Thread: Aung San Suu Kyi appears at protest in Burma

Nine killed in Burmese crackdown
Thursday, 27 September 2007, 14:39 GMT 15:39 UK


There are now more ordinary people on the streets

Nine people have been killed amid a crackdown on anti-government protesters in Burma's main city of Rangoon, state television has reported.

The dead included eight protesters and a Japanese man identified by Japan's APF News as a video journalist.

Eleven demonstrators and 31 soldiers were injured, state media said.

The clashes came on the 10th day of demonstrations against Burma's military rulers led by the country's Buddhist monks. Hundreds have been arrested.

Security forces on Thursday had to fire warning shots, the state television report said.

Witnesses said it was unclear whether bullets were fired into the crowd or above heads.

The military have been broadcasting warnings that the protesters should go home or face "serious action".

snip


news.bbc.co.uk

Letter 'reveals dissent in Burmese army'
Matthew Weaver and Mark Tran
Thursday September 27, 2007


Monks march through the streets of Rangoon.
Photograph: Democratic Voice of Burma/EPA


Some Burmese troops have declared their support for the Buddhist monks who have led mass protests in the first apparent sign of disaffection in the army, exiled Burmese sources said today.

Disgruntled officers have formed a group called the Public Patriot Army Association and expressed their backing for demonstrators in a letter drafted on Tuesday.

The document - the veracity of which cannot be independently verified - was obtained by Burmese exiles in Thailand and passed to Guardian Unlimited.

snip


guardian.co.uk
Translators ??

Protests in Rangoon

Mizzima News (Specializing News of Burma)

(Burmese Standard time)
9:15 p.m
Nine people have been killed in a force crackdown on pro-democracy protestors in the former capital Rangoon, the state-run television has reported this evening.

It added eleven demonstrators and 31 soldiers were injured.

8:30 p.m
The photo journalist who was killed in today's crack down on protesters by the security forces is Mr. Kenji Nagai (50).

He was working for a media company the APF Tsushin, based in Tokyo, Japan.

7:30 p.m.
Protestors at Pansodan Street in the heart of Rangoon have dispersed.

The junta has form new regiments to crackdown on protesters.

According to sources close to the military, junta supremo Snr. Gen. than Shwe is directly commanding soldiers after several commanders refused to use force to crackdown on protesters.

As the junta enforce local journals to carry propaganda articles, some of the private journals, in defiance to the order, have close down their journal, according to journalists in Rangoon.

China entrusted to settle Myanmar problem
27/09/2007


NEW YORK-MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Dmitry Kosyrev) - The UN Security Council has met behind closed doors for a consultative discussion of the situation in Myanmar (formerly Burma).

A consultative discussion refers to Council meetings held to exchange opinions with the sole aim of finding new elements in the members' positions. It serves as a preparation for meetings where binding resolutions are discussed.

In January this year, Russia and China, two permanent members of the Security Council, imposed a double veto on a resolution stipulating sanctions against Myanmar.

They did this on the grounds that imposing sanctions for undemocratic actions is not the task of the Security Council, which was established to settle problems that "constitute a threat to international peace and security." The military regime in Myanmar is not threatening anyone other than its own people.

The current consultative meeting has been convened to see if Moscow and Beijing have changed their minds since Myanmar's security forces cracked down on opposition in Yangon following large-scale demonstrations led by Buddhist monks nine days earlier.

It appears that Moscow and Beijing have not changed their minds, yet the meeting was not totally useless.

U.S. President George W. Bush announced new sanctions against the military dictatorship in Myanmar, accusing it of imposing "a 19-year reign of fear" that denies basic freedoms of speech, assembly and worship. (MSNBC)

But this is nothing more than a symbolic move inspired by outdated ideology. According to this school of thought, anti-government protests are always a good thing, and sanctions should be imposed or threatened against the regime so as to bind it hand and foot and provoke its early demise.

The Americans do this in the hope that the next regime will be more pro-American and will merit the status of a model democracy.

Mikheil Saakashvili, president of Georgia, has called on UN member countries to take the side of the protesters in Myanmar, allegedly because the situation there reminded him of the Rose Revolution in Georgia in 2003, the first bloodless change of power in the Caucasus.

