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Military,
Monks Face Off in Myanmar |
Posted:
09.26.07
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Security forces in Myanmar (formerly called Burma) opened fire
on protests led by Buddhist monks Wednesday, as civilians joined
religious leaders to challenge the military regime.
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Witnesses said police beat and dragged away dozens of Buddhist
monks, and the government said at least one person was killed.
 The
demonstrations are the largest challenge to the military government
since a failed pro-democracy uprising in 1988, during which thousands
died.
The current protest began on Aug. 15, when the government decided
to raise the cost of fuel, in turn pushing up prices of food and
fuel across the economy. The demonstrations drew international
attention when thousands of maroon-robed Buddhist monks took the
lead.
Earlier in the week, the military government imposed a ban on
gatherings of more than five people and deployed soldiers to enforce
a nighttime curfew.
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Monks leading
the protest |
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In Yangon, the country's
commercial capital (formerly called Rangoon), the monks marched
from the sacred Sule Pagoda shrine to the city center holding their
begging bowls upside down, symbolizing their refusal to receive
alms from the government.
 Thousands
of civilians locked arms around the monks, forming a human chain.
Demonstrators carried placards and banners that read "Better
Living Conditions", "Release of Political Prisoners,"
and "May the Peoples' Desire Be Fulfilled."
Fearing a repeat of the bloodshed seen in 1988, world leaders,
gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly,
urged the government of Myanmar to exercise restraint in face
of the protests.
President Bush announced a tightening of diplomatic and financial
sanctions against the Myanmar government.
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Deep-rooted
opposition |
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Myanmar is a country of 47 million people located in Southeast
Asia. Since 1962, the country has been ruled by a small group
of military generals (a "junta"). The rulers changed
the name from Burma to Myanmar, which is similar to the country's
official name in Burmese, in 1989.
The period since then has been marked by severe economic decline
and erosion of political rights. The junta has refused to recognize
democratic elections and dissenters face arrest and torture.
During the 1988 uprising, demonstrators succeeded in overthrowing
the military general Ne Win, but he was soon replaced by another
general. An estimated 3,000 people lost their lives when the government
retaliated against protesters.
 The
figurehead of the opposition is Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the
National League for Democracy (NLD) and daughter of the Burmese
independence hero General Aung San. Suu Kyi has been under house
arrest for twelve of the past eighteen years since the 1988 uprising.
The NLD won landslide elections in 1990, but Suu Kyi was not
allowed to govern. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.
Johns Hopkins University professor Bridget Welsh told the NewsHour
that the opposition movement in the country was brought to a new
level with the participation of the monks, who hold a revered
position in Myanmar society.
"It's now because of their moral authority that ordinary
people have felt comfortable coming in and joining these protests,
from street children to ordinary bureaucrats, even those in the
civil service," Welsh said.
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The world
watches |
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The battle of wills between
Myanmar's two strongest institutions -- the monks and the military
-- has left world leaders watching nervously to see what the government
will do next.
Since Monday, Suu Kyi has been moved to a military prison --
a
move which, along with the troop deployments, may be a step toward
a broader military crackdown, similar to one that occurred in
1988.This time, however, the military regime is under intense
international pressure to heed the protesters' demands.
"We are in uncharted territory," British Ambassador
to Myanmar Mark Canning told the New York Times. "These demonstrations
seem to be steadily picking up momentum. They are widely spread
geographically. They are quite well organized, they are stimulated
by genuine economic hardship and they are being done in a peaceful
but very effective fashion."
--
Compiled by Christina Satkowski for NewsHour Extra
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