Burma Update: Monks Dying for Freedom
By Siun Sunday Sep 30, 2007 8:25pm
<!--video-->This video was produced by Witness in partnership with a Burmese justice group, The Peace Foundation: Burma Issues. It is one small but rare view inside Burma - shot by Burmese residents who are on the run from the military dictatorship. Witness is a remarkable organization which provides cameras and equipment to grassroots activists around the world so they can document their own experiences and struggles and speak to us in their own words or as they write:
"WITNESS uses video and online technologies to open the eyes of the world to human rights violations. We empower people to transform personal stories of abuse into powerful tools for justice, promoting public engagement and policy change."
And the story inside Burma as the monks try to lead a movement for change is one we cannot close our eyes to. One of Ko Htike's readers posted this horrific account today at his blog, Prosaic Collection:
We just got phone call with our sister living in Yangon about a few hours ago.
We saw on BBC world, saying that 200 monks were arrested. The true picture is far worse!!!!!!!!!
For one instance, the monastery at an obscure neighborhood of Yangon, called Ngwe Kyar Yan (on Wei-za-yan-tar Road, Yangon) had been raided early this morning.
A troop of lone-tein (riot police comprised of paid thugs) protected by the military trucks, raided the monastery with 200 studying monks. They systematically ordered all the monks to line up and banged and crushed each one's head against the brick wall of the monastery. One by one, the peaceful, non resisting monks, fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Then, they tore off the red robes and threw them all in the military trucks (like rice bags) and took the bodies away.
The head monk of the monastery, was tied up in the middle of the monastery, tortured , bludgeoned, and later died the same day, today. Tens of thousands of people gathered outside the monastery, warded off by troops with bayoneted rifles, unable to help their helpless monks being slaughtered inside the monastery. Their every try to forge ahead was met with the bayonets.
When all is done, only 10 out of 200 remained alive, hiding in the monastery. Blood stained everywhere on the walls and floors of the monastery.
Please tell your audience of the full extent of the fate of the monks please please !!!!!!!!!!!!
'Arrested' is not enough expression. They have been bludgeoned to death !!!!!!
Even with this brutal treatment, the people of Burma are trying to keep fighting for their rights and Ko reported two attempted demonstrations in Yangon (Rangoon) today as well as word that 500 additional monks are being held at a detention center. The monks refuse to accept food from their military jailors. Please sign the global petition at Avaaz.org and support the efforts listed at the Burma Campaign Facebook group such as today's email campaign calling on companies to end their investments in Burma.
Tomorrow, Congress will consider a bipartisan resolution, HR200 supporting Human Rights in Burma - make sure your representative knows that you want their Yea vote: 1-800-828-0498.
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I hope this isn't true
Burma: Thousands dead in massacre of the monks dumped in the jungle
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_ar...
:(
Jesus wept.
All the latest news w/ links to Burma blogs
Burma crisis: Monday
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/2007/10/burma_crisis_monday.html
Bush won't care unless they have oil....
Follow the money! Who does business there?
Choam Nomsky @ 4
Burma has oil. That's the problem.
Analysis: Gas, oil get Myanmar off hook
http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/Analysis_Gas_oil_get_Myanmar_off_hoo...
Oil companies look to exploit Burma
http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Oil-companies-look-to-exploit-Burma/200...
where is the outrage from bush/cheney for this violence against humans.
oh, bush/cheney are not interested, there's NO OIL for their bastard friends.
this is a worthy cause to help. but, no bush/cheney.
guess one dictator, bush-shit-for-brains, protects another.
this makes me sick.....but this is exactly what Blackwater is doing in Iraq......disgusting
OK, are we as a nation going to continue to interfere with the internal affairs of other countries, as we have so many times before, in Viet Nam, etc etc etc? Why should the US specifically do this? Why not New Zealand, or South Africa, or Sweden, or Canada? Just a rhetorical question, but one which is grounded in seeing that the arrogance of the US has become the standard.
These monks are the bravest men on the face of earth.
Aren't these Monks pacifists?
Aren’t these Monks pacifists?
Yes, completely.
And where is our pious outrage now?
This flash interactive is pretty good for explaining the background to what's currently going on.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/flash/page/0,,2176689,00.html
The Guardian ought to win a pulitzer for its coverage.
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/2007/10/burma_crisis_monday.html
This is a situation where the government should be replaced. I want to see justice here.