Saakashvili and several other leaders mentioned Myanmar only to please Bush, for whom the situation in that Southeast Asian country is graphic proof of the failure of the ideologically burdened American policy of supporting "color revolutions" and imposing sanctions against the regimes that reject them. That failure has a name - China.

The United States imposed sanctions against Myanmar long ago, and prohibited American companies from dealing with that country. As a result, Washington has lost the ability to influence the situation there.

snip

en.rian.ru

Exclusive from Rangoon: blood, fear and courage amid the junta's deadly force
From Times Online
September 27, 2007

Security forces on the streets of Rangoon. It was their presence in monasteries today that has so angered Burmese


(REUTERS)
The monks from yesterday were less in evidence after security forces blocked their movements


Amid the violent repression, there were some staggering displays of defiance. One protester even raised his longyi and bared his cheeks to the troops


(Reuters)
A riot policeman disperses a crowd with his baton, as an injured man photographs events


Pro-democracy protesters in Rangoon today. Many were too scared to venture out after dark


Blood on the floor of a Rangoon monastery raided by police last night in a bid to round up protest leaders
Kenneth Denby, Rangoon
timesonline.co.uk

Junta tightens media screw
By Michael Dobie
BBC News



Burma's state-run media blame foreign media for inciting protests
news.bbc.co.uk

posted September 27, 2007 (web only)

Myanmar: A Monk Confronts A General

U Thangara Linkhara


Editor's Note: The following letter to Myanmar military leader Than Shwe was sent Tuesday by U Thangara Linkara, Abbot of the Dhamma Yeiktha Monastery, in Yangon. Posted Wednesday on the website of the Asian Human Rights Foundation in Hong Kong, the letter sheds light on the role of religion in the explosive confrontation with the government led by Myanmar's Buddhist clergy .

Senior General Than Shwe, Head of State, Naypyidaw:

I respectfully write this letter to you with Metta [loving kindness]. Please read it with foresight and consider wisely.

1. We monks [see that] Burma's difficulties have gone on for over 60 years. As delicate political issues have not been solved in a delicate way, now after 60 years they have been needlessly prolonged, like an unfinished painting.

2. Unhappily, throughout these 60 years, we [brethren] have argued, quarrelled, blamed and slandered one another. The wastage of human resources is a sad loss. Year by year we sink further and further into the doing of bad rather than good.

3. The root cause is power. Those individuals who temporarily held the people's power on behalf of the people have prolonged [their hold on power] for their own purposes for over 60 years. The original owners of power, the people, have been made innocent victims: more and more repressed and poor and impoverished. In fact, the people's power should be in the people's hands, so that people can live comfortably and free from difficulty.

4. Dr. Maung Maung said, "Power can corrupt and absolute power can corrupt absolutely." It is very true. Power corrupted General Ne Win and some of his men. Power corrupted Senior General Saw Maung, Lieutentant General Tun Kyi, Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt and other individuals. Now power corrupts the majority of generals under your command.

5. I once asked a camp/station commander close to me, "How much are you worth?" He replied, "About 50 million." I said, "What's that? One lieutenant general must have millions upon millions." He said, "How so. A colonel can have that much. A general has enough for ten lives." Senior General, think about how corrupted these generals are. While the generals are gathering up the nation's natural resources, the majority of the people are destitute and starving.

6. Knowing that power corrupts, the Buddha-to-be, Prince Taymi, for 16 years pretended to be deaf and mute for fear of holding great power. All saintly people truly fear power.

7. Senior General if you [your people] really wish to resolve the current difficulties, decide quickly to restore the people's power to its original owner, the people. Quickly inform the people of this. This is the right way.

8. To restore power to the original owner, meet and discuss how to find
the best solution together with: 1. the national leadership; 2. respected, prominent abbots; 3. intellectuals and personages from all quarters with the interests of the country really at heart; 4. political scientists.

9. Form an organisation to ensure firm guarantees for the future of the [current] national leaders (for instance, an organisation led by Senior Abbots).

10. It is only through the returning of the people's power to the hands of the people that the over 60 years of unsolvable heavy problems will in fact be solved.

