From Emol.com tx to Kate:
In Kyaukpadaung, in the province of Mandalay (north), aroung 1.000 monks headed a protest yesterday with more than 30.000 persons, while in Sittwe, in the province of Arakan (west), around a hundred bonozos mobilised aroung 5.000 protestors in a march that happened with no incidents, according to witnesses who spoke to the Burmese radio “The Irrawaddy”.
The situation is different in Rangoon and Mandalay, the two main cities of the country after in the new capital , Napydaw, the security corps are controlling every intent of protest since last Wednesday, after the Military Junta imposed a curfew and forbid the public meetings.
Since then, around 16 people have died -among them two foreigners and several monks- by the shootings and the beatings of the soldiers and anti-riot policemen.
Anyway, the monks continue their opposition against the military regime from prison. Nearly 30 monks, out 108 imprisoned last Tuesday in the prison of Bamaw, in the state of Kachin (west), are in their 5th day of a hunger strike.
But as I said yesterday, there has been a mass slaughter in a Rangoon’s monastery:
For one instance, the monastery at an obscure neighborhood of Yangon, called Ngwe Kyar Yan (on Wei-za-yan-tar Road, Yangon) had been raided early this morning.
A troop of lone-tein (riot police comprised of paid thugs) protected by the military trucks, raided the monastery with 200 studying monks. They systematically ordered all the monks to line up and banged and crushed each one’s head against the brick wall of the monastery. One by one, the peaceful, non resisting monks, fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Then, they tore off the red robes and threw them all in the military trucks (like rice bags) and took the bodies away.
The head monk of the monastery, was tied up in the middle of the monastery, tortured , bludgeoned, and later died the same day, today. Tens of thousands of people gathered outside the monastery, warded off by troops with bayoneted rifles, unable to help their helpless monks being slaughtered inside the monastery. Their every try to forge ahead was met with the bayonets.
Damianpenny has more.
The Irrawady: who ordered the crackdown?
EU and US should join the monks of Myanmar:
Americans and Europeans should be especially wary of what is happening in Myanmar. There but for a few of your own hard won battles go you. For Americans, the military response to the uprising is not unlike the barbaric response suffered by the Revolutionaries at the hands of the British, but you know your history, yes? The very foundation of American freedom was not fought for and won by Americans alone.
For Europeans, the uphill battle with both violent and peaceful immigrant pressure to change the landscape of the Old World has already been seen and shows no signs of going away. The key word here for Europeans is “union,” which is to say the EU knows a little something about coming together. How will future uprisings be handled? Show the world now and the world won’t wonder later.
Asia Sentinel: Horror in Burma: but with some kind of optimism in the horizon:
Elite officers reportedly have been shaken by the monks’ rebellion and are said to be seeking a solution, although there is considerable skepticism about how much actual division there is among the ruling command. “We’ve heard that other units from the border regions are moving to Rangoon to handle this. They are more battle-hardened and willing to use force,” a Western diplomat said. “My feeling is that reporting in the press and exile groups contains a lot of wishful thinking. Unless there are greater splits in the junta we don’t know about, this regime doesn’t care. They are willing to kill, and their golden ticket is the Chinese, who aren’t going to push them.”
That said, the diplomat continued, “there could still be a surprise from splits in the military we don’t know about. In 1988, it was very significant when the civil servants and government came out. We have known for some time that frustration among civil servants has grown after the move to (the new administrative capital) Napyidaw, which has been very hard on their families. So that could provide a potential spark.”
Win Min, a Burma military analyst, told Asia Sentinel that the government appears to be having a much harder time controlling security forces than the former dictator Ne Win did prior to 1988 and suggests that the military could withdraw in a few days if Than Shwe, the country’s senior leader, senses that soldiers are losing morale. With most of the soldiers practicing Buddhists, the violence against monks is taking a serious toll. The military was shocked when monks began to refuse alms from soldiers over recent days, analysts said. Donating to monks is a recognized way of making merit.