Anyway, no use getting angry. Thanks for the post and the info about contacting my rep to vote for the resolution.
More Latest News from the Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/burma/0,,970917,00.html
where is our pious outrage now?....I don't know......perhaps we should ask our Preznit.
I say that we call for an immediate international boycott of all oil companies, and all companies that do business with Burma until the killings stop.
my prayers to my Buddhist brothers and sisters in Myanmar.
Uh gee, I'd like to help, but I'm kinda tied up in Iraq right now.
-George
Thanks for all the links to the latest news - the situation in Burma has been horrid for so long ... For folks interested in more background, there's an amazing book From the Land of Green Ghosts by a Burmese student leader in the '88 uprising.
One major pressure point is with China and their support for the dictators - there are calls to boycott the Olympics unless China uses its pressure.
On the corporate side, perhaps the largest US based company is Chevron - at the Facebook link, there's a list of companies with email addresses to write to.
The Penguin Says: [Deleted. Moronic babbling from a moron. Shocking-Sitemonitor]
That's interesting. How so?
centuries men and women have been dying for change..
what are you doing?
Bobby Poulsen @ 23:
right now.
-George
Fixed.
Question Blog @ 28:
Goin' to Wal-Mart!
I can't stand the chimperor for lots and lots of legitimate reasons, but blaming him for this, especially after he brought the issue up and chastized the Myanmar junta on the floor of the UN last week, is rediculous.
As long as China is on of the UN Security Council's five permanent members (along with France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States) which have veto power over any resolution, the UN will likely remain crippled over this. Some other power will have to intervene or it will not stop. The Myanmar junta govt is already quite secluded, and even IF (which is a big if) its foreign investors get cold feet due to boycotts against them, as long as they are sitting on their oil and natural gas reserves they know they will be able to just do business with the next guy.
This screams for a humanitarian military intervention from someone. All it weould take is a fleet of warships to pull alongside the coast and the junta would cave to whatever the demands were.
Bobby Poulsen @ 23:
Uh gee, I’d like to help, but I’m kinda tied up in Iraq
at the ranch
right now.
-George
Fixed.
It's hard to find anything good to say about the president but what exactly do you think there is he could do about it? Just curious.
It sucks ass they are using a facebook link. No way am I registering with facebook, so I guess I won't get to see it.
That's just stupid as hell.
Looks like a good place for the Chennyator to retire to. The local politcians agree with his methods. Wish I could share a clip of Mayor Sanders reversing himself on gay marriage when it turned out his daughter is gay. These people lack empathy. There should be a test for all candidates, if they have NO empathy they should be rejected.
The Penguin Says:
[Deleted. Moronic babbling from a moron. Shocking-Sitemonitor]
Guess what? I stubbed my toe walking out of bed this morning, and it hurt like a bastard.
And all I know is that it's Bush's fault.
[deleted - knock it off]
Penguin,
You really aren't helping anything, axcept to give excuse to reichwingers to affirm their claims that the wacky left will blame everything on Bush.
I'm surprised the Preznit has invaded Burma for all the oil ....that and alot of other natural resources...and there is alot of oil there...and rubber.
joe @ 33:
I'm not sure if you were responding to my 'edit' or to the person who originally posted the 'note from george,' but I was simply pointing out that Chimpmasta Chimpalot isn't exactly invested much in paying attention to even the details of our own conflict, let alone conflicts elsewhere.
As far as what he could do, thats a huge huge subject that I'd be happy to discuss sometime when I'm not sneaking in snarky posts while at work... =P
ooppss...that was supposed to say .."Hasn't invaded Burma"...sorry...time to go now...hasta.
At leats Bush is doing something. Not enough imho, but he is doing something, and it sure isn't his fault.
Bush targets Myanmar, Castro in UN speech
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/09/25/un-showdown.html?ref=rss
Bush unveils new sanctions against Myanmar
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20971332/
[refers to deleted post]
I don't know where you get the news from Penguin but it doesn't seem like getting it.
Bush, at U.N., Announces Stricter Burmese Sanctions
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/world/26prexy.html?ex=1348459200&en=7b...
mudshark @ 39
Just like Darfur in Sudan, as long as China has dibs on most of the oil, the US will not intervene.
God, I hated sticking up for the chimperor about this or anything. I don't think I've ever done that before.
yuk. Now I feel like I need to go take another shower.
Where does this criminal dictator get the goons? Where do they spring from?? Why in every authoritarian society, including the one developing here, are there idiot brutes who will carry out the violence of the elite against the PEOPLE!???
