Lights out protests in parts of Rangoon
Despite the Burmese military junta having imposed night curfews, residents in parts of Rangoon protested by putting their lights off for at least 15 minutes last night.
Residents in North Okklapah said, many of the residents in ward (2) switched-off their lights at 8 p.m. (local time) for 15 minutes as token of dissent.
"As there is tight security preventing us from marching on the streets, we are doing this as a symbol that we the people of Burma are being kept helplessly in the dark," a local resident of ward (2) of North Okklapah township told Mizzima.
While many residents remained in the dark for 15 minutes, a few others put on at least one light in fear of reprisal from the authorities. The residents also said that security forces could be seen patrolling the township.
"Last night at about 11 p.m. (local time), five vehicles came to our ward. In the first truck there were soldiers with red arm bands, the next had police, the third vehicle was full of security forces, the fourth was covered with shields and soldiers pointing their guns outside and the last was a light vehicle and carried members of USDA and Swan Arrshin. They did nothing but made rounds even in the lanes," a local resident told Mizzima.
=======================
Gambari concludes Burma visit, meets Suu Kyi again
Mungpi
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
October 2, 2007 - UN special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, today rounded off his mission to Burma after meeting the junta supremo Senior General Than Shwe. He had a second round of talks with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy, the UN office in Rangoon said.
The UN Secretary -General's Special Envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, today met Than Shwe and other military leaders including Vice Snr Gen. Maung Aye, Gen Thura Shwe Mann and the acting Prime Minister Thein Sein, at Burma's new jungle capital - Naypyitaw for over an hour.
After meeting junta leaders, the Nigerian diplomat flew to Rangoon and met detained Noble Peace Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for a second round of talks, an official at the UN office in Rangoon told Mizzima.
While, the details of both the meetings still remain unspecified, the UN envoy is believed to have conveyed messages to both the groups.
Earlier on Sunday, Gambari met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for 90 minutes at the government guest house in Rangoon, after meeting several low ranking junta officials in Naypyitaw.
"The UN envoy left this evening," said the UN staff in Rangoon.
Gambari, who visited Burma amidst a bloody crackdown on peaceful protesters by the junta's security forces, will now return to New York and report to the UN Secretary- General, the UN statement said.
While Gambari was able to meet both the ruling junta as well as detained Burmese democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, critics said the effectiveness of his visit will depend upon the results thrown up.
==========================
Thousands rally in Northeast India in solidarity with monks in Burma
Mungpi
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
October 2, 2007 - Thousands of Indians in the northeastern state of Mizoram today hit the streets in a show of solidarity for the Burmese people's struggle for change and freedom from bondage under the military dictatorship. They urged India to intervene in the current imbroglio.
Nearly 2,000 people including leaders of political parties on Tuesday marched on the streets of Aizawl, capital of Mizoram and urged the Indian government to immediately intervene in the ongoing crisis and pressure the ruling junta to work towards peace and democracy in the country.
The procession in Mizoram, bordering Burma, which hosts over 60,000 Burmese refugees and migrants, is the largest brought out so far by activists and campaigners to express solidarity with the Burmese people, who have been under military yoke for nearly half a century.
"We are demanding restoration of democracy and freedom for people in Burma," Muanpuia, a leading activist, told Mizzima.
The protest, joined by leaders of local political party units, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, Mizoram Congress Party and Zoram National Party, comes amidst mounting international outcry over the Burmese junta's heavy handed crackdown on Buddhist monk-led protests in Burma.
"We want the Indian government to do more for Burma," added Muanpuia.
Burmese soldiers and security forces last week, in a bid to weaken the monk-led protests that posed a direct challenge to 45 years of military rule in the country, began midnight raids in key monasteries and arrested over 200 monks.
The Burmese Army on Wednesday began opening fire on protesters in Rangoon in what is a near repetition of the brutal suppression of the 1988 student led pro-democracy uprising in the country.
According to the Burmese junta's state-run media 10 people were killed during the crackdown. But activists said the death toll is much higher. It could be several hundreds and the figures are being suppressed.
Meanwhile, 53 Burmese monks, who have come to India for studies, today staged a similar protest in New Delhi condemning the junta for its brutal treatment of monks, who are highly revered and seen as moral guardians in the pre-dominantly Buddhist country.
The protest in New Delhi was joined by several other Burmese activists as well as monks from India, Tibet , Bangladesh and Mongolia.
===========================
Aung San Suu Kyi is the last hope
By May Ng
September 29, 2007
Since the day the monks went to Aung San Suu Kyi's residence and prayed the government began attacking and brutalizing the monks.
