On this day 19 years ago, Aung San Suu Kyi founded the dissident National League for Democracy in Burma.As you may have heard, the Burmese junta has began firing on protesting monks. The monks and others' actions are the continuation of trends I described two weeks ago. Things are bloody and broken in Burma.
By 6:00 o'clock Burmese time, protesters had dispersed in Rangoon. Over 100,000 people took part in protests across the Southeast Asian nation, according to Mizzima News, a Web site specializing in Burma.
"Monks and civilians today began their protest at about 2 p.m. (local time) and burnt down four army vehicles and several motorcycles belonging to intelligence officials," referring to what happened near the Shwedagon Pagoda, the massive temple near Yangon.
""As the authorities refused to open the eastern gate of Shwedagon pagoda, the monks stood in front of the gate and recited Metta Sutta (Buddhist word for loving kindness). Then the soldiers charged the monks with batons and started beating and kicking the monks. We heard that an elderly monk died because of the beating. I saw one monk beaten severely. I guess that he is the same monk who is reported to have died. The monk must be over 80 years old."
Mizzima is doing an incredible job of covering the protest. It really demonstrates the power of the Internet as a liberator of the press, especially in developing nations. And, of course, the junta is threatening to limit or ban internet access.
http://mizzima.com/mizzimanews/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/burma/story/0,,2177868,00.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/26/AR2007092600185.html?hpid=topnews
more on the way.
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