Myanmar's prisons continue to fill with monks
Myanmar Juntas say arrests continue (updates via AFP and gulf news): A relentless crackdown on Myanmar's pro-democracy activists showed no sign of easing with the junta announcing on Sunday that 78 more people have been detained in spite of global outrage and new sanctions.These were in addition to 2,093 people who were detained earlier, of which 1,215 were released by Saturday, the paper said. Authorities also took in 533 monks for questioning "to differentiate between real monks and bogus monks." They said 398 monks have been sent back to their monasteries.
Dissident groups and foreign governments say more than 6,000 people have been locked up after last month's protests, the biggest in nearly two decades. The government says 10 people, including a Japanese photographer, were killed in the violence. However, independent sources said the death toll is likely in the hundreds.
"Day and night, we had to sit in crowded rows with our heads bowed down. If we spoke, looked up or fell asleep, we would be hit," said the monk, who asked not to be named. "We weren't allowed to move it all, not even to go to the lavatory – we had to just do it where we were sitting. Once in the morning, and once in the afternoon, the guards would come and give us water, but it would be only one or two bottles for 50 people or more."
Some of the prisoners, he said, had severe wounds sustained during arrest, with cuts and gashes on arms and legs that had gone right through to the bone. Yet despite the filthy, insanitary conditions in which they were being held, no medical treatment was offered whatever. During his time in custody, he claimed, he saw numerous fellow inmates pass out as they sat in the holding area. Three, he believes, died from their injuries.
At one point, a group of abbots from a monastery thought to be sympathetic to the military regime were brought in to ask the monks to swap their filthy robes for civilian clothes. The request, however, was interpreted as a symbolic "defrocking" designed to humiliate them. It prompted an outburst from the prisoners that led some of their soldier guards to show remorse. Some of the monks said to the soldiers, 'You are committing a religious crime by trying to remove our robes from us, how can you do this?'
Anna from singapore wrote to me sending a prayer (by charlie elkind):Pray clearly for
Pray silently
from the core of your being.
Pray for healing.
Pray for humanity.
Pray deeply --
the prayer and the praying
become one.
. "Power of Love might not be enough", says monk who feld Rangoon Terror. “Politics is not the concern of the monks but this time we saw the people getting poorer and poorer and their trouble get bigger and bigger. We thought the monks could negotiate between the regime and the people and show loving kindness to both sides.” - Vida, 48, were among the first monks to escape from Rangoon.
MEANWHILE our totally hypocrite, so called 'big powers' and international authorities are still busy with their STUPID sanction gameplay, childish debates in lame security council and fruitless UN drafts of condemnation!
... big question remains, Can this extra-ordinary saffron revolution bring peoples' right and democracy in Myanmar?
:: Further Resources:
. global protets held for myanmar
. escape from Myanmar
. thousands march around the world to protest crackdown
. myanmar dissidents claim 6000 arrests, military says 500
. may freedom and peace find its place in myanmar
. online petition - stand with Burmese protestors
Post to Del.icio.us
| posted by Sadiq Alam @ 1:07 PM
4 comments
links to this post
4 Comments:
If Myanmar had oil, there would be US troops in there already, or Chinese troops. They are a poor and forgotten country, but the spiritual bravery of the monks may indeed, inshallah, wake the world from its apathy. It took 9/11 for the US to care what the Taliban did in Afghanistan, it may take more and more stories of the bravery and courage of the monks and the people and the repression of the government before the world cries Enough! Inshallah, it will come soon. Free Burma!
Pray deeply for the monks in this holy month......
Free Burma and God willing it will come and come very soon.
thanks for the post.
Thank you, Sadiq, for sharing what i wrote to you. In Buddhism, it is a very grave negative karma to kill monks and nuns. This is also reminiscent of how the Communist Chinese troops over-ran Tibet in the 1950s and killed thousands of Tibetan monks and destroyed numerous monasteries. China is likely to find it embarrassing to reproach Myanmar when they had done the same thing in Tibet, continue to occupy Tibet and slowly stripping away the country's culture and spiritual practices in the name of progress and modernity.
Buddha taught this:
Nothing better than patience is found.
Whoever, when strong,
is forbearing
to one who is weak:
that's the foremost patience.
There's no reproach for one who is strong,
guarding -- guarded by -- Dhamma.
You make things worse
when you flare up at someone who's angry.
Whoever doesn't flare up at someone who's angry
wins a battle hard to win.
You live for the good of both
-- your own, the other's --
when, knowing the other's provoked,
you mindfully grow calm.
When you work the cure of both
-- your own, the other's --
those who think you a fool
know nothing of Dhamma."
Blessings to all.
.
Beautiful post, prayer, and comments...
Today, 10/8 is Interfaith Prayer Day...
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home