Military raids monasteries, bashes monks and students: Rangoon
News Type: Event — Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:35 PM IST
China and Russia vetoed the U.S.-backed resolution indicating that sanctions would not be effective.
China"s UN Ambassador Wang Guangya said, “We believe sanctions are
not helpful for the situation down there," while Vitaly Churkin,
Russia"s UN envoy said that the country needed first a “return to
security."
The White House has called on China, as Myanmar"s biggest trading
partner, to talk to the military leadership to bring pressure on the
country to exercise restraint.
UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon dispatched special envoy for Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari, to Myanmar, although there are doubts that the envoy will be allowed to enter Burma.
The United Nations Secretary General"s office said Thursday that Burma has agreed to allow special envoy Ibrahim Gambari to visit the country.
Sep 27, 2007 (DVB)–Further casualties have been reported as security
forces continue their crackdown on the demonstrations in Rangoon.
Protestors came under fire on Thamada road, where one university
student was shot in the forehead and died on the spot. A monk at the
same location was shot in the back and wounded, and a youth was also
shot and wounded.
A foreign national is said to have been shot on Sule pagoda road, a block away from Traders Hotel.
There are continued reports of gunfire at Pansodan bridge.Japn news agency says that Japanese photo grapher has been killed and BBC reports foriegn journalist surrounded and ransaked in Rangoon hotel.
About 700 monks and civilians were arrested late last night
following a brutal attack by the military on at least three monasteries
in Rangoon.
At the Ngway Kyar Yan Monastery in South Okkalapa township eyewitnesses described the scene of the arrests as unbelievable.
“Many spots of blood could still be seen in the morning in the monastery compound and nearby," one witness said.
Eyewitnesses said three trucks filled with soldiers arrived at the
monastery at about 12:15am this morning. When the monks refused the
soldiers" demand to open the gate, a fight broke out in which both
sides hurled bricks at each other for about 20 minutes.
The soldiers eventually crashed through the gate with one of the
trucks and used bamboo sticks to beat everyone in the monastery,
including monks, laymen, women and children, some of whom were related
to or were under the care of the head abbot, or sayadaw.
One witness said the soldiers shouted “harsh, abusive words" at the
monks while they were beating them. One monk who had tried to warn the
monastery of the soldiers" approach was beaten unconscious as he lay on
the ground.
Another witness said the soldiers were led by a two-star general who
beat some of the soldiers who were reluctant to harm the monks. The
attack lasted about 90 minutes, ending when about 60 monks and 40
laypeople were tossed into waiting trucks and driven to an unknown
destination.
Broken glass and monks" robes could be seen scattered on the ground after the soldiers departed.
“The army stole everything from the monastery – cassette players,
radios, money that had been donated, everything they could take," one
witness said.
Among the arrestees were the second chief of the monastery, Sayadaw
U Uttama, and another senior sayadaw, U Dhammadainna. However, the head
sayadaw, who is a member of the State Sangamahanayaka Committee, was
meditating in a hidden location in the monastery at the time of the
assault and escaped arrest, as did a number of monks who were able to
flee the soldiers.
People in the neighbourhood around the monastery gathered in the
compound at dawn, many of them breaking into tears when they saw the
devastation the military had left behind.
“It"s impossible to believe that the government would brutalise the
holy monks who represent our religion in this way," one bystander said.
Reports from Rangoon also indicate that soldiers raided several
monasteries around the Moe Gound Pagoda and the Maggin monastery in
Thingyangyun which provides accomodation to people living with HIV and
AIDS. The incidents are though to have greatly increased the ire of
monks throughout the city.
“The government is not doing this for stability. This is sacrilege
directed at the religion we believe in," one Buddhist said. On Sep 26,
2007 as reported (DVB)–As demonstrations continue today in Rangoon,
police have responded with crackdowns across the city, reportedly
leaving some monks injured.
At 11.30am protesting monks tried to reach Shwedagon pagoda through
the stairwell on its eastern side. On realising the gates were closed,
the monks came back down the hill and tried to negotiate with pagoda
officials to gain access to the pagoda compound, but encountered riot
police who were waiting on the hill.
“The police were armed with shields and batons and they shouted
profanities at the monks while beating them up. I saw about 5 to 10
young novices with their heads bleeding," said an eyewitness, who
claimed that some officers at the back of the group were armed with
automatic rifles.
Witnesses have also reported a number of crackdowns in other areas
of Rangoon, with riot police throwing tear gas grenades. A total of
about 20 grenades were said to have been used.
On Bahan (3) road, near Shwedagon pagoda, police armed with bamboo
sticks were seen beating monks, nuns and civilians as they tried to
flee. A local resident reported seeing protestors running through the
streets to escape police, and other witnesses have reported that tear
gas grenades were used.
Despite the crackdowns, protestors are continuing to demonstrate,
with groups of protestors from different places coming together to
march towards Sule pagoda. The police response has increased tensions,
and witnesses have heard people shouting profanities at passing
military trucks.
DVB correspondents
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