With great Metta and goodwill,
U THANGARA LINKHARA, Abbot
Dhamma Yeiktha Monastery, Yangon

US: Myanmar must end violence against demonstrators
43 minutes ago


WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States demanded Thursday that Myanmar's military rulers end an "outrageous" and deadly crackdown on anti-government protestors and called for more global pressure on the junta.

"The Burmese government should not stand in the way of its people's desire for freedom. They must stop this violence against peaceful protesters now," said White House national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

US President George W. Bush was expected to issue a statement later calling for increased global pressure on Myanmar, while the US Treasury Department was due to release a list of individuals there targeted by new US sanctions.

But US officials declined to criticize China and India, Myanmar's giant neighbors, over braking diplomatic efforts to bring about change there.

snip

afp.google.com

Thursday, 27 September 2007


This turn into



This ..... so, who is making violent.


I would like to apologise to everyone for last 2 hrs, i was too tired and i just can't bring myself still awake, I have 2 hrs sleep every night for 8 fays, sorry that i missed many phone calls and i missed some news, but now i am back online.

ko-htike.blogspot.com

^^^ A very sensible & wise man. The General would be wise to listen.

Beijing at last joins the calls for calm, peace
Published on September 28, 2007


China yesterday issued its first public call on Burmese rulers to show restraint in handling the protestors amid mounting calls from the international community, including Thailand, to do more to prevent further bloodshed in the military-run state.

"We hope all parties can exercise restraint and properly handle the situation there to ensure the situation does not escalate," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in Beijing.

"Myanmar's [Burma's] stability should not be affected, neither should peace and stability in the region."

Jiang repeatedly declined to condemn the killings of peaceful protesters in the crackdown that began on Wednesday.

Surayud said China, as well as India, Burma's superpower neighbours, should take action to end the violence.

"Thailand has no potential to solve the problem in Burma, but China and India might have channels to communicate with them," he told reporters in New York.

snip

Supalak G Khundee
The Nation
United Nations

nationmultimedia.com

Thailand is abdicating from any potential role it could have with its neighbour & extended family. This attitude stinks in my view.

Originally Posted by Mid

China yesterday issued its first public call

This is bullshit. It's not what they do in public it's what they do behind the scenes what gets results. They stopped that North Korean twat in his tracks just like that, so let's hope they're on the case properly.

^ I think China is perhaps a little worried that this could be a precursor to some of their own problems, once Burma normalises. It may be more in their personal interests to keep Burma as it was.

This is an email i got from phuket gazette last night


Thursday, September 27, 2007
Red-shirt-Friday campaign sweeps Phuket

PHUKET: In a global groundswell of support for the people of Burma, SMS messages have been circulating around the island in the past few hours with the message: “In support of our incredibly brave friends in Burma: May all the people around the world wear a red shirt on Friday, September 28.”

This message was brought to the Gazette’s attention by a Norwegian reader who gave his name as “Wind”.

The Gazette has so far been unable to confirm who started the initiative or when it began, but it appears to be a friend-to-friend text messaging campaign that arose in the aftermath of the Burmese government’s crackdown on protesting monks and civilians yesterday that left five dead and about 100 injured.

A number of bloggers and users of popular social-networking websites, such as Facebook and MySpace, have also been circulating the message.

Hopefully if enough every daypeople across the world condem burmas military, our respective governments will get off their over paid arses and do something.
Or do they just wait till a couple of thousand are killed and then a few of their own nationals get wacked before they do something.
But $1 gets you $10 that most governments will condem and do jack shit and the UN is another toothless tiger.
How many countries have had their population slaughtered before anything is done ?
Then they hunt for the next 10 years trying to catch the so called war criminals.
The loss of life this protest will bring will never be known and the dissapearences will fill volumes of paper never to be found.
Maybe the truth will get out there every clip I have seen someone has a phone or camera at hand.
Its now up to the press worldwide to publish every atrocity this filthy regime Perpetrates and hopefully it creates a ground swell that drowns the regime.
I will keep my fingers crossed.
And thailands interim government being a Buddhistt nation should hang its head in shame for remaining silent and apologise to its people for supporting Burma because of $$$$$
Along with the rest of the nations leaders and that includes my government (aust)