#44 justabill....sadbuttrue..........now I have to take a shower....gn folks.
damn...#41....ok...I'm outta here.
"Where does this criminal dictator get the goons? Where do they spring from??"
It's a junta govt (like Pakistan). The military is the government.
hell it aint hard to find gestapo types fuck just attend sunday school and youll find enough scum to fill any army ,
Bush is a joke. And essentially, that translates into the US being a joke on the international stage. How much credibility do you think he has on the UN podium when people look to Iraq and the endless betrayals of the principles of western civilization?
He is a joke. A joke, I tell you.
BTW, this video was from the Karen people who have been fighting for independance from Burma since 1949. They are around 7 milion, an ethnic minority in Burma.
If they were in the west, they would be called terrorists.
In 1988 they had 20.000 people under arms.
Last year they had 4000. They are being hunted down and killed like rats.
If you want to get involved, go to http://www.karenpeople.org/ they need all the help they can get.
please.
They are dying for their freedom over there while we allow our freedom to be taken away over here.
God damn any corporation or country funding the junta
Chris from Ohio @ 49:
Goddamn monsters. The same will happen here eventually unless we fight back, that means all of us. It seems that everyone is sleepwalking while the rights people inscribed and risked their lives to pen on a piece of paper called the Constitution of the United States of America are inexorably destroyed by people like those who kill in Burma.
Sorry to be so blunt, I am out of serenity to day.
Thanks for the great previous links. This continuing type of of horror in a "modern" world is beyond explanation. When do we become civilized mankind? Is the only recourse through a bigger threat? This killing and suffering is immediate without a viable mechanism to cease. What seems to rule is the protection of enmeshed international resourch investments. By what law, jurisdiction, enforcement and in what court can these atrocities be held accountable? There are many who are criminal here and the usual idle sanctioning and posturing is not stopping the daily slaughtering of innocent monks.
Sorry, I oppose exporting any more freedom.
Tragic? Most definitely, but the US is only capable of destruction and corruption.
Maybe the rest of the world should handle this one since we are so inept.
Bush, at U.N., Announces Stricter Burmese Sanction
And?..who suffers the most from those fucking sanctions, that do nothing to address the immediate, or long term problems.
Maddy @ 54:
No shit Maddy. Think the ruling junta will go without?
Uhh, is this the same Congress that sends Israel billions of dollars of Weapons, that Israel then goes and sells to the Military Regime in Burma? Uh, is this the same Congress that voted to spend billions more on the genocide in Iraq? Uh is this the same congress that basically declared war on Iran last week? Oh!
Post American @ 56:
Is this a verifiable fact about selling arms to Burma? not debating it, just want the facts, they are good to be armed with when talking to the sleepwalkers of America.
I think my head is going to explode in anger right now. This may sound stupid but a march from Oregon to Washington D.C. is something I am contemplating, I don't know what else to do, I call I write, I protest, but if 5 million of you had the same idea as I they might change the horrible music they are playing right now, the drums of war are falling on my deaf ears.. It is so obvious to this hombre that nurturing humanity results in the peace of all and it is so simple to accomplish, who are these people would shut our minds down, who gave someone the right to speak for me and tell me what I can think or say.
I ran across this video yesterday on You Tube. I'm worn out.
miss_kitty @ 55:
I thought the same thing when I read that Bush was putting sanctions on Burma. These sanctions never seem to hurt anyone but the people. It is an empty gesture in the face of atrocities. The richest and most corrupt corporations always find a way around the sanctions anyway.
The UN needs to go in there. I think we should have a committee in the UN that is comprised of smaller, neutral nations that determine when peace keeping operations are necessary and can override the superpowers' vetoes. That way every agenda cannot always be determined by either the US, China, or Russia.
I called the White Horse Souse comment line today and my U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM) about this today. I'm quite sure that they really give a rat's ass.
Burma: Thousands dead in massacre of the monks dumped in the jungle
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23414471-details/Burma:%20Tho...
