Burma Update
Things in Burma have worsened, which is to be expected given the Junta’s past actions and disregard for international scorn. In 1988 they were responsible for the deaths of thousands, and there is certainly no concrete proof that the number of deaths being reported by the Burmese government are accurate. In fact, the British and Australian Embassies in Burma believe that the number could be much higher.
Independent information coming out of the country is scarce, with the internet being downed in Rangoon and other locations throughout the country. It’s also being reported that the government has sent in ‘bus-loads of vigilantes’ to attack demonstrators, most likely to decrease criticisms of the Burmese military. There are also reports that a massive detention center has been set up at an old race course outside of Rangoon to house those arrested in recent days.
Background information from the BBC.
Amnesty International’s latest.
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September 28th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Last night around 10pm, Anderson Cooper had reported 9 monks were killed…. It is really sad to watch the footage that one person had taped… The Chinese reporter laying on the road still taking pix, pretty much until he passed away….. really sad.
September 28th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
i thougth the report was 5 monks killed,exspect more deatsh this morning after curfew was lifted
p.s matt sorry to hear you cancelled you radio gig at power this afternoon
lookin forward to tonight
September 28th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
oops, sorry, yes he said 5, but they were expecting the number to reach 9?
September 28th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
yeah they would know more this morning like i said,but havent been home anything to catch cnn,but wont know to much for another hour
September 28th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
It never ends.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
The BBC is actually reporting that there may be many more casualties than reported, as information from Burma has become increasingly patchy, due to tight military control of communications.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7018920.stm
September 28th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Who kills a monk. Fuck. I mean really. Killing is wrong in any form, but monks? Seriously, this world sucks.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/i.php/?cl=20661371&signup=1
September 28th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Ya it is crazy that they would shut down all of the internet. I read too that they governement is restraining monks from leaving their monasteries and have set up fences and barbed wire to prevent the uproar caused by their deaths. crazy…
September 28th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
I think it would have worked out much better if the only people protesting on the streets were the monks. The government wouldnt have much of an excuse for its retaliation.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
there was actual video leaked out when the violence started
September 28th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
[quote comment="27454"]I think it would have worked out much better if the only people protesting on the streets were the monks. The government wouldnt have much of an excuse for its retaliation.[/quote]
Yeah, when those nuns decided to get involved the whole thing just escalated.
September 28th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Nuns are dangerous proxy. They have ideas, and independant thought, and they’re usually packing.
September 28th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
I’m living in Thailand right now, working with two Burmese groups. The atmosphere at work is, needless to say, pretty grey. I had a student break down in English class when he heard a news report come on in the next room. They can’t even call their families to know they’re okay since the communications block. It’s been hard on everyone and it’s hard to know what I should do or say.
Since the communications ban, like others have said, its hard to get accurate information. This probably only indicates that it has gotten and is going to get worse. I receive several emails a day with the latest news reports and while I hesitate to say how many people the latest email reported dead (since it’s waaay higher than 5 or 9 and I don’t want to spread rumours I can’t confirm) these emails mainly serve as further evidence that mainstream news agencies are not receiving accurate information.
September 28th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
[quote comment="27445"]The BBC is actually reporting that there may be many more casualties than reported, as information from Burma has become increasingly patchy, due to tight military control of communications.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7018920.stm/quote
Agreed. This is chilling. The fact that the Burmese government would even admit that 9 have been killed terrifies me as to what the real toll might be.
September 28th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Honestly, I find this extremely tragic- it’s struck a space within me that stares at this and feels to be looking at a black hole. Sometimes I feel sick and disembodied, amazed that, though I can’t believe it, I am just human too, and must also be capable of such acts.
September 28th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
yep you are.
