Update: Protesting Monks Killed and Injured in Burma
By Jane Clark
September 26, 2007 | Printer Friendly

Despite increasing pressure from the international community, several reports indicate that government officials in Burma have initiated a violent crackdown against protestors.  Although the government has restrained itself for over a month (see Monks Join Protests in Burma; Officials Respond with Violence), the New York Times writes that the government has started “clubbing and tear- gassing protesters, firing shots into the air and arresting hundreds of the monks who are at the heart of the demonstrations.”  Hospital and monastery sources have reported that two monks and a civilian were killed and several others were injured as a result of the crackdown.  According to the Washington Post, the government has also implemented a curfew from dusk until dawn and forbidden people from meeting in groups of more than four people.

In recent weeks protests have grown and reached as many as 100,000 participants.  In spite of the violent response by the government, the Washington Post writes that “an estimated 5,000 maroon-robed monks and 5,000 cheering lay supporters marched through the center of the capital, Rangoon.”  BBC News reports thatover the weekend protesters were allowed to march past the home of the leader of Burma’s National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, where she has been kept under house arrest for 11 of the last 18 years.  Suu Kyi made an appearance at the gate of her home, and although she did not say anything, she “cried as she watched the monks and prayed with them.”  Leaders of the demonstrations have sworn to continue until the military government collapses.

In a media release, the International Crisis Group has urged the United Nations to hold talks with the current ASEAN chair and the foreign ministers of China, India and Singapore.  The media release urges China, India and ASEAN to support the UN’s efforts to convince the Burmese government to exercise restraint.  They write that the input of these countries is essential, since “only China, India, and, to a lesser degree, ASEAN have any influence on the military regime.”  According to the Washington Post, China has so far refused to put pressure on Burma and has stated that the Burmese government should resolve the situation its own way.

Many other members of the international community have reacted.  The New York Times reports that the European Union has threatened to tighten its sanctions, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for a meeting with the UN, and the Dalai Lama and the former Archbishop of South Africa, Desmond Tutu, have voiced their support for Aung San Suu Kyi.  President Bush addressed the issues in Burma in his speech to the United Nations:

“Americans are outraged by the situation in Burma, where a military junta has imposed a 19-year reign of fear. Basic freedoms of speech, assembly, and worship are severely restricted. Ethnic minorities are persecuted. Forced child labor, human trafficking, and rape are common. The regime is holding more than 1,000 political prisoners -- including Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party was elected overwhelmingly by the Burmese people in 1990.

The ruling junta remains unyielding, yet the people's desire for freedom is unmistakable. This morning, I'm announcing a series of steps to help bring peaceful change to Burma. The United States will tighten economic sanctions on the leaders of the regime and their financial backers. We will impose an expanded visa ban on those responsible for the most egregious violations of human rights, as well as their family members. We'll continue to support the efforts of humanitarian groups working to alleviate suffering in Burma. And I urge the United Nations and all nations to use their diplomatic and economic leverage to help the Burmese people reclaim their freedom.”

References:

White House: President Bush Addresses UN 

New York Times: Police Clash with Monks in Myanmar

Washington Post: Shots Fired to Disperse Crowds in Burma

BBC News: Suu Kyi Greets Burma Protesters

International Crisis Group: Myanmar-Time for Urgent Action