The Burmese junta currently shooting unarmed protestors received a cynical plea for restraint from the Israel government on Sept. 29. According to the Israeli paper Ha'aretz, the Israeli foreign ministry announced "Israel is concerned by the situation in Myanmar, and urges the government to demonstrate restraint and refrain from harming demonstrators." The article ended by pointing out that "Israel denies selling weapons to Burma or Myanmar."
http://ww4report.com/node/4491
Except that they lied. Israel sold weapons BOUGHT AND PAID FOR BY AMERICAN TAX DOLLARS, to the Burmese Junta.
navyswan, good point about the U.N. showing again how an inbred bureaucracy of the few can hold power over the will of the many. I'm unfamiliar about how the U.N. works, is there any way to overide a vetoing power maybe with general assembly vote?
60
Post American Says:
Thank you. I am trying to come up with something to say but I am out of words and full of sadness.
I just put on Frank Zappa's Joe's Garage and the Central Scrutinizer is saying his job is to enforce the laws that haven't been written yet..Frank was prescient I would say.
Thanks for being here all, I at least know I am with friends here. I grew up in a republican household and to this day I am the only rebel, don''t ask me why but I hate bullshit and we are being served a heap of it right now.
And Yea, sanctions hurt the ones who most need help and harm those it is aimed at not at all.
[...] : Burma Update - Monks Dying for Freedom ( Crooks and Liars , oct. 1 , 2007 [...]
The Burmese people need weapons.
Burma serves as a shining example of what the neocons want for this country. It goes without saying that the neocons will be playing the role of thugs and elites.
@ Follow the money :
Who do you think will favour the oil comps more, the junta or a democratic system?
Then the actions speak a different language.
Not like this did not happened countless times all over the world.
@ Bush :
The sanctions are stupid and ineffective but they make it look like Bush is taking a strong stand on the subject.
http://drlunswe.blogspot.com/
I just saw this dead monk pics at bottom of the page and felt utterly sad. I just shake my head and am having a hard time accepting the truth that these soliders are actually Burmese. I know Burmese military encourage thugs and people of criminal element to join but still, come one, they're killing, torturing monks. We Burmese regard monks in highest place and to see them sacrifice for Burmese people who are stuck in democracy movement as well as in ever declining poor living condition and monks end up getting killed, I don't know what to say anymore. Please contact UN, and I have, for Burmese people.
The horror in Burma must be answered in a number of diplomatic ways, but a boycott of the Beijing Olympics is more than called for since one of the only international influences Burma respects is China and China stood by and did nothing. We must begin a campaign to ban US participation in the Chinese show-games. Can you say Tienamen Square?
And what of India and Russia?
Smokemon @ 65 :
And who says the military protects freedom?
Thugs and criminals? Sounds like the US military recruitment system.
Seriously, what do we need the UN for?
Don't take me wrong, the US' handing of the UN is utterly wrong but in this case no one want to go to war.
We all need to talk to our governments and tell them to put the pressure on.
Not on the people but on the junta.
Don't remove your diplomats, tell them to show presence.
Contrary to peoples belief this is a Burmese problem but that does not mean we have to sit on our hands.
Get people to document it and thus make sure no crimes happen and those that do are documented.
Sure it is hypocritical of the US seeing it does not even support the war crimes tribunal but that does not mean we cannot ask friends to help.
Fr. Antony @ 66 :
The pot calling the kettle black.
After all the crap the US has done in the last few years you thing ANYONE still holds the US at such high regards as the people think?
The US lost the little good will the world held for it a long time ago.
For the US to complain that other states are pulling the same antics that they love to play as well, is laughable.
Worse, compared to the US the other states have no intention of starting wars.
Am I correct to assume that the bush administration has been helping to fund the military dictatorship there?
Fr. Antony@66, I'm pretty sure I read a few days ago that the Chinese government has condemned the heinous actions against the monks. India seems more interested in gas and oil contracts. And I assume the Russians are a bit busy building up their armed forces to protect against a bushite invasion.
How dare these Burmese lay down their lives for freedom and liberty and demand change from oppressive government policies. What a bunch of phony monks.
those kids look like the Golden Child
Funny that nobody has said much about the generals take over of Burma for over 45 years and only now have people become up set. Funny, funny, funny.
To Ralph #32 I'm sorry I live outside the San Diego City limits and won't be able to vote for Sanders when he comes up for re-election. I commend him for being honest with the voters, but it will probably lose him the election. How sad is that?
Free Burma!
