The Buddhist monks resisting by Claudia Sonea

On August 18, after the government increased fuel prices as much as 500 percent, citizens took the streets and started to protest against the military junta. The military violently crushed the anti-government demonstrations. Thousands of Buddhist monks started leading protests on September 18, and were joined by Buddhist nuns on September 23. 5,000 monks protested in Yangon and after junta's crackdown at least 10 people died by the government's count. The incident from September 5th when members of pro-government associations were allowed to kick and beat several monks led to the massive involvement of the monks. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of the National League for Democracy, is worshipping with the monks and gives life to the movement. According to an unknown monk who stated for the Democratic Voice of Burma, a Norway-based short-wave radio station and Web site, because the monks' demands for lower commodity prices, national reconciliation and immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi were not fulfilled they will continue to march. He added that the Wednesday march was quickly organized and therefore only 100 monks took part at it. Pakokku, a center for Buddhist learning with more than 80 monasteries about 390 miles northwest of the commercial center Yangon and scene of brutal violence that took place when the protests first began, was the northern Myanmar town chose to defy the government. David Steinberg, a Myanmar scholar from Georgetown University visited the town two weeks ago and says that the frustration is rising due to the importance that the monks have in people's life and their economical issues. He was surprised for the monks to be allowed to protest in peace by military. The United Nations said U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari will return to Myanmar on Saturday and will try to press for national reconciliation and a stepped-up transition to democracy. Gambari met with junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe and was allowed to see Suu Kyi twice. Despite rumors that there is a national or regional organization of monks coordinating the protests, the Wednesday March proved that everything is spontaneous, according to Josef Silverstein, a retired professor from Rutgers University. He said that the junta no longer feels threaten and that is why they allowed monks to demonstrate in peace. The Myanmar history reveals that monks were always there when there was a rebellion, like the one against British colonialism or the 1988 pro-democracy rebellion. Will there be peace? Lets pray so Gambari succeeds to bring peace among the two sides.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071031/ap_on_re_as/myanmar;_ylt=AkEoyknkM46VOq3TNCzjXCas0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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