Myanmar Protests Turn Bloody
(guest blogged by Bill W.)
(Photo courtesy of Burma Digest)
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The pro-democracy protests in Myanmar have been going on for weeks as the Buddhist monks and their supporters have pitted themselves against Myanmar's ruling junta in a country almost completely devoid of freedom as we know it. While the reports vary, things have taken a turn for the worse since yesterday as riot police have begun firing tear gas, beating protesters in the streets, and arresting hundreds of the monks. CNN reports violence and shots fired, and the AFP is currently reporting that "At least four people including three Buddhist monks were killed."
Police opened fire and baton-charged protesters at the Shwedagon pagoda in Myanmar's main city, but later some 1,000 monks regrouped and paraded through the streets, to the delight of thousands of onlookers.
They roared approval for the monks and shouted at security forces: "You are fools! You are fools!"
Burma Digest Magazine is a great blog that has been keeping up with all of the latest developments, news stories, pictures, and YouTube videos people have been sneaking out of the country and posting as Myanmar has tight internet controls.
I heard reports that the government of Myramar had purchased a couple hundred monk outfits.
The people there say they plan to dress up as monks and cause a disturbance that will be SEEN AS monks confronting.
I don't believe those "monks" in the march are REAL.
REAL Buddhist Monks would never break their belief system and do this. They are known for their non violence.
Killing Buddhist monks - that's incredibly fucked up.
Whenever a Peaceful brings such fear to the leaders of a country, you have to think "What the Hell are they covering"
Same can be said for our country in this new millennium.
Yellowbird @ 1:
The monks have been non-violent. Where did you get the misconception otherwise?
I was afraid of this.
What is freedom as WE know it?
Bush watches the crackdown with an erection.
Oh to have the courage of these people. Imagine if we could shut down Washington until this nonsense in Iraq was stopped. We are much to busy for justice, gotta pay the bills that we have been enslaved with.
Seele @ 7:
Pickles has had another facelift?
Last week in San Francisco I happened to catch a small group of protestors holding signs and chanting "Free Burma!" around Union Square. In the post_iraq society there's such a blur between the shouts of "freeing" a country and "bombing the hell out of it" that it's hard to distinguish.
Yellowbird @ 1:
They are known for the developing one of the most impressive fighting styles known in the Shaolin Monastaries. A vow of non-violence is only one of several possible choices a monk can choose a vow before joining a temple. I'm going to take a wild guess here that these are monks that choose a vow other then one of non-violence.
Could be worse in Burma, Cholera has broken out in Baghdad.
Yellowbird @ 1:
So a bunch of moles got some monk costumes, joined the crowd, then started throwing elbows at the risk of getting themselves shot and killed for a paycheck? Pull th' other one!
Keep these people in your prayers. This is what freedom on the march should look like.
justabill @ 4:
I read in the NYT that some groups in Tibet have had enough and finally started to take arms and revolt against the Chinese. Give em hell I say.
ysbaddaden @ 6:
Well, in Burma (aka Myanmar) people get life imprisonment in solitary confinement for mentioning democracy. They are not allowed to have a guest inside their home without requesting permission from the govt first. and so on. There iis no internet in private homes. ...
We have a LOT of freedom in the US that we take for granted.
Do they have an oppressive government? Yes
Are they against democracy? Yes
Do the kill and detain the outspoken? Yes
Are they a threat to their neighbors? Yes
Do they have an oil reserve? No
A sovereign state, not our business.
Yours truly,
The State Department
I thought Burma does sit on oil???
How terrible.
So how is it that 1,000 monks marching in Burma draws world attention, to the point of El Chimpo Grande calling it out in his speech before the U.N. General Assembly ... but when anti-war protesters hit the streets here, it's never enough to break the barrier of 'just a few loose screws and hippies who are trying to relive the 60's'?
I can't believe those religious people are causing all these problems.
Signed, Christopher Hitchens.
Tienanmen all over again. Sad.
