best.
I just got this email. Quote:
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09-24-2007, 05:06 PM | #7 |
Eskimo Enigma
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What do THEY need the money for??
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09-24-2007, 05:10 PM | #8 |
Vegetable Eskimo
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the raise awareness, they send information kits and that kind of stuff
http://uscampaignforburma.org/aboutu...structure.html Edit: "The leadership of USCB is composed of human rights advocates, with experience both inside and outside the U.S. government. The board and staff, which include former Congressional staff, former Burmese political prisoners, and experienced advocates, seek to increase the profile of Burma and help find solutions to the country’s decades-long conflict. The core strength of USCB is its collaboration between Americans and Burmese dissidents-in-exile." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Campaign_for_Burma
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09-24-2007, 07:34 PM | #9 | |
Vegetable Eskimo
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Quote:
I've been checkin the news here and i haven't seen anything about burma
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09-24-2007, 08:06 PM | #10 |
Teddy Daniels
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What about Aung Suu Kyi? Is she already freed by the protesters?
(For god's sake, that would be great, it'd be about f*ckin time now.) |
09-24-2007, 09:07 PM | #11 |
Eskimo Enigma
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No, she's not free. They marched past her house the other day and she waved at them. There is a photo floating around of her there. First time in a couple of years she has been seen publicly apparently.
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09-24-2007, 09:24 PM | #12 | |
High-Five Eskimo
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Quote:
My dad was scheduled to go to Burma next week. The military leaders were meeting today (Monday) to discuss what to do.
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09-25-2007, 04:18 AM | #13 | ||
Jellyfishsting
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Quote:
Quote:
cali your link sent me to oxfam america. here's the link for the us campaign for burma: http://www.uscampaignforburma.org/ a letter was sent to the UN secretary general ban ki-moon on september 6th on behalf of aung san suu kyi and burma. damien was one of the celebrities that signed it. http://www.uscampaignforburma.org/assk/otherquotes.html LINK there are comments from people in rangoon at the bottom of that article. this one was interesting.. "One reason why the generals are hesitating, may not be merely reverence. Spiritually speaking, if one is a Buddhist, one will clearly know that one of Buddhist's big sin is the physical harming of a monk who had taken the vow. Such bodily harm of a monk will carry the worst penalty of sufferance in hell. From the perspective of a devout Buddhist nation, that maybe the reason for the junta's unwillingness to act, hoping the march will fizzle out on its own. " these soldiers (and maybe the government) may actually be afraid of burning in hell if they mess with the monks (which i hope they do if they dare..) there's a spiritual energy behind this uprising, you can almost see it in the pictures.. i suggest whatever god/goddess you worship and however you do it - pray. send positive energy to burma. (i'm serious) and the UN needs to get involved NOW Last edited by SisterMidnight; 09-27-2007 at 04:38 AM. |
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09-25-2007, 01:18 PM | #14 |
Eskimo Enigma
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Brace yourselves.
It has been reported that several truckloads of armed police have moved into the city centre of the Burmese city of Rangoon, the scene of widespread pro-democracy demonstrations.
More on this as we get it.
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09-25-2007, 02:02 PM | #15 |
Eskimontologist
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Its so good to see, for the first time in history, the religious institutions taking action on the side of the people instead of the dictators... I just wish that the so-called International Community, or the UN or I dunno, maybe the RSPB will do something constructive, as a second first-in-history event. The Burmese people need outside support, at least by the boycott of the Beijing olympic games.
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09-25-2007, 02:56 PM | #16 |
Eskimo Enigma
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It's not the first time... Tibettan Monks have long been to the forefront of the struggle against China's occupation. So much so that China got all upset at Germany (yesterday I think) because Merkel met the Dalai Lama.
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09-25-2007, 02:59 PM | #17 |
Eskimo Enigma
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Truckloads of soldiers have moved into Rangoon amid reports of a general troop buildup.
Their arrival followed announcements by the junta earlier in the day warning monks not to take part in anti-government demonstrations and the public to stay at home or risk arrest. Two army divisions were either already in or moving toward Rangoon from outlying areas, including the 22nd, which took part in the suppression of the 1988 uprising, according to diplomats. The 77th Division was already in Rangoon but not yet deployed, according to one diplomat in the city who asked to remain anonymous. Rumours swirled through Rangoon that the troops had been ordered to shoot protesters and that some soldiers had shaved their heads to imitate monks and were attempting infiltrate the protest to spark violence that would then lead to a government crackdown.
