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Buddhists fear ‘white head’ monks will give junta excuse for violence
Burma’s junta threatened unspecified action against protesting Buddhist monks yesterday as up to 100,000 people marched in the biggest protest seen in a week of ever-expanding demonstrations in the city of Rangoon.
Buddhist monks leading the demonstrations called for discipline amid rumours that plain-clothes policemen were posing as monks. Identified as “white heads” – because their recently shaved heads are still unbrowned by the sun – protestors feared that the police were planning to stir up violence among the marchers as a pretext for a bloody government crackdown.
Meanwhile, there were appeals to the junta from Britain, the United States, Europe, Singapore and the Dalai Lama not to use force against the protesters.
Brigadier-General Thura Myint Maung, the Burmese Minister for Religious Affairs, gave the first reaction by a member of the junta since the monks began their demonstrations a week ago.
Lives of the monks and supporters depend on whether the regime can remain deaf to the rest of the world
“If the monks go against the rules and regulations in the authority of Buddhist teachings, we will take action under the existing law,” he was quoted as telling state television.
“The protest marches in the streets are just a tactic that was systematically plotted from outside the country.”
Democracy activists estimated that 100,000 people marched in Rangoon, five times as many as on Sunday. For the first time, the red-robed monks and their secular supporters were joined by 50 members of the National League for Democracy, the political party led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace prizewinner whose victory in elections in 1990 was ignored by the military Government.
As on the six previous days the marchers congregated at the Shwedagon Pagoda, the holiest site of Burmese Buddhism, which is believed to contain hairs of the Buddha.
Two prominent Burmese entertainers, the comedian Zaganar and the romantic actor Kyaw Thu, brought food and water to the pagoda as an expression of respect for the monks.
“We are Buddhist and all Buddhists have to support this movement,” Kyaw Thu said. “We will do whatever we have to do take care of the monks. They are doing a lot on behalf of the people.”
Distinguished writers, a poet and musicians also appeared at the pagoda, and a group of doctors and nurses established a committee to tend to the health of the demonstrators. Many ordinary people decorated their dress with small pieces of cloth cut from the same cloth as the monks’ robes as a symbol of solidarity.
Despite the scale of the defiance there were few obvious members of the security forces on the streets and when the demonstrators passed the Ministry of Defence building the soldiers guarding it showed no reaction.
The State Peace and Development Council, the leaders of the Government, gathered for a regular meeting in Naypyidaw, the newly established administrative capital, hacked out of the jungle in central Burma.
Their deliberations remain a mystery, but there is intense speculation about how they will respond to the demonstrations, which began last month with a few hundred activists angry over price rises but have developed into the most serious challenge to the Government in 19 years.
Generals have ruled Burma since 1962, and the present head of the Government is Than Shwe, who began his career in psychological warfare operations against Burma’s rebellious ethnic minorities. Little is known about him.
There was outrage last year when video footage of the wedding of one of his daughters, Thandar Shwe, was posted on the internet. It showed the bride handing out diamonds to guests, shouting: “They’re real!” – in a country where many people do not have enough to eat. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London said: “The Government has reacted with commendable restraint.
“We hope that continues. A violent response would make matters far worse.”
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Isn't it time Richard Gere was parachuted in?
Alan Vincent, Oxford,
My heart goes out to the monks who are trying to take a stand for democracy I hope it can be accomplished peacefully.
Cheryl,
You are looking at the wrong news outlet. It's all over the US news. It's one of the main topics to be discussed at the UN today.
Nickkie, Queens , NY, USA
To Andrew Milner: I disagree strongly. Most Burmese call it Burma still that's why we should use that name. I prefer democratic reasoning rather than pronouncements by an unelected dictatorship. Burma is simply an anglicised persion of "Bama", which are the majority ethnic group.
Of course, there may be a legitimate arguments on the name of the country to be had when democracy arrives. Other ethnic groups may certainly prefer another name as, for example, calling the Shan people Burmese is akin to calling the Scottish English. But let's let the people decide in open debate not a bunch of ignorant generals who tragically genuinely believe that their strongarm tactics are the only way of holidng the country together.
Richard Fowler, London,
Good Luck and good fortune to all the monks and peaceful protestors.
Geoffrey McNab, Belfast,
Why have only the French warned there will be consequences if Junta takes military action and cause a massacre - come on UN , Britain and USA stand up for Democracy and Basic Human Rights
Heather Lee , London, United Kingdom
In the Way of Ghandi.
Tarni, London, UK
Re: Burma Protest; The people in pink you have labeled on your front page as "monks" are not monks, but nuns.
Joe, New York,
I was in Burma in the 70's and I noted then that protesters wearing only sandals had little chance of ousting soldiers wearing army boots. I fear that nothing has changed - the peaceful do not inherit the Earth, they just get the bits the thugs don't want.
Al, Weybridge, UK
Judging from British standards of democracy where 1.5 million war protesters can be safely ignored, 100,000 Burmese is hardly worth a mention.
kate, hong kong,
It now needs a substantial part (majority) of the military to break away and support them.
Hope this go's well for the Burmese people. *fingers crossed*
Phill Barlow, Wirral, England
Words cannot express the admiration I have for the Generation 88 student activists who started the ball rolling by marching peacefully on the streets of Rangoon in protest against the masive fuel price hike in August of this year.
This sparked off the Saffron Revolution in progress. China as the godfather of the Burmese military thugs bears great responsiblity to restrain the blood thirsty Burmese generals. I am sure China would not want to be defending its client state with the hands dripped with the blood of the sanghas so close to the Beijing Olympics.
On my part I am ashamed having committed the sin of silence.
Dr, Samuel Lin, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
When sweet and patient people get angry and determined, look out!
Linda Dial, Calgary, Canada
U.S media is busy covering O.J Simpson. Uk has much better coverage. U.S Media is pathetic.
Cobeone, San Francisco, U.S.A
It takes tremendous courage to protest in a country like Burma.
To pit your weaponless body against the weapon clad junta is admirable. May these protests inspire and bear their rightful fruit.
Stewart Helmsley, Nw York, NY, USA
It's time for people to stop and take a closer look at what is happening around the world. The outrage, the inhumanity and lack of respect to the country of Burma by its own government has been going on too long! Democracy is what the United States is built upon. We love America; we love our country. Shouldn't the people of Burma have an opportunity for democracy and to love their country too? Give support to the Burmese people for their struggle for democracy.
Bruce, Duarte, CA, USA
Dear Andrew Milner, refusing to use the militarily imposed official name of Myanmar, because we disapprove of the government doesn't becomes "increasingly ridiculous"; it is only ridiculous if you support the military régime who imposed the change.
André Gadomsky, Rye Harbour, UK
The name Myanmar is an artificial construct of the military junta, as Kampuchea was a construct of Pol Pot. For Burmese, Myanmar is an enforced name which they only use because they are compelled to. For them, the country is Burma. It may be official, but it is not accepted.
Bernie, townsville, australia
I realise you are simply complying with a UK government directive in referring to the country as Burma rather than Myanmar, the name since 1989, but you really are out of step with the rest of the international media as well as the UN and Amnesty International. Refusing to use the official name of the country because you disapprove of the government becomes increasingly ridiculous as the years pass. Amazing that a Labour government would insist on using colonial names, thus to draw attention to the colonial period. FYI Sittwe is the local name, while Akyab is the colonial name.
Andrew Milner, Yokohama, Kanagawa
I have been following this story for 2-3 weeks and still have not seen any articles in any US newscasts. You would think that it would prove that ML King, Jr. was right in his ideas of non-violent protests.
Cheryl, Fort Wayne, IN, USA