Initial reports were surprisingly good. Considering the Burmese government is a military dictatorship, it would be expected to respond in force to any protests. However, the government did not respond to last week's protests. On Saturday 22nd September, monks were allowed to visit Aung San Suu Kyi. The march on Sunday 23rd September was the largest in 20 years. I'd hoped this would become the first ever completely peaceful overthrow of government. (There's something to be said about Buddhist monks leading a non-violent revolution.)But on Monday Burma's military junta warned it was ready to "take action" against the monks and other protesters. On Tuesday, the government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the main cities Rangoon and Mandalay. As well as the night-time curfew, there is also a ban on "gatherings of more than 5 people". Armed troops were deployed. Stern warnings were broadcast on the state-controlled television station (Watch the video). The Burmese Government's official statement is nauseating to me, as a free person in the Western world. It reads like something from 1984, blaming "a group of internal and external destructive elements - who are envious of Myanmar that is peaceful, tranquil, and developing [for] creating the above-mentioned situation". Uh, no. I do not believe the monks changed the fuel prices and caused people to go into severe economic hardship.
Today, Wednesday 26th September, riot police attacked the monks with gunfire and tear gas. The New York Times reported the violence in detail. One death and several serious injuries have been confirmed by the government, with rumours of up to 5 deaths and at least 17 injuries.
Perhaps most despicably of all, reports from Rangoon suggest that the Burmese military has ordered soldiers to shave their heads to infiltrate protests. With shaven heads and dressed in monks' robes, these soldiers will then start rioting or attacking police - giving the military an excuse to be violent in return. How disgusting is that - to disguise soldiers in the clothing of the non-violent Buddhists and have them start violence?
See the changes in the mood of the demonstrations:
- Weekend photos of a peaceful march with no military presence.
- Tuesday's photos of protestors defying the government's ban. Also a video.
- Wednesday's photos of the darkening mood and military violence towards the peaceful protestors. Video showing police & military brutality.
- New York Times report of the violence (from burmanet.org)
- Transcript of Britain's ambassador in Rangoon, Mark Canning, speaking to BBC Radio 4's World at One programme, Wednesday 26th September. With eyewitness accounts.
- BBC News chronology of key events from 1057 to the present day.
- BBC News Q&A: Protests in Burma.