Friday, 28 September 2007
(this is the pictures from 26/09/07)

this is where there used tear gas near shwe da gone pagoda ..... 26/09/07

An email message from burma

Today, the people’s uprising lead by the monks, NLD members, students and citizens of Burma are entering the battle with their lives and blood.
In the aftermath of 8888 (18 Aug 1988) pro-democracy uprising, the Burmese democracy activists were forced to leave the country in exile. They tried achieving democracy from abroad. Both the exile oppositions organizations and the international community share the similar opinion to bring about a change in the country from force within. We also believe in a change by standing up against the regime from within with a united force. Today is the tenth day that the monks have led the protest in the streets with the students and citizens to defy the junta.
In this revolution, 15 monks and people including a Japanese citizen have sacrificed their lives in this cause. In Burma, the only path to oppose the military junta is to demonstrate peacefully. The military junta repressed the peaceful demonstration brutally by hiding truth. The longer the military junta represses the people we are bound to loos more lives.
Would the Burmese community in exile and the institutions like the UN and EU wait till the situation in Burma gets worse like Darfur in Sudan?
The neighbouring countries like China, and so called democratic countries like India and ASEAN countries selfishly avoiding the problems in Burma by brushing pass as our internal problems. It does not matter how many people the military kills, we woe to struggle and scarify our lives to restore democracy for our future generation.

On behalf of the Burmese people I salute the courage of Mr Kenji Nagai, a Japanese journalist employed by the APF Tsushin based in Tokyo, who scarified his life whilst recording media footage of gun shots to educate the global citizens.


----
This is what i got from my mail and telling what was happening with him on 27/09/07

Below is an actual of what had happen yesterday on 27/9/07.
I am a Singaporean working in Myanmar for the past 11 years.
I was on my way to office( near Thuwana area) at around 4 to 4.30pm when the riot police block the road near "Super one, ILBC area". I stop my car with my wife and walk out. suddenly riot police and soldiers drove the truck around the corner and start firing shots at the crowd. we quickly ran to the side and squat down near the wall.
The soldiers came down and start to shoot at us. I was shot twice but i did not know what hit me. My both leg were bruised. the soldiers and police kicked us and the rest of the crowds into the drain and shouted that they would kill us if we look at them.

We were forced to stay in the drain for 15 mins and gather by the into a group.
A commander came and gather his troops and drove off to Tamwe direction.
After that ,i looked at my injures and and found injures on my left and right legs.
My wife found the "40mm riot control munnition" empty cartridge that the soldiers shoot at me.
I would like the embassy and media to know the actions of this army.
We are just ordinary citizen going to work and they just shot at us for no reason.
Imagine what they would do to the protesters!
I would like the Singapore government would make a strong stand against this violence crack down on the monks and people.

attached is the photo of my injures .
I have been attended by a private doctor on my injures.
The doctor said i was very lucky that the shot missed the groin area.





ko-htike.blogspot.com

In pictures: Burma protests
Friday, 28 September 2007, 01:07 GMT 02:07 UK


Confrontations between Burmese security forces and anti-government protesters have continued in the main city, Rangoon, and elsewhere.


State television said nine people, including a Japanese journalist, were killed in the crackdown on Thursday, the 10th day of the protests.


The previous night, Burmese troops stormed six monasteries, smashing windows and doors and beating monks. They used weapons including rubber pellets.


Blood bore witness to the struggle that took place. The Burmese authorities had warned of retaliation against the monks, who have led the protests against the regime.


Some monks escaped, but several hundred were taken away in military trucks.


None of this stopped tens of thousands of people from pouring onto the streets shouting their defiance at the security forces.


The sound of gunfire and tear gas grenades could be heard across the main city of Rangoon, as the junta sought to regain control.


Security forces were reported to have fired into crowds of protesters in Rangoon and given them 10 minutes to clear the streets.