In defiance of the international pleas, Myanmar military has done unspeakable deeds.
Never in recorded history, including the period under British colonialism and Japanese fascism were the Burmese monasteries ransacked or the monks massacred in this manner. This is no doubt a religious sacrilege of immense proportion.
The US Campaign for Burma, led by former political prisoner Ko Aung Din, has tirelessly worked hard in the US to raise awareness about Burma's democracy movement for many years.
Finally, the latest tragedy in Burma has drawn the attention of major US grass root organizations such as moveon.com which is making a commitment to work with avaaz.org to mobilize the United Nations Security Council to help the monks and the Burmese people.
But for the people in Burma, who are being targeted by the military, time is running out.
It is a tragedy easily prevented if the UNSC is willing to use the authority entrusted by the people. But they have failed in January and there is very little hope that they will try to succeed now.
A Singaporean worker said that he was shot at even though he was not at the protest site and luckily escaped. He said that he could not imagine what those brutes were doing to the protesters if they did it to him. The world also witnessed firsthand a veteran photo journalist Kenji Nagai being killed in a cold blooded manner. Mr. Nagai was a seasoned journalist who had been to many dangerous places in the world but it seems that the level of risk in Burma had broken all records.
With their final savage act the military has lost any remaining trust of the people.
No one can help Burma now from descent except, Aung San Suu Kyi, Min Ko Naing and the various ethnic and religious leaders.
The United Nations has done precious little except to give the junta free publicity during previous UN visits.
Unless Mr. Ibrahim Gambari is empowered with absolute determination by the UN to seek a solid outcome, the trip to Burma on Saturday will be not only meaningless it is a cruel false hope for the dying people.
Mr. Gambari must seek a meeting with all, including Aung San Suu Kyi, Min Ko Naing, NLD leaders, ethnic politicians, the monks and SPDC. Even if General Maung Aye survives another coup as rumors suggest, the military has lost all its credibility in the eyes of the people and there will no longer be peace without the people's trusted politicians at the helm of the nation.
We are sending our Buddhist and multiethnic-religious prayers to Burma with Mr. Gambari. Burmese people can no longer wait for change; their lives are in great danger now. Change must come now otherwise it might be already too late.
source: mizzima news
Despite the Burmese military junta having imposed night curfews, residents in parts of Rangoon protested by putting their lights off for at least 15 minutes last night.
Residents in North Okklapah said, many of the residents in ward (2) switched-off their lights at 8 p.m. (local time) for 15 minutes as token of dissent.
"As there is tight security preventing us from marching on the streets, we are doing this as a symbol that we the people of Burma are being kept helplessly in the dark," a local resident of ward (2) of North Okklapah township told Mizzima.
While many residents remained in the dark for 15 minutes, a few others put on at least one light in fear of reprisal from the authorities. The residents also said that security forces could be seen patrolling the township.
"Last night at about 11 p.m. (local time), five vehicles came to our ward. In the first truck there were soldiers with red arm bands, the next had police, the third vehicle was full of security forces, the fourth was covered with shields and soldiers pointing their guns outside and the last was a light vehicle and carried members of USDA and Swan Arrshin. They did nothing but made rounds even in the lanes," a local resident told Mizzima.
=======================
Gambari concludes Burma visit, meets Suu Kyi again
Mungpi
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
October 2, 2007 - UN special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, today rounded off his mission to Burma after meeting the junta supremo Senior General Than Shwe. He had a second round of talks with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy, the UN office in Rangoon said.
The UN Secretary -General's Special Envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, today met Than Shwe and other military leaders including Vice Snr Gen. Maung Aye, Gen Thura Shwe Mann and the acting Prime Minister Thein Sein, at Burma's new jungle capital - Naypyitaw for over an hour.
After meeting junta leaders, the Nigerian diplomat flew to Rangoon and met detained Noble Peace Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for a second round of talks, an official at the UN office in Rangoon told Mizzima.
While, the details of both the meetings still remain unspecified, the UN envoy is believed to have conveyed messages to both the groups.
Earlier on Sunday, Gambari met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for 90 minutes at the government guest house in Rangoon, after meeting several low ranking junta officials in Naypyitaw.
"The UN envoy left this evening," said the UN staff in Rangoon.
Gambari, who visited Burma amidst a bloody crackdown on peaceful protesters by the junta's security forces, will now return to New York and report to the UN Secretary- General, the UN statement said.