[…]If the demonstrators can sustain their momentum for at least few more days, there is the risk that military morale will crumble. Than Shwe may not risk the chance that the army might turn away from the junta, making it likely that the junta will strike with devastating force as soon as possible.
Then the question will be how the leaders can maintain a united front.
There are at least another 500 in hunger strike.
More about China on Burma:
On Burma, however, Beijing has been shameful. It has supported the murderous generals who seized power in a hail of bullets with vital amounts of aid and investment in return for access to natural resources, becoming the country’s largest trading partner and undermining efforts by the EU and the West to isolate and force the regime to change. It continues to deflect UN Security Council action and it has failed to engage the junta constructively, preferring to follow the dictates of greed in the name of the Communist Party’s principle of “non-interference” in the domestic affairs of its neighbors.
In the current situation, of course, non-interference is simply a lie. By investing billions in Burma (two-way trade with Burma amounted to $1.11 billion in 2006, according to Chinese government figures cited by the International Herald Tribune. Trade for the first seven months of this year has risen by 39.4 percent over a year earlier) and delivering at least US$1.4 billion in weapons sales over the past several years, China has strategically intervened on the side of an illegitimate regime despised by its own people.
Far from an example of the cuddly “soft power” China wishes to display to its neighbors, in Burma the cold calculus of Beijing’s foreign policy is clear. It wants access to Burma’s land and resources and it does not care what happens to Burma’s own people.
The reality, of course, is that for all its growth and economic dynamism, China’s hermetically sealed leaders are far closer in style and temperament to the junta’s generals than they are to politicians and leaders in democratic countries who have to contend with the messiness of a free press, elections, public debate and the rule of law. Hu Jintao and Co, like the generals who run Burma, are used to laying down the law.
Junta Coronel to seek asylum in Norway.
Burmese bloggers: Shall China be our No.1 Eney or a War declaration to China.
Here is our demand. Chinese Government must play a leading role to stop killing spree in Burma and support UNSC intervention to Burma. The ultimatum for China to join the world’s body will be 72 hours starting from September 29, 2007 9:00 am to October 2, 9:00 am US Eastern Time. If China fails to meet our demands, we have decided to wage you the following global campaigns.
1. Boycott 2008 Olympic campaign
2. Boycott China’s products.Please visit our campaign at this link.
Yes… Brave lads!
(+) Yesterday, I wrote about India. Today thanks to Luis, I know that Spiegel Online has run an article about the subject.
Delhi, in fact, didn’t get around to reacting until Wednesday, when it made a cautious official statement calling for political reform in Burma and expressing the hope that “all sides will resolve their issues peacefully through dialogue.” India was responding to pressure from the European Union and the United States, who had issued a statement at the United Nations earlier on Wednesday calling on China and India — Burma’s two most important economic partners — to use their influence to force the junta to open talks with opponents.
Torture, abuse common in Burma’s prisons.
During his interrogation, for instance, Thet Oo says he was deprived of food for three days and beaten so savagely that he suffered permanent hearing loss. His friend and fellow activist Bo Kyi was beaten every day for two weeks after prison guards found a page from a magazine that had been smuggled into his cell.
Thet Oo, 45, knows all about the hardships faced by political prisoners in Burma’s network of prisons, labor camps and interrogation centers. A cheerful, soft-spoken man who wears a hearing aid as a result of the beatings he received and walks with a limp left by childhood polio, he quietly recalled his 12 years in Rangoon’s notorious Insein Prison. He was arrested in 1993 for involvement with a banned pro-democracy group, was tortured and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
He says there were at least four people to a single small cell in the jail’s compound for political prisoners. The inmates received two basic, hardly adequate meals a day, and were allowed only a small ration of water to wash with.
Sometimes they are ordered to crouch as if riding a motorbike, or perform a twisted version of a traditional dance, in which they must crawl over gravel on their knees and elbows, and sing. If they do not sing smoothly or cannot crawl, they are whipped with bamboo batons while other prisoners watch.
