Violent crackdown launched in Myanmar

[KG]

YANGON, Myanmar - Security forces in Myanmar opened fire Wednesday on demonstrators, and witnesses said police beat and dragged away dozens of Buddhist monks. The government said at least one person was killed, while dissident groups and media reported up to eight dead.


The military junta's announcement on state radio and television was the first acknowledgment that force has been used to suppress the protests and its first admission that blood had been shed after a month of mostly peaceful demonstrations.

The United States and the European Union condemned the attacks and called on the military rulers to open a dialogue with pro-democracy leaders, including detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to a joint statement on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070926/ap_on_re_as/myanmar

you know, if those citizens and monks would just go home when the police tell them to, nobody would get hurt.

maybe a nice letter writing campaign, and posting on a political website, would compel the military to give up power and allow the democratic process to move foward in Burma. yeah! that's the ticket! :eyes:

[Virginia Dare]

1. Better yet, let's bomb the shit out them and invade them...n/t

[Virginia Dare]

2. Damn, I saw this coming, courage and strength to the people of Burma..n/t

[AngryAmish]

3. yet Bush won't even say a word about it

Beyond disgusting.

[KG]

4. well, since the military govt is helping US interests to steal resource, as opposed to being

an impediment, spreading democracy to mayanmar isn't really a priority.

[pampango]

8. Whatever.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma

"In January 2007, Russia and China vetoed a draft resolution before the United Nations Security Council calling the government of Myanmar to respect human rights and begin a democratic transition. The issue had been forced onto the agenda by the United States over the votes of Russia and China."

"U.S. and European government sanctions against the military government, coupled with boycotts and other direct pressure on corporations by western supporters of the Burmese democracy movement, have resulted in the withdrawal from Burma of most U.S. and many European companies."

[pampango]

5. He just did yesterday in his speech at the UN.

There is another OP contending that the MSM's concern for Burma now is simply falling in line with Bush's UN speech.

[KG]

7. was Myanmar one of the words spelled out phonetically?

i wouldnt be surprised if he'd never heard of the place before.

[pampango]

9. That was one of them. He may remember "Burma" from the movies,

but he probably had no idea where "Myanmar" was.

[Selatius]

6. The right authoritarians in the US government would love to do that to protestors here.

They just can't do it without destroying the illusion of democracy needed to anesthetize the masses.