-September 2007. 100 000 of monks, nuns and people of Myanmar marched in Yangon in the biggest demonstration since nearly 20 years ago.
-The Placards calling for "Better living conditions", "Country with freedom and peace" and "Release of political prisoners" were carried.
-Army crackdown on the protests, beating protesters and monks with baton, shooting with live bullets and tear gas.
-A Japan journalist was shot at point-blank range. Many protesters including monks were also killed.
-Over 1000 monks and hundreds of protesters, students and activists were arrested and tortured.
-Inernet connection was cut. Police and Army frisked people in search for handphone and camera and confiscated them to suppress images of the crackdown being transmitted to the outside world.
The U.N. envoy to Myanmar been snubbed for 3 days in his attempt to meet and persuade General Than Shwe to take the people's demand for democracy seriously. Before he was allowed to meet with the general, he was bizarrely taken to Lashio to witness a well orchestrated pro-government march of thousands....
The protest against government ignited on 19 August 2007 after the hiked of fuel prices as much as 500%. But the public anger ballooned into mass demonstrations led by Buddhist monks against 45 years of military dictatorship.
The 4 days brutal crackdown with live rounds, charging baton and tear gas against monks and civilians alike has succeeded in largely stopping the demonstrations.
This is not the first brutal crackdown on peaceful protests in Myanmar.
On 8 August 1988, (8888 Uprising in protest against economic mismanagement) the Burmese army opened fire on demonstrators and massacred at least 3000 people. However, the protests paved way for 1990 People's Assembly elections. The election results were subsequently annulled by senior General Saw Maung's government. The National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi won over 80% of parliamentary seats. The military government refused to step down and has repeatedly placed Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest since then.
Heaven and Hell 1
Myanmar (formerly Burma) was once one of the wealthiest countries in Southeast Asia and was the world's largest exporter of rice. The 45 years of army rule since 1962 has impoverished the country. Today, Myanmar has become the world's second largest producer of opium, also the major source of illegal drugs. Force labour, human trafficking, and child labour are common. The military is also notorious for rampant use of sexual violence as an instrument of control, including systematic rapes and taking of sex slaves as porters for the military.
Heaven and Hell 2 - General Than Shwe's daughter wedding
Myanmar's armed forces, known as Tatmadaw, numbers 488 000. The import of weapons mostly from Russia, Ukraine, China and India.
By 2 October 2007, the protests is over except small pockets of resistance, hit-and-run groups, shouting slogans and disappearing. But the police and army has started the hunt. Before dawn, military vehicles patrolling the street, with loudspeaker blaring that "We have photographs, we are going to make arrests".
Police and army swept through homes and monasteries, dragging out people and monks at night behind cameras and arresting them under the most terrifying circumstances.
The Myanmar government is trying to instill complete and utter fear in yet another generation of citizens.
Where are the monks ?!
Many monasteries, after brutally raided by police and army last week, are empty now. The monks are not in the monasteries, Where are they now? How many are dead? How many are arrested? There are reports saying that thousands of monks detained in Rangoon will be sent to prisons in the far north of the country. There are also reports saying that many monks were forced to give up their robes and change into civilian clothes... What is clear now is there are fewer and fewer monks in the town. What have the government done to rapidly silent the monks?
Could there be a "tactical" massacre on the disappeared monks and civilians, not during the protests crackdown, but to be done secretly after it is over in the prisons? (Myanmar is a Buddhist country where bodies are cremated. You won't see bodies or graves after cremation).
The infamous Myanmar prisons
Fighting a losing war
The monks strategy seems to be based on a faith that the world will take actions against the regime. The regime's survival is depends largely on the supports from the 2 powers that are capable of exert pressure to effect change, but China and India has not taken any substantial steps to put pressure on the junta. Instead, they have only expressed concern on the bloodshed, and said that was Myanmar's "Internal matter" !
Dramatic change in Myanmar political situation remains unlikely, due to its usual brutal crackdown practises on demonstrations, oppression of opposition parties leaders, and the most important factor, the support from major regional powers such as India, Russia, and in particular, China.
The people's voice
"The price of petrol is so high that many people can't even afford the transport fee to go to work. We really don't know what to do"
"I don't like this government. This is a very bad government. How can they kill their own people"
"The monks didn't do anything wrong. They are just trying to help the people in peaceful manner"
"There are monks that were killed or beaten and taken away by the military. I don't know where they were taken to"
"The people are still angry, but we are all living in fear now. We still hope the monks will come and lead us, but we are just trying to survive now"
There is yet to see any sign of hope for Myanmar's people. But, everybody is waiting for the U.N. envoy, Mr. Gambari's report on his mission to Myanmar after his meeting with General Than Shwe and the detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Hoping his mission will bring about solution for national reconciliation and a peaceful transition to democracy.