[..] ne former political prisoner described how during his interrogation, he was stripped and made to assume a similar position. Four drunken guards then found a large dog, made it mount his back, and used their hands to arouse its penis. They then placed the dog’s penis against the man’s anus. “I can forgive my torturers for everything but the sexual abuse,” said the victim. “No religion permits such an act. It has destroyed my self-esteem, my dignity.”
The Pope prays for Burma (at last!):
“I am following the grave events of these days in Myanmar with great concern,” he said, “and I wish to express my spiritual closeness to that dear people at this moment of painful trial. As I give assurances of my solidarity and intense prayer and invite the entire Church to do the same, it is my heartfelt hope that a peaceful solution be found, for the good of the nation.”
John writes about how the Burmese crisis affects US internal politics.
(+) Protesters burnt alive in Yay Way Crematorium h/t Kate. So that’s the way they bodies were disappearing, isn’t it?
MvdG commenting on an article by the Daily Mail:
Hla Win, who is “the most senior official to defect so far” said that “Many more people have been killed in recent days than you’ve heard about. The bodies can be counted in several thousand.” He also said that he defected because he was ordered by his superiors “to take part in a massacre of holy men.” According to the Daily Mail, Win has now reached the border with Thailand. His words are supported by other refugees who say that hundreds of monks seem to have “disappeared” suddenly.
Meanwhile, the special envoy of the United Nations arrived in Burma, trying to pursuade the Burmese government to stop killing protestors. Of course, it’s quite fantastic to believe that this special envoy may actually accomplish something, since the people in charge of the Burmese government only know one kind of politics: powerpolitics. They’re in the business of using force, not in the business of democraticizing their country. A friendly talk here, a threat there, won’t pursuade them to change their ways.
According to a Swedish diplomat, the revolt “has failed.” I get the idea she’s most likely correct. The UN has decided to ‘talk’ to the murderers of the junta, the junta itself, meanwhile, has decided to wipe out all opposition and seems to succeed in doing so. The diplomat, Liselotte Agerlid, said: “The Burma revolt is over.” Adding that “The military regime won and a new generation has been violently repressed and violently denied democracy. The people in the street were young people, monks and civilians who were not participating during the 1988 revolt. Now the military has cracked down the revolt, and the result may very well be that the regime will enjoy another 20 years of silence, ruling by fear.”
A Blog for All, Infidels are Cool, Jules Crittenden and Pamela have also written about this.
_____________________
De Emol.com h/t Kate:
En Kyaukpadaung, en la provincia de Mandalay (norte), unos 1.000 monjes encabezaron ayer una protesta que congregó a más de 30.000 personas, mientras que en Sittwe, en la provincia de Arakan (oeste), medio centenar de bonzos movilizó a unos 5.000 manifestantes en una marcha que transcurrió sin incidentes, según declaraciones de testigos a la radio birmana “The Irrawaddy”.
La situación es diferente en Rangún y Mandalay, las dos principales ciudades del país después de la nueva capital, Napydaw, donde los cuerpos de seguridad controlan cualquier intento de manifestación desde el miércoles pasado, después de que la Junta Militar impusiera el toque de queda y prohibiera las reuniones públicas.
Desde entonces al menos 16 personas han muerto -entre ellos dos extranjeros y varios monjes- por los disparos y los bastonazos de los soldados y los agentes antidisturbios.
No obstante, a pesar de la represión algunos religiosos continúan su oposición contra el régimen militar desde la cárcel. Es el caso de cerca de 30 monjes, de un grupo de 108 arrestados y encarcelados el martes pasado en la prisión de Bamaw, en el estado de Kachin (oeste), que hoy cumplen cinco días en huelga de hambre.
Como ya dije ayer se ha producido un asesinato masivo de monjes en uno de los monasterios de Rangún:
El monasterio situado en una de las vecindades más oscuras de Rangún , llamada Ngwe Kyar Yan (on Wei-za-yan-tar Road, Yangon) ha sido atacado esta mañana.