The Burmese authorities' crackdown has sparked international calls for restraint. The US has imposed new sanctions against Burma, branding its leaders "brutal".
news.bbc.co.uk

Burmese exiles laud bravery of protesters
By Emily Bazar, USA TODAY


Protestors sing their national anthem outside the Burmese Embassy on Thursday in London, England. People congregated in many countries around the world to show support of the current mass demonstrations led by Buddhist monks in the Asian nation against the military dictatorship.
By Daniel Berehulak, Getty Images

Burmese exiles in the USA nervously watched televised scenes of carnage in their native country Thursday, but expressed hope that violent clashes between protesters and the ruling military junta would lead to democracy.

snip

usatoday.com

Edmonton's Burmese to rally Friday
Larry Johnsrude , edmontonjournal.com
Published: 5:25 pm


Protestor from the Burmese Democracy Movement Association and veteran of the 1988 student riots in Burma, Ko Aung protests outside the Chinese Embassy on September 27, 2007 in London, England. People congregated to continue to protest the military dictatorship in Burma, and show support of the current mass demonstrations led by Buddhist monks in the Asian nation.
Photograph by : Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

canada.com

Burma's Neighbors in SE Asia Express 'Revulsion' Over Crackdown

By VOA News
28 September 2007


Burma's UN delegation listens to comments on crackdown at
General Assembly session


The Burmese military's violent crackdown on protesters
has prompted a worldwide chorus of disapproval and
condemnation.

Burma's neighbors from the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations spoke out the loudest, declaring their "revulsion" at
the killings in Rangoon. In unusually blunt language, nine
ASEAN foreign ministers are demanding that fellow member Burma
immediately stop using violence against peaceful demonstrators.

snip

voanews.com

Gen Sonthi is in grave error
Friday September 28, 2007

Recent comments by Council for National Security chairman Sonthi Boonyaratkalin condoning the violent suppression of largely peaceful demonstrations across Burma are despicable, and the outgoing army chief should be held accountable for his seriously irresponsible remarks.

Although accurate information on exactly what is taking place in Burma at present is difficult to come by, due to ever-tightening restrictions on media and communications, there have been reports of widespread beatings, arrests and even murders by state authorities.

And it is clear that the history of violent suppression of dissent against the ruling junta, let alone massive street protests, means many innocent lives are at risk.

Talking on television on Wednesday night, Gen Sonthi, who is soon expected to be a deputy prime minister in the cabinet he appointed following the coup last year, said that there had been no violence or political suppression in Burma.

He also questioned whether there had been any assault against monks that have been leading the protests, but said if there had been, it may have been the result of security forces ''trying to defend themselves''.

snip

[/quote]

bangkokpost.com

Wake up THAILAND .............................

Japan seeks truth about photographer's death
Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:12pm EDT


Japanese video journalist Kenji Nagai, is seen in this handout photo taken in April, 2003 in Amman, Jordan.
REUTERS/Handout via Kyodo

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will decide whether to suspend humanitarian aid for Myanmar after investigating the killing of a Japanese photographer during anti-government protests, the chief cabinet secretary said on Friday.

Japan's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that 50-year-old photographer Kenji Nagai was shot dead in Yangon. Pictures smuggled out of the country showed him taking photos with a small camera even as he lay dying on a street near Sule Pagoda, a focus of the protests in the capital.

"We will urge the Myanmar government to find out the truth about his death," Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told a news conference. "At this stage, we have not decided to suspend grant aid."

Machimura, who is also the chief government spokesman, added it was not clear whether the shooting was on purpose or at close range, as reported by some Japanese media.

snip

reuters.com

2nd hand e-mail from inside Burma .....

"The internet is about to be cut off, i don't know for how long. Pray for those who have fallen, and pray no one else does. Guess i'll see you guys on the flip side.

Burma's rulers clamp down on monks
28th September 2007, 11:29 WST



Burma's military rulers have declared no-go zones around five key Buddhist monasteries, after two days of clashes killed 10 people, diplomats say.

snip

thewest.com.au

Originally Posted by Mid

2nd hand e-mail from inside Burma .....

"The internet is about to be cut off, i don't know for how long. Pray for those who have fallen, and pray no one else does. Guess i'll see you guys on the flip side.

Confirmed ...............................

sad day folks