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09-25-2007, 03:00 PM | #18 |
Eskimo Enigma
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The international community appealed to Burma’s military leaders today not to crack down on the tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators taking to its streets.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised the peaceful nature of the protests and hope the government would “seize this opportunity to engage without delay in dialogue with all the relevant parties to the national reconciliation process.” European Union spokesman Amadeu Altafaj Tardio said they were watching the situation closely, but not yet considering an expansion of sanctions against the junta. Stability and peace “can only be achieved through political reform,” said a statement issued by the office of EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. Britain's Gordon Brown said the protests in Burma had shown the failure of the country’s regime to demonstrate that real political change was possible. “It is vital that the Burmese authorities exercise restraint in the face of the demonstrators, and seize the opportunity to launch a process of real political reform,” he said in a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki-moon and Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, whose country holds the EU presidency. “It is disturbing that they are now threatening to use force against the demonstrators,” said Mr Brown. “Violent suppression of the demonstrations would be a tragedy and another missed opportunity for Burma.” Swedish Aid Minister Gunilla Carlsson said the eyes of the world were now on Burma to see how the junta will handle the protesters’ call for reform. “I want to express our strong support for the Burmese people in their efforts to create a democratic future. The Burmese regime now has the opportunity to start a peaceful dialogue and respect people’s freedom of expression and gathering. We encourage the regime to take that chance,” Carlsson said. Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu praised the “courage of the people of Burma” in backing the demonstrations, which have grown steadily and are now led by Buddhist monks. “It is so like the rolling mass action that eventually toppled apartheid” in South Africa, Tutu said in a statement. He backed international calls for the release of all political prisoners and for a peaceful resolution to the protests. Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Aung San Suu Kyi should take her place as elected leader of Burma. Suu Kyi, who is held under house arrest in Rangoon by the military junta, appeared outside her house last week as a gesture of support the marchers. After praising her public appearance, Mr Miliband said, “I think it will be a hundred times better when she takes her rightful place as the elected leader of a free and democratic Burma.” Thailand’s Surin Pitsuwan, who is expected to take over the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next January, hoped that the massive protests would lead to change. “We do hope in ASEAN that things will not get out of hand, will not become too violent, but would lead to some kind of a congregation, some kind of change,” he said.
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09-25-2007, 03:24 PM | #19 |
Eskimo Regular
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its great to see such a widespread protest and gives hope that we dont need war to solve our problems
one thing i cant grasp is the fact aung san suu kyi can still be under house arrest. im not fully informed on the matter but i just dont understand it
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09-25-2007, 04:13 PM | #20 | |
Vegetable Eskimo
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CNN is running a has anounced that early today Aung San Suu Kyi was taken from her house to a security prison
Today at the UN Bush announced new economic sanctions on the Burmese government, apparently this announcement is at least working somehow because in CNN they're talking about Burma. Melissa, I'll change the link, thanks for letting me know. There's an online petition here Today's email: Quote:
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09-25-2007, 05:26 PM | #21 | |
Eskimontologist
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Quote:
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"There's, another example. See, here I'm now sitting by myself, uh, er, talking to myself. That's, that's chaos." "If you find you've got a dragon charging at you at thirty miles per hour snapping its teeth you can always drive it defensively through the covers" |
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09-25-2007, 05:29 PM | #22 |
Eskimo Enigma
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http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/mhcwsneykfsn/
China has secretly urged Burma’s military rulers to solve the crisis that is provoking continuing street demonstrations by thousands of people. Publicly Beijing said it would keep its usual hands-off approach toward its neighbour, but diplomats said it has been using behind-the-scenes approaches. A senior Chinese official asked the Burmese junta this month to solve their differences with opposition democratic forces. It also arranged a low-key meeting in Beijing between Burma and US State Department envoys to discuss releasing Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and leader of Burma’s democratic opposition who is under house arrest. For China, Burma’s staunchest diplomatic protector, largest trading partner and a leading investor, the shift is crucial. Asian and Western diplomats in Beijing and Southeast Asia say China’s influence in Burma could be key in stopping the junta from turning to violence. “China has been working to convey the concerns of the international community to the Burmese government, ”one Western diplomat in Beijing said. “But it could definitely do more to apply pressure.” However, diplomats and experts cautioned that China’s communist leaders may not be willing to push harder. Burma’s junta has resisted economic sanctions from the West, and past appeals from Southeast Asian neighbours and the UN. Economically booming China has filled the diplomatic and economic vacuum, eying Burma as a strategic path to the Indian Ocean and investing in its teak forests and its gas and mineral fields – and picking up an ally. Burma “was a vassal state of China’s for centuries, and it’s fast reverting to that status,” said Sean Turnell, an economist and Burma expert at Australia’s Macquarie University. China protected Burma from scrutiny and sanction in the UN Security Council earlier this year. China’s own deep political and economic interests in Burma are now spurring it to act, diplomats and experts said. With next year’s Beijing Olympics already bringing China higher international scrutiny, Chinese leaders will not want to be associated with another repressive, unpopular regime.