Shadowgm @ 20:
Perhaps we ought to shave our heads and don togas first.
Bud @ 18:
It must not be large reserve, or they don't export to the US; otherwise we would have our aircraft carriers off their coast by now.
Gort @ 24:
Agreed - once again US foreign policy pays lip service to credible democratic movements.
Jay J @ 21:
;)
I hope everyone does go visit Burma Digest. They need to know the world is watching.
Gort @ 24:
interesting enough, they did have a sizeable oil reserve which was exported to the US. (Un)fortunately, their reserves look like they are about to dry up.
http://www.indexmundi.com/burma/oil_production.html
Of course, they are the second biggest opium produces in the world. If we went in, between Burma and Afghanistan, someone could corner the market in Heroin.
Gort @ 17:
You´re as mistaken as one can be.
They´re sitting on huge amounts of oil and natural gas.
But the Chinese are the ones who´ve already got their thumb on the reserves. China is Myanmar´s biggest business partner and actually the only political power to influence the military junta one way or the other. And right now China takes the stand that the demonstrations and the junta´s possible reaction is Myanmar´s internal problem and not China´s business.
joe @ 15:
And the sheeple in America give up freedom from the comfort of their sofas.
Rusty Shackleford @ 2:
Buddhist monks can be pretty violent. I know some Sri Lankan ones. They can be in the class of abortion clinic bombers.
Nevertheless, my best wishes to the Burmese in their efforts to rid themselves of tyranny!!!
Point taken, time to check-out a geology books.
It's Burma, dammit. Not Myanmar.
CIA World Factbook states a reserve of less than 50,000,000 barrels (Jan. 2005)
I think that we should adopt that 'You are fools!' chant for protests against the bushies. Got a nice ring to it...
miss_kitty @ 33:
I know. When I did the post I started to call it Burma, but since all of the media is calling it Myanmar, as have several of the other US blogs that have been covering it too, and I guess I figured if people are googling what's on the media I wanted them to find this post. In hindsight I wish I would have just called it Burma instead of what the junta renamed it to, at least in the post's title. my bad. :(
gbear @ 35:
If only our 'free speech zones' were allowed to be near enough to anyone in this admin to be able to hear it.
Make no mistake...this is what Bush and his ilk intend for the US.
So how is Unocal's stock doing these days? The state of Califonia should've revoked their corpoate charter over Unocals support of SLORC, but the fix was in....
I am sharing this poem today with many of my students.
Why do I have to fight???
(By Daw Aung San Suu Kyi)
They killed my father a year ago,
And they burnt my hut after that
I asked the city men "why me?" they ignored
"I don't know, mind your business," the men said.
One day from elementary school I came home,
Saw my sister was lifeless, lying in blood.
I looked around to ask what happened, if somebody'd known,
Found no one but living room as a flood.
Running away by myself on the village road,
Not knowing where to go but heading for my teacher
Realizing she's the only one who could help to clear my throat,
But this time she gave up, telling me strange things in fear.
Why, teacher, why.. why.. why?
I have no dad nor a sister left.
To teach me and to care for me you said, was that a lie?
This time with tearful eyes she, again, said...
"Be a grown one, young man,
Can't you see we all are dying?
And stop this with your might as soon as you can,
For we all are suffering."
(Daw Aung San Suu Kyi)
so much tyranny so little time
Is Unocal still in Burma?
The last time there was any protest over 6,000 people were murdered by their own government. This country said nothing about it.
They speak of Burma as though its another world, like we're powerless to help them. This millitary regime that has held this country, rich in resources, hostage only exists because Western Powers continue to do business with them. Where are UN security councils Sanctions now. Not while the US is getting rich off the blood of yet another countries people. Hypocrites...news is meaningless if you don't put into global and historical context.
Oh, bloody hell!
Are these monks pacifists?
'cause if they are it's pretty messed up to turn firehoses on them.
