Burma’s Monks return
October 31st, 2007 by CD
More than 100 monks have marched in central Burma, the first time they have returned to the streets since last month’s bloody crackdown on protests.
The monks chanted and prayed as they marched through Pakokku, the site of an incident last month that triggered pro-democracy protests nationwide.
The government said 10 people died during the crackdown, but diplomats believe the toll was much higher.
Thousands more - many of them monks - were thought to have been detained.
Separately, the Human Rights Watch organisation has accused the Burmese army of forcibly recruiting children to cover gaps left by a lack of adult recruits.
One monk who was on the march told the Democratic Voice of Burma, a Norway-based radio station run by dissident journalists: “We are continuing our protest from last month as we have not yet achieved any of the demands we asked for.
“Our demands are for lower commodity prices, national reconciliation and immediate release of [pro-democracy leader] Aung San Suu Kyi and all the political prisoners.”
Aung Nyo Min, the Thai-based director of the Human Rights Education Institute of Burma, said of the rally: “This is very significant… we are very encouraged to see the monks are taking up action and taking up peaceful demonstrations in Burma.”
- Posted in Asian Affairs, International Politics, Social Issues