Una tropa de policías antidisturbios (que no son sino vándalos pagados por el Gobierno) protegidos de camiones militares atacó e invadió el monasterio donde había 200 monjes estudiando. Sistemáticamente se les obligó que se pusieran de cara a la pared y se les golpeó y aplastó la cabeza contra la pared de ladrillo del convento. Uno por uno, los pacíficos monjes sin oponer resistencia, cayeron al suelo, gritando de dolor. Después se les desnudó rompiendo sus ropas y se les tiró a los camiones militares (como bolsas de arroz) y se llevaron los cuerpos.
El monje jefe del monasterio, fue atado en el centro del monasterio, torturado, y murió ese mismo día. Centenares de miles de personas se concetraron fuera del monasterio, guardadas por tropas con rifles y bayonetas, sin poder hacer nada para ayudar a los monjes que estaban siendo masacarados dentro del monasterio. Cada vez que intentaban entrar se encontraban con una fila de bayonetas.
Claro, claro, pero es que “es todavía pronto para sacar conclusiones“.
La Unión Europea y EEUU deben apoyar a los monjes birmanos:
Para los europeos, la batalla contra la presión de la inmigración tanto violenta como pacífica que intenta cambiar los fundamentos del Mundo Viejo, se ha visto ya y no muestra señales de irse. La palabra clave entre los europes es unión, lo que significa que la UE debe saber algo de llegar a acuerdos. ¿Cómo se enfrentará a nuevos levantamiento? Muestren al mundo cómo y no tendrá que imaginarlo.
Demasiado tajante para lo que vemos normalmente de la burocracia europea…
Parece sin embargo, que el ataque a los monjes ha introducido una leve división entre los soldados y la policía. Algunos analistas consideran probable que haya una división entre ellos y señalan que la Junta está teniendo muchos problemas para controlarlos. Y es que la mayoría de los soldados son budistas practicantes. Los monjes han empezado también a rechazar la limosna de los soldados, lo que ha hecho que estos últimos estén aún más confundidos. Así que señalan que, si pueden mantenerse asi por algunos días más, puede que la moral de los militares se desplome, aunque entonces habría que ver cómo la Junta intenta dominar a esos mismos militares.
Al menos otros 500 monjes están en huelga de hambre.
En cuanto a China y su posición sobre Birmania, China afirma que su política es la de la no-interferencia en la situación interna de sus vecinos, pero con Birmania esa “no-interferencia” es una mentira. Mediante una inversión de 1.110 millones en 2006, según IHT que cita al Gobierno chino -este año la inversión ha crecido un 39,4%- y la venta de armas por valos de 1.400 millones de dólares en los últimos años, China se ha situado estratégicamente en el lado de un régimen ilegítimo rechazado por su propio pueblo.
Pero China está interesada únicamente en el acceso a la tierra y a los recursos birmanos y no le importa lo que pase a la gente birmana.
los de “no más sangre por petróleo”, ¿dónde están? Ahh, que es China, un país tolerante, no como esos USA que sólo sirven para que nos den un Óscar de vez en cuanto y para que digamos que no nos “mola” nada que nos lo den que el arte es el arte tenga premios o no. HIPÓCRITAS: Pilar Bardem, su hijo, Javier, Guillermo Toledo, Alberto San Juan, Almodóvar, el hombre del Golpe de Estado inexistente, Aitana Sánchez Gijón, Carmelo Gómez, Imanol Arias, María Teresa Campo, su hija, Terelu, Gran Wyoming, Penélope Cruz -que para colmo se dice Budista-, Marisa Paredes (ex-Presidenta de los Actores…), y demás ralea a quienes sólo les interesan las subvenciones para la MIERDA de películas que producen pero les importan UNA MIERDA los Derechos Humanos, la libertad de los pueblos, la democracia y el respeto a las opiniones de los demás. Y lo dejo dicho para la posteridad, porque ESTOY HARTA DE HIPÓCRITAS DE IZQUIERDAS-. 
Pero hay más: los líderes chinos, con su cerrado hermetismo, están bastante más cercanos en estilo y temperamento a los generales de la Junta que a cualquier político normal. Hu Jintao y Co., como los generales que gobiernan Birmania, no están acostumbrados a respetar la Ley.
