Latest News From Burma

WHEN THE BUDDHIST MONKS AND THE PEOPLE STAND UP TOGETHER, THE DICTATORSHIP WILL END By Dr. Myint Cho (16.9.07) Director: Burma Office (Australia). Since the junta dramatically increased the fuel price without prior notice on 15 August this year, small to large scale sporadic peaceful public protests have occurred in Rangoon and dozen of other cities.

Junta-sponsored paramilitary groups and security forces attacked the protesters, arrested organisers and threatened all activists and supporters. They also attacked some monks who were marching in support of the public protests in Pa-kok-ku town of Central Burma. Since then, tension has been growing between the junta and the Buddhist monks.

The junta's paramilitary groups, particularly the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) and the Swan-Arr-Shin (SAS), attacked a peaceful march of over 200 Buddhist monks in Pa-kok-ku town in Central Burma while the security forces shot fires. They also beat, briefly arrested and disrobed some monks. In response, the monks detained some local authorities who came to their monastery and burnt down four their cars outside the monastery.

Although both sides released all detainees following the negotiation of a respected senior monk, junta's violence against the monks in Pa-kok-ku served as a wake-up call to all monks across the country. Few days later, the monks across the country formed the "Alliance of All Burma Buddhist Monks" to fight against junta's violence against the monks and the people.

Last week, the monks issued first statement demanding the junta to apologize for the violence against monks, to release all protesters and political prisoners and to solve economic problems by 17 September. The monks also warned the junta that they would enact a religious boycott, called "patam nikkuijana kamma," or refusal to accept alms from members of the military government if the junta refuses to meet their demands.

The demand of the monks has raised increased security concerns among the junta who fears protests by monks could arouse the general public to support widespread and larger protests. The junta declared a "state of emergency" on 6 September and increased their security everywhere monitoring monasteries, schools, universities and markets. Moreover, the junta encouraged the government-sponsored Supreme Buddhist Monks Council to force young monks to go back to their native towns and villages. The junta's Minister for Religious Affairs and other senior officials also donated alms to over 100 monasteries in Mandalay where majority of Burma's 300,000 monks resided. However, the junta still ignores the demands by the monks.

On Saturday (15 September), the "Alliance of All Burma Buddhist Monks" released a second statement calling for an alms boycott of the junta and all members of the USDA and SAS and all government workers, starting on Monday. The statement also called for a demonstration of monks nationwide on Tuesday.

Today, Buddhist monks are going ahead with their plan to hold the boycott and organise the people to support it. In conjunction with it, the students and political activists are also planning to organise more sustained and larger protests. Some civil servants from four government ministries recently issued a statement, declaring that they would take part in the protests when the time comes. In Burma, Buddhist monks have always played an influential role in politics and social change. Historically, they were always involved in early phase of political struggles for independence from Britain and Japan. With the students, they also led the historic "people's power" movement in 1988, which ended the 26-year long dictatorship.

We take the view that the protests of the students, monks and activists are precursors for the uprising, but they alone will not bring down the dictatorship. Civil servants and workers also need to stand up. Once the students, monks, activist, workers and civil servants stand up and speak together, the people from all walks of life will follow. Eventually, the dictators must listen to the people. This has already proved in 1988.

However, one should learn lessons from previous "people power's movement in 1988. The 1988 movement eventually failed to end the dictatorship due to lack of common strategies, unity among pro-democracy forces and the leadership. By taking advantages over such weaknesses, the military used its agents to create chaotic situation and then crushed the demonstrations on the pretext that it had to take direct control to prevent disintegration of the nation. Finally, the military retained power ever since. The junta is now increasing security in many towns across the country, particularly near monasteries, and recruiting more thugs to work with the USDA and SAS to crackdown on anyone involved in the demonstrations, whether monks or ordinary citizens. Some sources said that the junta has also prepared to create violent confrontations between the protesters and pro-junta gangs of thugs. Then, it will use the army to crush the entire movement.

Thus, Buddhist monks and all pro-democracy and ethnic forces need to work together with a common strategy to win support from all walks of life, particularly workers, civil servants, rank and file of Burma's armed forces, and to carry on the struggle until the junta relinquishes power. At the same time, all exiled pro-democracy and ethnic forces also need to intensively lobby the international community to put full weight behind the Burmese democracy movement and to take concerted action to prevent another blood-shed in Burma.

Dr. Myint Cho is a human rights activist who has been working for the promotion of democracy and human rights in Burma since 1984. He currently works as Director of Burma Office (Australia).

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Last Modified: Friday, 28-Sep-2007 09:08:43 EST
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