While Gambari was able to meet both the ruling junta as well as detained Burmese democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, critics said the effectiveness of his visit will depend upon the results thrown up.
==========================
Thousands rally in Northeast India in solidarity with monks in Burma
Mungpi
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
October 2, 2007 - Thousands of Indians in the northeastern state of Mizoram today hit the streets in a show of solidarity for the Burmese people's struggle for change and freedom from bondage under the military dictatorship. They urged India to intervene in the current imbroglio.
Nearly 2,000 people including leaders of political parties on Tuesday marched on the streets of Aizawl, capital of Mizoram and urged the Indian government to immediately intervene in the ongoing crisis and pressure the ruling junta to work towards peace and democracy in the country.
The procession in Mizoram, bordering Burma, which hosts over 60,000 Burmese refugees and migrants, is the largest brought out so far by activists and campaigners to express solidarity with the Burmese people, who have been under military yoke for nearly half a century.
"We are demanding restoration of democracy and freedom for people in Burma," Muanpuia, a leading activist, told Mizzima.
The protest, joined by leaders of local political party units, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, Mizoram Congress Party and Zoram National Party, comes amidst mounting international outcry over the Burmese junta's heavy handed crackdown on Buddhist monk-led protests in Burma.
"We want the Indian government to do more for Burma," added Muanpuia.
Burmese soldiers and security forces last week, in a bid to weaken the monk-led protests that posed a direct challenge to 45 years of military rule in the country, began midnight raids in key monasteries and arrested over 200 monks.
The Burmese Army on Wednesday began opening fire on protesters in Rangoon in what is a near repetition of the brutal suppression of the 1988 student led pro-democracy uprising in the country.
According to the Burmese junta's state-run media 10 people were killed during the crackdown. But activists said the death toll is much higher. It could be several hundreds and the figures are being suppressed.
Meanwhile, 53 Burmese monks, who have come to India for studies, today staged a similar protest in New Delhi condemning the junta for its brutal treatment of monks, who are highly revered and seen as moral guardians in the pre-dominantly Buddhist country.
The protest in New Delhi was joined by several other Burmese activists as well as monks from India, Tibet , Bangladesh and Mongolia.
===========================
Aung San Suu Kyi is the last hope
By May Ng
September 29, 2007
Since the day the monks went to Aung San Suu Kyi's residence and prayed the government began attacking and brutalizing the monks.
In defiance of the international pleas, Myanmar military has done unspeakable deeds.
Never in recorded history, including the period under British colonialism and Japanese fascism were the Burmese monasteries ransacked or the monks massacred in this manner. This is no doubt a religious sacrilege of immense proportion.
The US Campaign for Burma, led by former political prisoner Ko Aung Din, has tirelessly worked hard in the US to raise awareness about Burma's democracy movement for many years.
Finally, the latest tragedy in Burma has drawn the attention of major US grass root organizations such as moveon.com which is making a commitment to work with avaaz.org to mobilize the United Nations Security Council to help the monks and the Burmese people.
But for the people in Burma, who are being targeted by the military, time is running out.
It is a tragedy easily prevented if the UNSC is willing to use the authority entrusted by the people. But they have failed in January and there is very little hope that they will try to succeed now.
A Singaporean worker said that he was shot at even though he was not at the protest site and luckily escaped. He said that he could not imagine what those brutes were doing to the protesters if they did it to him. The world also witnessed firsthand a veteran photo journalist Kenji Nagai being killed in a cold blooded manner. Mr. Nagai was a seasoned journalist who had been to many dangerous places in the world but it seems that the level of risk in Burma had broken all records.
With their final savage act the military has lost any remaining trust of the people.
No one can help Burma now from descent except, Aung San Suu Kyi, Min Ko Naing and the various ethnic and religious leaders.
The United Nations has done precious little except to give the junta free publicity during previous UN visits.
Unless Mr. Ibrahim Gambari is empowered with absolute determination by the UN to seek a solid outcome, the trip to Burma on Saturday will be not only meaningless it is a cruel false hope for the dying people.
Mr. Gambari must seek a meeting with all, including Aung San Suu Kyi, Min Ko Naing, NLD leaders, ethnic politicians, the monks and SPDC. Even if General Maung Aye survives another coup as rumors suggest, the military has lost all its credibility in the eyes of the people and there will no longer be peace without the people's trusted politicians at the helm of the nation.
We are sending our Buddhist and multiethnic-religious prayers to Burma with Mr. Gambari. Burmese people can no longer wait for change; their lives are in great danger now. Change must come now otherwise it might be already too late.
source: mizzima news
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