Myanmar breaks up rallies, cuts Internet

[oberliner]

Source: AP

YANGON, Myanmar - Soldiers clubbed and dragged away activists while firing tear gas and warning shots to break up demonstrations Friday before they could gain momentum. Troops also occupied Buddhist monasteries and cut Internet access, raising fears that a deadly crackdown was set to intensify in Myanmar.

The government said 10 people have been killed since the violence began earlier this week, but diplomats say the toll is likely much higher. Dissident groups have put the number as high as 200, although that number could not be verified.

Witnesses said security forces aggressively broke up a rally of about 2,000 people near the Sule Pagoda in the largest city, Yangon. About 20 trucks packed with soldiers arrived and announced over loudspeakers, "We give you 10 minutes to move out from the road. Otherwise we will fire."

A group of about 10 people broke away from the main crowd and rushed toward a line of soldiers. They were beaten up, and five were seen being hauled away in a truck.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070928/ap_on_re_as/myanmar;_ylt=Ajp1qnV5LEGk.BrRaFYzq3Gs0NUE

[GirlinContempt]

1. Disturbing video

including a Japanese photographer being shot point blank
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7017496.stm

[GeniusLib]

7. China needs to act on this one, it's in their sphere of influence

if they're not too busy skinning dogs alive and making slave labor lead filled toys that is.

[Cronopio]

2. U.S. OUT OF BURMA! ... no, wait ...

Let's see, brutal dictatorship in Iraq gets shock and awe, brutal dictatorship in Burma gets a collective yawn and shrug from the Bushies.

The next time I hear "It isn't about the oil." from some conservative thicko dumbass, I'm going to ask them, "So when's *your* tour of duty in Burma?", turn my back to them, and laugh my ass off at them.

[oberliner]

3. What, if anything, do you think the US should do in this case?

I must admit, I know very little about the situation and our relationship with this country.

[FreedomRain]

6. doesn't matter

what we should do. We are now incapable of doing anything because our military is shredded. We can't even set a good example anymore, so assholes like the Myanmar junta, the Janjaweed, Osama B-L, etc are free to do as they please.

[mallard]

22. Re: 'Tour of duty in Burma'

They still need a rail link to Kanchanaburi Thailand. Last serious effort was a brutal failure.

What the hell is going on with bringing this mainly Buddhist country into the world? It shouldn't be this bad! I agree China needs to push the Rangoon mo-fo's in charge much harder.

[David__77]

23. The US should not attempt regime change in Myanmar either.

The position on Iraq is much worse than that on Myanmar. The US should not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. It's caused one disaster after another, with much bloodshed. US intervention does no good.

[uppityperson]

4. I've gathered a few stories together, yesterday and today...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1925199&mesg_id=1925199
kick and rec for Burmese. Seems that I'm not the only one cynically thinking that they are cutting the internet and cell phone service so they can "crack down".

[Ilsa]

5. Bush would have to invade if they had oil or something else he wanted.

I doubt the economic sanctions are going to be enough to stop the immediate killing going on right now.

[seafan]

8. Internet access cut off in Burma

Source: UK Guardian

The Burmese government apparently cut internet access today in an attempt to staunch the flow of pictures and messages from protesters reaching the outside world.
An official told the Agence France-Presse news agency that the internet "is not working because the underwater cable is damaged".

In Bangkok, in neighbouring Thailand, an official at a telecommunications firm that provides satellite services to Burma said some internet service inside the country had been cut.
The London-based blogger Ko Htike said: "I sadly announce that the Burmese military junta has cut off the internet connection throughout the country. I therefore would not be able to feed in pictures of the brutality by the brutal Burmese military junta."
Mr Htike said he would try his best to feed the Burmese junta's "demonic appetite of fear and paranoia by posting any pictures that I receive though other means ... I will continue to live with the motto that 'if there is a will there is a way'."

The US criticised the junta's move, with the White House spokesman, Scott Stanzel, saying: "They don't want the world to see what is going on there."
Only 1% of the population in Burma has internet access, but protesters have managed to send out videos, photographs and messages to keep the outside world abreast of the dramatic events unfolding in Burma for the past week.

Many images have been picked up by mainstream news organisations, because protesters have captured pictures that no one else has been able to, helping to fuel public outrage at the government's crackdown.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/burma/story/0,,2179427,00.html

[Greeby]

9. I'd have thought the Junta would have just not allowed internet in the first place

:shrug:

[CottonBear]

10. The article says that only 1% of the population in Burma has internet access.

I heard on the TV news this AM that many Burmese have never seen TV or know about the internet. :(

[seafan]

11. More information:

UK Guardian

.....

When Burma's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest in Rangoon, stepped outside her home to greet marching monks and supporters last week, the only pictures were posted on blogs and later picked up by news organisations.

The Burmese junta has been caught unawares by the ingenuity of bloggers - mainly university students - who have been sending their material to Burmese exile websites in Thailand and India.

But in recent days they have turned their attention to preventing material collected by protesters and dissidents from getting out, shutting down internet cafes and now allegedly cutting internet links with the outside world. Journalists from Reuters, the Associated Press and AFP are still continuing to operate in Burma.

Even a partial internet shutdown in a country where service is sporadic at the best of times could reduce the number of photos and videos of the crackdown that have been transmitted.

According to Reporters Without Borders, Burma ranks 164 out of 168 states on press freedom. The group says: "The Burmese government's internet policies are even more repressive than those of its Chinese and Vietnamese neighbours ... It keeps a very close eye on internet cafes, in which the computers automatically execute screen captures every five minutes, in order to monitor user activity."

[nickyt]

16. oh my God, thanks for posting this photograph, seafan. It literally

took my breath away. Thank you.

[Warpy]

12. They thought rounding up all the monks and throwing them

into prison would stop the demonstrations. That only increased them.

They thought beating people would stop the demonstrations. That only made them disperse and reassemble.

They think cutting off internet service will cut off communication with the rest of the world. It will only slow it down by minutes.

They think brutalizing the population will keep them in power forever. It won't. It will hasten their end and make their end more brutal.

May they reap what they have sown, and quickly.

[NashVegas]

13. What About Wireless?

I have an acquaintance who often travels as part of a yearly humanitarian mission. You wouldn't believe the set-up they carry around.

[DS1]

14. Now that's just being mean

[ananda]

15. Isn't it Myanmar now???

To be respectful, shouldn't we call it Myanmar?

[seafan]

17. Per LBN rules, the thread title must be the UK Guardian title. n/t

[GeniusLib]

18. Actually the military junta renamed the country Myanmar

the opposition groups and people refuse to use that name and continue to refer to their country as Burma.

[bigworld]

19. Here's a good rundown of the Myanmar / Burma debate.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7013943.stm

Basically, both Burma and Myanmar are used in the country, but Burmese activists usually stick with Burma because the junta is the one who took the initiative to change the official name to Myanmar. Or something.

[AngryAmish]

20. I don't think we should be respectful to that regime

[Uncle Joe]

21. This is so tragic,

the Burmese people are prisoners of their own nation.:(