Even if they're not pacifists I think it's time for them to start chanting "the whole world is watching".
Tony @ 43:
The military junta ruling Burma survives not due to Western support, much less U.S. support, but in fact due to relations with China and India.
Tony @ 43:
And re: UN, please direct complaints to the embassies of China, South Africa, and Russia. A summary on Wiki relates the following:
In January 2007, Russia and China vetoed a draft resolution before the United Nations Security Council[61] calling the government of Myanmar to respect human rights and begin a democratic transition. South Africa also voted against the resolution, arguing that since there were no peace and security concerns raised by its neighbours, the question did not belong in the Security Council when there were other more appropriate bodies to represent it, adding, "Ironically, should the Security Council adopt [this resolution]... the Human Rights Council would not be able to address the situation in Myanmar while the Council remains seized with the matter."[62] The issue had been forced onto the agenda by the United States over the votes of Russia and China[63] (veto power applies to resolutions, not to decisions about the agenda) claiming that the outflow from Burma of refugees, drugs, HIV-AIDS and other diseases threatened international peace and security.[64]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar#United_Nations_and_Myanmar
People...
You display your ignorance too easily. Typical myopic Americans. Myanmar is sitting on some of the largest reserves of natural gas in the world. Newly discovered. Guess who is working to get it now? China. Guess who wants it? Everyone else. If Bush /Cheney are drooling, it is because of the enormous wealth of natural resources.
The monks are not violent they are practicing nonviolent action as they should. Where do you get the idea that the monks are violent? It is the government, morons.
miss_kitty @ 33:
Burma was the name given by the British, and is a corruption of Bamar. The Bamar people are the ethnic majority of the lowland areas of the country, referred to as divisions eg, Yangon Division, Bago Division, Mandalay Division. The other parts of the country are known as States, where other ethnic groups form the majority eg Chin State, Shan State, Karen State each named after majority ethnic group.
Therefore, to insist on calling the country Burma (Bamar) falls into the trap of Bamar nationalism, identifiable not just to Military but to the NLD as well, but always to the exclusion and the expense of the many other ethnic groups.
Unfortunately, Burmese nationalism has been a problem in the country for centuries (and was made worse under the British policy of divide and rule), and unless the more inclusive Myanmar is used will continue to be so no matter who is in charge.
Burma was one of those 'I don't care who runs the country as long as there are no communists and not to mention a dictator will probably be more friendly to us' countries.
People, Burma has been a dictatorship since 1962 !!!
And all of a sudden, through the demonstrations from the people inside alone, everyone is totally concerned.
And are definetly NOT on the US' 'bad guys' list, even after not recognising the democratically elected government.
No one cared before and now we can use it for our political goals.
This will just be another Dafur.
If they had oil they would have been liberated a long time ago.
Same thing happend in Usbekistan. Dictatorship, protests, dead people and BushCo turned their heads because Usbekistan is an ally.
This is also a nice diversion for Bush.
@Buddhist monks:
Most are of the peaceful types but history does have it's share of radicals.
Examples are the monks that fought in Japan.
Sadly it is the few that spoil the entire basket.
But the numbers of violent monks are, compared to the total number of monks, near zero.
But you can be sure, the majority will be the ones that would offer their lives to save those of others and I presume the initial reason why the monks did not want others to interfere.
One reason why I hold Buddhist monks in the highest regards. They are the ones that will peacefully and happily offer their lives to save those of others and will not lift a finger to hurt anyone.
