Subscribe3 Monks Dead As Burmese Attack Protesters
From an approving Associated Press:
Violent crackdown launched in Myanmar
The government said its security forces opened fire Wednesday on demonstrators who failed to disperse, killing one person, and witnesses said police beat and dragged away dozens of Buddhist monks in the most violent crackdown against the protests that began last month in Myanmar.
While dissident groups reported as many as five dead, including monks, the military junta’s announcement on state radio and television was the first acknowledgment that force has been used to suppress the protests and the first admission that blood had been shed. The dissidents also said about 300 monks and activists were arrested…
Myanmar’s government said the security forces fired after the crowd of 10,000 people, including “so-called monks,” failed to disperse at Yangon’s Sule Pagoda. It said the police used minimum force.
The dead man, aged 30, was apparently hit by a ricocheting shell, the announcement said.
It said the wounded, two men aged 25 and 27, and a 47-year-old woman, were not hurt by gunshots but rather from being caught in a melee.
Witnesses who were known to the AP said they had seen two women and one young man with gunshot wounds in the chaotic confrontations.
Reports from exiled Myanmar journalists and activists in Thailand said security forces had shot and killed as many as five people in Yangon…
Zin Linn, information minister for the Washington-based National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, which is Myanmar’s self-styled government-in-exile, said at least five monks were killed, while an organization of exiled political activists in Thailand, the National League for Democracy-Liberated Area said three monks had been confirmed dead, and about 17 wounded…
The security forces fired warning shots and tear gas to try to disperse the crowds of demonstrators while hauling away defiant Buddhist monks into waiting trucks — the first mass arrests since protests in this military dictatorship erupted Aug. 19…
As these gigantic protests have been against a brutal dictatorship, they have gotten precious little attention from our media and our “human rights” groups.
Why is that always the way?
9 Responses to “3 Monks Dead As Burmese Attack Protesters”
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September 26th, 2007 at 11:11 am
Why? Because of the enduring obsession with Israel.
There’s no room for anything else.
September 26th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Because religion must always kowtow before Moloch, and the progressive ideologies of communism, socialism, and totalitarianism.
September 26th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Gotta love their courage!
September 26th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
That is a beautiful protest. They are not mobbing; they are not carrying signs to decry the injustice; they are not (from what I can tell) shaking their fists in anger. They are just walking to make their voice heard. They are organized and deliberate, the way it should be (in my humble opinion). It’s truly inspiring.
September 26th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
I heard George W. said something about the situation in Mayanmar at the United Nations. Other than this S & L post I know little of the problemo instigating the monks perturbidity.
As for why the media is not up on the situation, think: no one takes the next flight to Rangoon to give unbiased reports of the situation because no one actually cares, ie. no one gives a hootenanny what the monks are upset about!!
Imagine that. No one cares what the monks are all upset about.
Wow. Other than the monks themselves, does any one know what the bugaboo is with these monks? I’m asking ’cause I’m curious is all.
September 26th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
God bless these Buddhist monks for standing up for peace and freedom. I am glad it it getting National attention now and that Pres. Bush mentioned it in his UN speech. I am deeply saddened in hearing the monks are being killed and injured. It’s the proverbial “Battle of Good and Evil” rearing it’s ugly head, again.
September 26th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
mergatroidal…..here is info the BBC news had on why the protests were started.
Q&A: Protests in Burma
As demonstrations in Burma continue to gather pace, the BBC looks at what triggered the protests, who is involved and what they could mean for the country’s military leaders.
What sparked the protests?
On 15 August the government decided to increase the price of fuel. Both petrol and diesel doubled in price, while the cost of compressed gas - used to power buses - increased five-fold.
The hikes hit Burma’s people hard, forcing up the price of public transport and triggering a knock-on effect for staples such as rice and cooking oil.
Burmese people are angry about the sudden fuel price increase
Pro-democracy activists led the initial demonstrations in Burma’s main city, Rangoon. When about 400 people marched on 19 August, it was the largest demonstration in the military-ruled nation for several years.
The authorities moved swiftly to quell the protests, rapidly arresting dozens of activists. Nonetheless, protests continued around the country. Numbers were small, but demonstrations were held in Rangoon, Sittwe and other towns.
Why are monks involved?
The monks started participating in large numbers after troops used force to break up a peaceful rally in the central town of Pakokku on 5 September.
At least three monks were hurt. The next day, monks in Pakokku briefly took government officials hostage. They gave the government until 17 September to apologise, but no apology was forthcoming.
When the deadline expired, the monks began to protest in much greater numbers and also withdrew their religious services from the military and their families.
There have been protests every day since the deadline, both in Rangoon and elsewhere, and they are getting bigger by the day. Tens of thousands of monks are now involved.
More and more Buddhist monks have been joining the marches
The participation of the monks is significant because there are hundreds of thousands of them and they are highly revered. The clergy has historically been prominent in political protests in Burma.
AND IT TOOK OVER A MONTH FOR THE USA MSM TO REPORT THIS STORY!
September 26th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
Unfortunately, as I understand the situation, the US has very little leverage. We hardly trade with them at all, so US sanctions are moot. The ruling military junta - whose brutality the monks are protesting - is friendly to China, so China is blocking any kind of UN sanctions. So nothing will be done for them.
September 27th, 2007 at 6:37 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0heX0k8pnB0 9-27-2007 shooting video in burma.
Please sign the petitions to support burmese protests. Plase tell family and friends to sign the petitions.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/
http://new.petitiononline.com/.....d.cgi?9848
Thank you.