The demonstrations began in August as a result of the rise in gas prices (I believe it was something like $5 USD/liter when I was there, maybe more, which is pretty expensive by any standards, but all the more so in such a poverty stricken country), and mushroomed when monks joined in on September 19. Obviously big increases in gas prices spells out increases in the cost of everything else, from public transportation to food to clothing to . . . . Of course this isn't just about gas, monks aren't going to risk their lives (and they knew they were risking their lives in light of the uprising turned massacre in 1988) for gas. So why are they risking their lives?
RECENT POLITICAL HISTORY
1886-1948 - British Colony
1948 - An independent democratic republic
1962 - Socialist military coup topples the civilian gov't
1974 - Became the "Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma"
1988 - "8-8-88" demonstrations for democratization. Military coup. Became the "Union of Burma" and later "Union of Myanmar"
1990 - The first free elections in 30 years. The National League for Democracy party won 392 of 485 parliamentary seats. The State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)--now renamed the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)--which is the ruling military junta (who received less than 2% of the votes), refused to step down. Aung San Suu Kyi, the elected Prime Minister, has been under house arrest, intermittently, since July 20, 1989. Over 80 of the elected members of parliament have been arrested, 20 driven into exile, and others dismissed or forced to resign.
1997 - Burma was admitted into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
The majority of the population (and estimated 89%) in Burma is Buddhist. Monks and Buddhism became the pillar of protest during the colonial period due to cultural irreverence (e.g. the British refusing to remove their shoes when entering temples), and this continues today. Monks are highly revered and considered the moral voice and foundation of the people. It's very poignant to see Burmese citizens walking hand in hand in a chain on either side of the monks as they march, creating a barrier of protection for the most esteemed members of society.
8888 UPRISING
A national peaceful revolution started on August 8, 1988 (considered an auspicious day) by university students. General Ne Win's socialist military regime had been in power for 26 years and the demonstrators were demanding democracy. It began with students at Rangoon Institute of Technology protesting the governments second withdrawal of currency notes. When a student activist was killed by the military, large widespread protests led the way to the August 8 uprising. The students were joined by thousands of citizens from all walks of life, including monks and government workers. When the Ne Win government fell, martial law was imposed, giving General Saw Maung absolute power to quell the protests ("I want the entire nation, the people, to know that if the army shoots, it hits - there is no firing into the air to scare." NE WIN). It is estimated that over 3,000 civilians were killed in the military suppression of the demonstrations. In the aftermath over 10,000 activists fled to the borders to join opposition forces, and approximately half a million ethnic minority villagers sought refuge in neighboring countries escaping military operations, forced labor, and persecution. (Voices of '88)
CURRENT PROTESTS
Today, Monday Oct.1, the streets are reported to be empty and quiet. A technology school in Yangoon has been surrounded by soldiers, detaining 2,000 students and clergy who are staging a hunger strike in protest of the crack down. Throughout the country 6,000 people have been detained, with possibly over 1,000 monks arrested (their robes taken from them and clothed as civilians), and monasteries are locked and guarded.[1] Some monks have been allowed to leave, carefully watched by soldiers, to beg for food. I wonder how the monks have gotten food for the past several days while they haven't been allowed to leave? Normally monks go out every morning and people give them food for the day (monks are not allowed to work-even in a field to grow food-or cook). On mornings when I was up early enough and in the city I would see hundreds of them, with large brass bowls to hold the food offerings, sometimes in small groups and sometimes in massive lines, walking the streets to collect food.
The eerie absence of this motivational and emboldening religious force seems to have slowed the momentum and strength of the protests. While small groups of citizens still are making appearances, they are quickly scattered by watchful militia out in force, firing shots into the air and throwing tear gas. The government appears to have little regard still for the international community, as Ibrahim Gambari, the UN's special envoy to Myanmar, has thus far been denied a meeting with Sen. Gen. Than Shwe. [2]
Friday, 28 Sept., the government cut off access to the 2 internet providers in the country, claiming that underwater cables have been damaged. Apparently the government took this step after footage got out of a Japanese journalist being shot point blank by a soldier (the gov. claimed he had been hit by a stray bullet). For me this means I have not been able to get in contact with my friends there. This also means the information flow coming out of Burma is more limited (which is obviously the goal of the government), especially because foreign journalists are not allowed into the country. Fortunately, there are very creative and passionate people out there (journalists and bloggers) who I trust will find a way to get information to us, even at the risk of their own freedom and lives. Big companies in Yangoon that have satellite access can still get the internet, and while cell phone service is inconsistent it is an important method for recording and sending videos.
Thursday, 27 Sept., at least 9 people were killed and hundreds were arrested as government forces attempted to break up hundreds of thousands of protesters. This is the first day the monks were absent from the marching. Wednesday night troops raided several monasteries, beating monks, taking hundreds into custody, and thereafter barricading them inside their monasteries.[3]
On Saturday, 22 Sept., Aung San Suu Kyi made a bold move by appearing at her front gate in a show of solidarity and praying with protesters. The following day, as the number of protesters increased to 20,000, soldiers blockaded the road leading to her home, where she is under house arrest.[4]
When the protests began, even when the monks joined in, there was very little news coverage. Only as numbers grew, along with the fear of a government crackdown, did the world start to pay attention. Thanks to internet phenomenon's like YouTube and Flickr, in addition to international news agencies like the BBC and others, information was disseminated quickly by anyone with a camera. Maybe this international attention influenced the government's decision to shoot warning shots into the air (in contrast with orders during the 8888 uprising) and reduced the number of deaths that have occurred. (Granted, we can't know for sure how many deaths have occurred at this point, with the government reporting 10 deaths and witness accounts as high as 200).
I wonder if it's all over. Was the government once again successful in squashing the courage and hopes of the people to end this oppressive regime? What else can the people do, really, to bring in democracy, apart from peacefully marching in the streets and risk getting shot or imprisoned? Should they violently march with weapons, increasing their risk of getting shot and (by matter of opinion) making themselves no better than the military junta they seek to bring down? I hope that new leadership (since the leaders of the democracy movement have been isolated one way or another from the people for decades) will arise to inspire the Burmese people. I hope that the Burmese people will not give up. I hope the world will not forget, that we will protest, educate ourselves, write letters, and maintain dialog.
Stand with the Burmese and sign the petition for the UN Security Council and Chinese President Hu Jintao: Avaaz.org
"THERE MAY BE TIMES WHEN WE ARE POWERLESS TO PREVENT INJUSTICE, BUT THERE MUST NEVER BE A TIME WHEN WE FAIL TO PROTEST" ELIE WIESEL
"USE YOUR FREEDOM TO PROMOTE OURS" DAW AUNG SANG SUU KYI
To keep up on events (locally reported):
The Irrawaddy
Mizzima News
Organizations:
Article 19
International IDEA
US Campaign for Burma
Freedom Campaign
Women's League of Burma
Other interesting tidbits:
Burma is the 24th most populace country in the world, ranks 12th in number of active troops, and is 15th in military spending.
Since Burma has refused to restore democracy, ASEAN has stated it will not defend them in any international forum.