September 28th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
A video depicting the start and the murder of a Japanese news photographer (not gory but very disturbing nevertheless) ::: http://hotair.com/archives/2007/09/28/video-japanese-journalist-shot-in-burma/
More photos ::: http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?storyID=8823
A Burmese blogger. The internet servers have been shut down in the country. Who knows how long this one will last ::: http://ko-htike.blogspot.com/
There is possible news of a military mutiny as well… ::: http://www.newsdeskspecial.co.uk/2007/09/army-mutiny-rep.html#more
September 28th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
[quote comment="27496"]Honestly, I find this extremely tragic- it’s struck a space within me that stares at this and feels to be looking at a black hole. Sometimes I feel sick and disembodied, amazed that, though I can’t believe it, I am just human too, and must also be capable of such acts.[/quote]
Just when you said that, i thought of another recent story from the BBC, not to take any concern away from Burma- but that as humas we are capable of those acts, if the right conditions are created:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7011371.stm
Just look at the images of the guards taking a break in their lounge chairs, normal, spending time with fellow officers, eating blueberries - and then you realize, what they are taking a break from.
September 28th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
I can’t even comprehend what sort of (lack of) humanity must lie in those responsible for actions such as these. I had hoped that this wouldn’t happen, what with China leaning so heavily on them, but hopes and wishes aren’t fucking currency.
I can’t comprehend. I can’t.
September 28th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
I have two friends in country aiding the Karen. I suspect they’ll not make it out. A shame…..
September 29th, 2007 at 8:53 am
In respect to value of life, accountability, responsibility, injustice, hate, corruption, all humans seem to be equally influenced as naked souls by the costume or title they are given. There is always something that decides who or what we become. In the earliest years of Burma monks were given large amounts of land as slave farms because they were monks, their battle for exclusiveness has continued from that time. In Reverend Yearwood Jr.’s case the women screaming in the background (he is a minister!), is ridiculous to me as if the costume you wear makes you any less of a threat. Reverend Yearwood worked as an intern in the Whitehouse under Clinton. He is a CEO of the hip-hop caucus. CEO, my most hated term, like the term makes a humans value so many times worth that of anyone else’s.The same goes with the officers who took him down, as if a police uniform makes you any more of a protector. People of all uniforms be it police, army or security are all conditioned to the mentality of power, strength and control. They get trapped in their separate titles by all of the people that hate them because of their costume as well as title. I do love firemen though. At the end of the day they are just weak souls trying to survive (hence the soldiers of Auschwitz going home to their families grateful the chaos is not happening to them). It all sick and I don’t know a living human being that has not been effected by some control of costume or position. I know people who were on the trains in Germany, in work camps in Canada, people who were given shock treatment literally, women who have been raped to kid’s that have to live each day in fear of some type of predator. To those who no longer wear the costume or title they have to live with guilt, something that I believe no soul is free of. I do believe we are born with the heart to know what is right and what is wrong and obviously the freedom of choice as to follow our heart or instead choose to follow a book- or interpretation thereof, another person or religion created by another person or just some proclaimed elite society. Humans all want to feel special, unique and entitled. Until we as humans just follow our hearts and accept our simplicity the world will be one tragedy after another. We need to help where we can without personal gain. Humans are very weak sheep and have a long way to evolve. I don’t think that any of us will be here to see the finished product. I believe that all life is valuable and only here as long as they are part of the plan. On a totally separate avenue, I was so totally offend by Time magazines advertisement last spring that in North America we were dressing our young girls too provocatively and the Muslim cover could be better. The whole idea of dress or costume making a difference is insane. A lot of the Muslim girls I see are dressed in exactly the same manner except they have their hair covered as if that makes a difference. When a magazine even suggests that something else should be done to suppress women it make me insane, and I am not even a feminist. I would personally like to be at home with my children cooking turkey dinner. I dream of a world with no religion, no greed and an appreciation of all of the beauty that is here. Pipe dream I guess.
September 29th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Yup- within all of us, lie the possibilities of good and evil. Our reptilian brains are responsible for our survival insticts, and ancient learned responses to personal threats. But, our prefrtonal cortex, or civilized brain, has allowed us to curb our old instincts for suicidal violence, in order to transcend to levels of compassion and non violent means.
We were all given free will. And it is ultimately those choices that we have made under free will that all of us will be held accountable for. And because we are all connected within this universe, we will feel the consequences of peoples actions more and more, until we finally realize that we are all connected by a single thread of humanity that cannot be ignored anymore.
At least, we have within us the ability to trascend and move towards this goal. And for fucks sake, i hope that we can all finally realize that, soon.