Yangon Thu

Down with the Burmese Junta

Update: You can sign the Petition to the United Nations to help the citizens of Burma Here at this site. http://www.petitiononline.com/9848/

Peaceful monks protesting

The reaction from the Junta to the peaceful protests

I've been very sick for most of the time that there were peaceful protests by Monks in Burma who were joined by civilians a few days later - so I haven't been able to blog about it but things have escalated and I can no longer just sit and wait to see what might happen.

The Burmese Military regime is now using tear gas on the monks and Associated Press has reported that some monks have been beaten while others have been arrested.

Tear gas used on protesters

The soldiers are also trying to instigate chaos by burning cars on the roadside.

BBC has announced that 1 civilian has been killed while 5 have been injured. (6:39 PM Singapore Time)

Channel News Asia has reported that 17 monks have been injured so far.

I'm pretty sure that these thoughtless, cruel and power-hungry Generals ordering attacks on peaceful monks are going straight to hell in a hand basket. But they care not about after lives - they care about now. They have too much to lose, in fact everything and in my opinion, they are not going to back down or hand over the power to anyone else.

Than Shwe and Company needs to be stopped. I would like to see them eradicated - gone completely from Burma but I am realistic and that will not happen right now.

The Junta needs to sit down with the monks and people and discuss how they are going to improve their countryman's miserable lives. They need to stop with the corruption, racist killings and overall lack of humanity in ruling the nation of Burma.

The monks and civilians are not even asking them to step down, a bit different from the past (1988), I believe. They are merely asking for dialogue and action on improving the lives of the people.

I understand that monks in general are not supposed to be meddling with politics, but heck, the Dalai Lama supports the Burmese monks and so he should because the monks are doing it for the civilians - for the greater good of the country.

I would be careful of the monks who might get violent because I can assure you that most likely the violent monks are not real monks but soldiers undercover as monks as ordered by the Junta - reportedly from Light Battalion 7 unit of the Burmese Army (Source: United States Campaign for Burma).

I've just seen pictures of the riot police and soldiers aiming the guns at the civilians. I kind of feel sorry for the soldiers who have to shoot when the general says shoot but then I wonder why he is not on the People's side because the ones that are ordered to do the dirty work are generally the poor soldiers. But in the end, in life, you always have choices and they have obviously picked the wrong choice even if done in desperation, to be a soldier for the junta (if they weren't forced). (In 1988 riots, they brought in soldiers from ethnic minority groups and also those who are used to being at war with the guerrillas. I can only imagine how brainwashed they must be - or maybe they have small hearts, I don't know but I'm sure their hearts are bigger than Than Shwe's)

I'm generally a very peaceful person. I don't believe in corporal punishment, fights, war, death sentences and so on. I believe in progressive talks, researched opinions leading to strategic development plans, counseling, freedom of speech and freedom to knowledge.

I even admire and love Daw Aung San Suu Kyi so much because she is an advocate for peace. However, I am ashamed to tell you that the more I see pictures of monks being bashed in the head, soldiers mistreating women and children, and other innocent civilians, I am tempted to go out and buy a gun so that I can shoot these cowards who have to use gun power against innocent people. I've never wished more that I had mutant powers. LOL. Not funny but yeah, I feel rather helpless about the situation, given the fact that a lot of my family members and friends are right now in Yangon, probably trying to get home from school or work.

But not to worry, I'm a very empathatic person, and in the end, I still abhor violence. We don't need bloodshed, we need peace and security. I hope that the Junta will step down and that the people of Burma will be able to peacefully re-create top leadership in Burma without any more incidents or blood shed.

Update: 200 monks have been arrested (BBC)

What you can do (and please do):

Write to the United Nation Secretary General to intervene with the Burma Junta's horrible acts on peaceful protesters. Please put the subject line as "HELP BURMA"
inquiries@un.org
(If any one has the full contact list for UN Security Council Members, please leave it in the comments page)

Here is what I have written in my petition to the UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon. *Download file">Help Burma*
Full address for petition to UN Secretary:
http://www.moeyyo.com/MM/archives/Help Burma.doc

Sign a petition from the United States Campaign for Burma requesting China to influence Burma Junta's actions against the peaceful protesters and also to stop intervening with the UN's work for the people of Burma.

Pictures from BBC/Channel News Asia/Moemaka.blogspot.com (thank you for the pictures)

You only have to go to news sites such as bbc.com, cnn.com, USCB to get the full update on what is happening in Burma right now.

Here are a few interesting videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H70pTFSGoXo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3EarhS5ysA

Thousands of Burmese Buddhist monks and other protesters have been marching in Rangoon despite a bloody crackdown by police. At least one death is reported.

Posted by Yangon Thu at September 26, 2007 05:31 PM