International Bloggers' Day for Burma on the 4th of October
International bloggers are preparing an action to support the peaceful revolution in Burma. We want to set a sign for freedom and show our sympathy for these people who are fighting their cruel regime without weapons. These Bloggers are planning to refrain from posting to their blogs on October 4 and just put up one Banner then, underlined with the words „Free Burma!“.
www.free-burma.org
#66,
India is keping mum, just as it did when shit was goin down in Nepal. I think they learned their lesson after intervining in Sri Lanka that got Rajiv Gandhi (ex-PM) asassinated on the campaign trail (suicide bomber). China gives them grief over giving the Dalia Lama refuge in Dharamshala in India. Oh, and Dharamshala is beautiful, and amazingly serene, have had the opportunity to go there. Having interacted with Buddhist monks over there, I can say that I have never met more tranquil folks.
This Burma business is just the latest travesty in a continuing long line of similar situations and events in other nations and regions that goes back further in time then I've been around... My heart goes out to the people of Burma... I wish I knew what to do to help.. Send money? Yea, I could do that, but if that's all it took, seems like someone with a real vested interest in seeing Burma flourish, someone who has 'real money', not the kind of $20 or $30 or even $100.00 dollars in chump change I might have to offer would have already stepped up... Yes, I know the drill, every little bit helps... But the truth is, some 'bit's help more than others, and this is a situation in which the little bits just really aren't accumulating fast enough to make any difference if they are acumulating at all... And I can't personally fix that all by myself... None of us can... And at this point, not really all that sure where to send any donation or what to specify it be used for... (passports for monks to get out of Burma? what???)
Besides, either buying off the junta in an atttempt to make the Burmese military dial down its own violence, (something only big money could possibly attain) or paying to buy guns for some opposition to rise up... (Probably technically illegal or should be for a private U.S. citizen(s) to arm citizens of another nation to rise up against whatever the bad government happens to be)... Given that kind of ambiguiety on my part regarding the legality of any overt action of that nature as well as the morality of arming one side against the other... Given the history of that behaviour generally, and on the part of my nation in particular in the past??? Not so sure either option works for the real victims of this utrage. It has proven to be the case in the past that intervention by third parties in similar circumstances seems to have been the international or multi-national response in the past and that overall, that response has proven to fail more often than not... Especially since WWII... Given all that, I'm pretty sure arming one side against the other would not only be the morally wrong choice, but would only make the U.S. look bad in some kind of way to someone or some group.. Especially if it's the Bush administration behind it... Others have said it... We're now the laughing stock on the international stage... When you are in that kind of situation, one cannot expect to make much of a dent on the international diplomatic stage...regardless of intent................Noone want to listen to George W. Bush get on some stage and pontificate about some ruling military junta.. well anywhere... Let alone Burma in particular... He blew all his diplomatic credibility long ago now.............
So, encouraging my nation to officially get involved probably isn't any kind of solution anymore... If I thought I had a president and an adminstration that wasn't itself corrupt and immoral, I might make such a suggestion... I'm seeing in posts here some referring to Burma's natural resources. This sort of tells me, Burma would be better off seeking assistance from nations other than the U.S. probably via the U.N. That's about the best I have to offer and it ain't much in todays world... But I am dead set certain that the people of Burma whether they know it or not, do not need the American business community or this particular U.S. government to get involved... You would only be trading one horrendous set of circumstances for an equally bad in a different way set of circumstances... Put plainly, you might find that the military is no longer killing religous monks...Which is better then now, but the tradeoff would be the ursurption of your natural resources and basic soverignty by the U.S. petro-chemical industry... Long term? That wouldn't really work out for the innocent people of Burma either.................JD
There is something particularly grotesque about the beating of pacifists.
CD @ 79:
To 78,,,, They do it here all the time, so you would think people would get used to it. But its sorta like starving kids. Evidently if its happening in your own country its no big deal, but if its happening in a foreign country its grotesque, and we had better send some foreign aid to take care of them while we let our own starve.
Now thats grotesque.....
Better caption for the article would be,,,Burmese; Unarmed citizens dying.
Bobby Poulsen @ 23:
Uh gee, I’d like to help, but I’m kinda tied up in Iraq
at the ranch
right now.
-George
Fixed.
It’s hard to find anything good to say about the president but what exactly do you think there is he could do about it? Just curious.
Well, you know, everyone makes a big damn deal about Reagan standing on the streets of Berlin and asking Gorbachev to "tear down this wall".
Do you think it might help if George went to Thailand and made speaches telling the junta to stop. Just stop! It just might.
Besides, I have no problem with our troops invading THAT country and throwing that bunch of asses in the damn Chinal Sea. I support using American troops to prevent genocide.
When social media ceases to matter
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