La tortura es normal en las prisiones:
Durante su interrogatorio, por ejemplo, Thet Oo dice que se le privó de comida por tres días y que fue golpeada tan salvajemente que sufre pérdida permanente de audición. Su amigo y compañero activista Bo Kyi fue golpeado durante dos semanas porque se encontró una página de una revista que le habían “colado” en su celda.
[…] Thet Oo, 45, sabe todo lo que hay que saber sobre la dureza a que se enfrentan los prisioneros políticos en la red de prisiones, campos de trabajo y centros de interrogatorio. Un hombre alegre, de hablar suave, que lleva un audífono para poder oír como resultado de las palizas que recibió y cojea de la pierna izquierda por una poliomielitis infantil, nos contó sus 12 años en Insein, la Prisión famosa de Rangún [donde están los monjes]. Fue arrestado en 1993 por formar parte de un grupo pro-democracia prohibido, fue torturado y sentenciado a 20 años de prisión.
Dice que había al menos 4 personas en cada celda pequeña, en el ala de la prisión dedicada a prisioneros políticos. Los internos recibían dos pequeñas, dificílmente adecuadas en cuanto a la cantidad, comidas al día, y se les permitía sólo una pequeña ración de agua para lavarse.
Pero es no es todo, algunos aún lo pasaron aún peor:
Algunas veces se les ordenaba plegarse como si fueran una motocicleta, o hacer cualquier versión modificada de un baile tradicional, en el que deben arrastrarse sobre sus codos y rodillas y cantar a la vez. Si no cantan bien o no pueden arrastrarse, se les pega con bastones de bambú mientras otros prisioneros miran.
[..] Un antiguo prisionero político describió cómo durante su interrogatorio, fue desnudado y se le obligó a adoptar una posición de animal. Cuatro guardias borrachos trajeron un perro, le hicieron que se le subiera encima y le excitaron. Luego metieron el pene del perro por el ano del hombre. “Les puedo perdonar todo excepto el abuso sexual,” dijo la víctima. “Ninguna religión permite un acto así. Ha destruido mi auto-estima y mi dignidad.”
¿Quién dijo que era pronto para sacar conclusiones????
El Papa por fin ha rezado por una solución pacífica en Birmania, añadiendo que sigue los acontecimientos con gran preocupación. Birmania es uno de los países en los que, como cabría esperar, no se respeta la libertad religiosa y se persigue a los cristianos, cualquiera que sea su Iglesia particular.
(+) El crematorio de YayYay quemó vivos a varios que se habían estado manifestando por las calles y a quienes se había dado por muertos. El crematorio lo ha confirmado a los familiares. Así que ya sabemos cómo están haciendo desaparecer los cadáveres…
(+) El blogger MvdG comenta sobre un artículo del Daily Mail:
Hla Win, que es el oficial de más rango de entre los que ha desertado, ha dicho que “mucha más gente de la que habeis oído ha sido asesinado en los días pasados. Los cuerpos pueden contarse en varios miles“. También añadió que desertó porque sus superiores le ordenaron “tomar parte en la masacre de hombres santos”. Según el Daily Mail, Hla Win está ahora en Tailandia. Su testimonio ha sido apoyado por el testimonio de otros refugiados que dicen que varios centenares de monjes han “desaparecido” de repente.
Pero hay otra cosa preocupante -por si lo anterior no lo es-:
la diplomática sueca Liselotte Agerlid, dijo “la revuelta de Birmania ha terminado.” Añadiendo que “el régimen militar ha ganado y que una nueva generación ha sido reprimida y se le ha negado la democracia violentamente. La gente en las calles era gente joven, monjes y civiles que no participaron en la revuelta de 1988. Ahora los militares han reprimido violentamente la revuelta y el resultado será probablemente que el régimen tiene otros 20 años de silencio, gobernando por el miedo.”
Y los de “no más sangre por petróleo” callados como muertos… 
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