Burma: internally displaced demonstrate in rural areas
The Free Burma Rangers describe themselves as "a multi-ethnic humanitarian service movement" providing aid to people in the war zones of Burma (Myanmar). Here's a snip from an blog post they just published:
On September 27, 2007 hundreds of Shan, Pa'O, Palaung, and Lahu villagers gathered in a internally displaced persons site in Shan State, Eastern Burma as an act of solidarity with those demonstrating in the larger cities of Burma.Link to photos and text. Total non sequitur: I love the li'l brother in the front, chewing on a stick (?) -- look at him sporting that tiny mohawk. (Thanks, James Hathaway)Villagers expressed their common desire for the restoration of a free and democratic Burma, in which people of every ethnicity are guaranteed fundamental rights. Much of Shan State continues to be a warzone, where the Burma Army regularly commits atrocities against the civilian population, and any act of overt civil disobediance would most like result in a swift and brutal punishment. The villagers who gathered today announced their unity of heart and purpose with those demonstrating in the larger cities against this oppression.
Ethnic peoples of Burma have been under direct attack by the dictators for years. They hope that the demonstrations in the cities of Burma will draw international attention and help for those under attack. They also hope that all the oppressed people of Burma will soon be free.
the latest
latest episodes
"Reports from Rangoon suggest soldiers are mutinying. It is unclear the numbers involved. Reports cite heavy shooting in the former Burmese capital...
"Soldiers in Mandalay...are also reported to have refused orders to act against protesters..."
http://www.newsdeskspecial.co.uk/2007/09/army-mutiny-rep.html
There's an AP article out that described how satellite imagery has been used to further confirm suspicions of human rights abuses in those villages:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070928/ap_on_go_ot/myanmar_satellites;_ylt=Au8a.VgGxBFk_CpBnSDy.DWs0NUE
...Just one question: knowing her penchant for investigating troubled regions in person, please, PLEASE tell me that Xeni is NOT over in the thick of this mess. Things are going to get far worse before it gets better, and rest assured the Nazi Myanmar dictatorship is going to be whacking any dissident they can get their hands on. Especially someone who stands out in a crowd for the right reasons like Xeni does.
I'm glad to see that some of the long-running and often overlooked problems in Burma are getting finally getting some attention in the midst of everything. It breaks my heart though, to think that every condemnation and sanction coming from Western governments builds the expectation among people in Burma that if/when they rise up, our governments are going to have their backs - when it's just not true.
Also, the human rights abuses aren't really suspected, they are pretty well confirmed by first hand accounts and research conducted by exiled human rights/media/civil society organizations. Too many times the world has sat by while atrocities go unchecked, just because we wanted the proof of 'hard' data and quantifiable evidence.
This is such a sad story, but at least technology and the brave bloggers/citizen journalists are trying to get the word out.
I wrote two posts analyzing it on my blog -
http://knightnewschallenge.wordpress.com/2007/09/26/citizen-journalism-in-myanmarburma-tales-of-conflict-writ-large-and-live-on-the-web/
http://knightnewschallenge.wordpress.com/2007/09/28/the-more-they-try-to-suppress-the-situation-the-more-will-come-out/
As the previous commenter said, at least the atrocities committed by the military regime are being made plain to the world - hopefully the rest of the world won't stand idle and let them get away with it.
@om, that is very kind of you, but no I am not in Burma, or anywhere nearby.
Foreign journalists are in fact not allowed inside Burma. As other commenters have posted, however, some very brave citizens of that country have been risking their lives and safety by sneaking out documentation of the atrocities being committed by the military regime in power.
Those people, and the monks, and the poor and the everyday folk who are participating in the protests -- they're the ones truly at risk here. They deserve our sustained attention.
Not to disrespect the serious tone of this topic, but I noticed Xeni's question (mark) about the boy chewing on the stick and think that maybe he is simply brushing his teeth.
(In the absence of a toothbrush, gnawing on certain types of sticks can cause the stick to become fibrous and thereby an effective tool to remove particles from one's teeth. Saw it demonstrated when I was in a small rural village in northwestern India.)
@Amber -- I think that's possible, and I'm familiar with this, too. I spent some time in rural West Africa this year, and this is a widespread custom among (particularly) rural people there.