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09-25-2007, 07:03 PM | #23 |
Eskimo with a name..Chris
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09-25-2007, 07:14 PM | #24 | |
creepycute
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Quote:
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09-25-2007, 07:15 PM | #25 |
Eskimontologist
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/7012673.stm
Burmese military announces curfew Burma's military leaders have imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the main cities Rangoon and Mandalay, which have seen escalating anti-government protests. Armed troops have now been deployed after tens of thousands of Buddhist monks and civilians again defied the army's warning to stay off the streets. World leaders at the UN General Assembly have condemned the situation. President George W Bush said the US was "outraged" by Burma's human rights record and announced further sanctions. These include US visa restrictions on the Burmese leadership and their financial backers, Mr Bush said. Analysts say further sanctions are unlikely to be effective without the support of Burma's main trade partners, China and India. Opening the assembly, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Burma's military rulers to show restraint after more than a week of growing protests. Earlier, close ally China called for stability and the EU also urged the junta to show restraint and launch a process of real political reform. Tens of thousands of monks and civilians marched through Rangoon in the latest in more than a week of protests. Some chanted "we want dialogue" while others simply shouted "democracy, democracy". After the march finished, eyewitnesses told two news agencies they had seen several military trucks moving on Rangoon's streets. Reuters reported that eight trucks of armed riot police and 11 trucks of troops had moved into the city's centre. The military announced the curfew through loudspeakers on vehicles cruising through the streets.
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"There's, another example. See, here I'm now sitting by myself, uh, er, talking to myself. That's, that's chaos." "If you find you've got a dragon charging at you at thirty miles per hour snapping its teeth you can always drive it defensively through the covers" |
09-26-2007, 06:46 AM | #26 |
Eskimontologist
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/7013638.stm
Burma riot police beat back monks Burmese police have used batons and tear gas to beat back monks and other protesters at the Rangoon pagoda used as a rallying-point for marchers. They baton-charged the crowd outside the Shwedagon Pagoda as demonstrators readied for a ninth day of protest marches, eyewitnesses say. Police and troops have been ringing Buddhist monasteries in the city. Analysts fear a repeat of the violence in 1988, when troops opened fire on unarmed protestors, killing thousands. In a further sign that the military authorities are cracking down, two key dissidents were arrested It appears that small groups of monks seem set on defying calls by the military to end their daily protests, says the BBC's Asia correspondent, Andrew Harding. The protesters had turned up at Shwedagon, which was blocked off by security forces, in defiance of a ban on all public gatherings of more than five people, and a night-time curfew. Police beat their shields with their batons and yelled orders to disperse before chasing scores of monks and their supporters. Eyewitnesses say some protesters fell to the ground amid the chaos. "We have already decided to risk our lives for the people, although there might be some clashes," one senior monk told AFP news agency before the baton charge. "We will show our kindness first." Wow, these are tough policemen, beating unarmed monks. I hope the Saffron Revolution succseeds and the prosecutions can begin.
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"There's, another example. See, here I'm now sitting by myself, uh, er, talking to myself. That's, that's chaos." "If you find you've got a dragon charging at you at thirty miles per hour snapping its teeth you can always drive it defensively through the covers" |
09-26-2007, 09:50 AM | #27 |
creepycute
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Apparently the first person, a monk, has been shot
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09-26-2007, 11:08 AM | #28 |
Eskimo Enigma
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I just saw a great shot of the crowds marching on tv. They were streaming past a cinema and the title of the film above their heads stood out to me. It just said "Transformers".
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09-26-2007, 12:04 PM | #29 |
Eskimo Enigma
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Reuters are reporting that a Monastery says at least 2 monks killed.
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09-26-2007, 01:15 PM | #30 |
Inuit
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this is all so f*cking wrong.
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