2pm Yangon time:
Monastries were raided last night, all the monks have been rounded up. A crowd of 10,000 (no monks) has showed up outside Sule Pagoda. Shots have been fired - 4 dead already, they are also using flame throwers :(
2.20 pm - BBC reporter apparently shot
Its going to be a bloodbath today :(
yangonite @ 52:
2.50pm ygn - 7 dead nr sule pagoda incl. one foreigner, whose body was taken away by the authorities (not confirmed that he was a reporter)
frank @ 50:
I love it when people spew gibberish. In fact:
- Burma does have oil; they were exporting oil before Saudi Arabia became known for doing the same;
- Burma has been on the US "bad guys" list for many years--When I worked for a member of the House Foreign Affairs Cmte. in the early 90s, Burma/Myanmar was on the radar a great deal;
- People have been paying attention for many years (even if you haven't); Aung San Suu Kyi ring a bell to you? She's been an international figure since at least 1990;
- The US has been pushing for UN action against Myanmar for years, but China, India, Russia and South Africa (of all people) have blocked us.
As someone said earlier, ain't facts fun? If you want to do something about Myanmar/Burma, stop blathering about our own domestic political grudges and write letters to the embassies of China, India, Russia and South Africa. They should be our targets right now.
I never stated Burma did not have oil. You should not put words in people's mouth.
Burma on the US's list? Sure, checked under 'Dictatorships we are ok with'.
I, compared to many Americans, follow world politics. Typical of an American thinking he is the only one in the world 'in the spin'.
You know something, great.. or did you just Google it?
And yeah there were 'complaints'. Good to keep face.
Not like such a good dictator in Pakistan who we best give nuclear tech to.
The US cannot invade some countries fast enough for the stupidest of reasons but in these cases there is nothing.
And don't give us the BS WH talking lines. All the dictatorships in the world and who do the US liberate people from?
The democratically elected government of Haiti. Oh no wait, what was the spin on them again?
All in all, you are bitching and complaining and putting words in my mouth I never said, yet have said nearly nothing useful.
And when all else fails, blame Canada?
Please the US is no better and does the same blocking when it comes to themselves and their allies.
Didn't the US say there was no genocide in Rwanda to block any involvement?
frank @ 55:
OK, I'll just use your own:
"If they had oil"
So how is it that 1,000 monks marching in Burma draws world attention, to the point of El Chimpo Grande calling it out in his speech before the U.N. General Assembly … but when anti-war protesters hit the streets here, it’s never enough to break the barrier of ‘just a few loose screws and hippies who are trying to relive the 60’s’?
Maybe if American protesters conducted themselves with seriousness and dignity instead of showing up in goofy costumes with "Buck Fush" signs, and maybe if American protesters had the message discipline to confine anti-Iraq War protests to, you know, the Iraq War, and not toss in 20 other causes (e.g., Israel v. Palestine; truthers), then maybe American protesters would be treated more respectfully. Or maybe not, but it's worth a try, I'd say. And note that I AM a veteran of the anti-Vietnam War protests.
Barbara O'Brien @ 57:
AMEN TO THAT, Barbara. I'm anti-war, but I've had it with the pro-Castro, free Mumbia or whatever else kitchen sink approach to protesting that is the stock in trade of ANSWER Coalition. They were co-founded by people who accused the victims of Tienanmen for being "counter-revolutionary" and to this day are led by the man who defended Milosevic.
The monks in Burma are a real movement, not some bunch of suburban-bred "edgy" revolutionary wannabes.
Yellowbirth. I been a Burmese monk before back in Burma. As Burmese tradition goes, boys are to become young monk at least once in their life. And I did it 3 times. Anyhow, monks are non-violent but they do get involved in politic at a time when there doesn't seem to be any solution like current situation. Average Burmese person is always getting poor because of inflation and bad economy. As monks who receive food donation from common people, monks know the problems of real people and even with the strict monks' standard of living and behavior, it's an outrage that they cannot take. Just a little FYI, I was taught as a monk that we do not get to ask money or even TOUCH it. That's a big difference with other religions.
I hope that Burmese soldiers who play as a puppet of this military regime will burn in hell like they should, shooting at their own people including Monks and women.
And by the way...
China China China
You no good SOBs. I don't mean Chinese people. Just the Gov.
Not only you aid Burmese government and give them military equipments, you also stopped a resolution from being passed to condemn Burmese government. FU Chinese gov.
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