The "Saffron Revolt" in Myanmar has met with the inevitable hail of gunfire. There has been a military junta in control of that country since the early 1960's (some call them "socialist," which they are NOT). The current head pickle is Senior General Than Shwe. After a sharp increase in fuel prices in late August, Buddhist monks took up the cause for the poor and began protests. Small at first, they are now huge, peaceful marches of 100,000 people, almost daily. They call it the "Saffron Protest" because of the color of the monks' robes.Naturally, the junta became fearful and a few hours ago security forces began shooting into crowds of peaceful protesters. The last I heard is that 10 were killed, I don't know how many casualties in total. Very sad. One protester held a sign that read, "We are all connected in existence" and then something about love and compassion.
Of all the nerve.
I'm not going to pretend that I'm an expert on Myanmar politics. I know enough of the broad strokes to follow the events in a rough fashion. It's not cynical to think that those with the money and guns almost always win, that's the reality. Change will come to Myanmar, of that I'm sure, but not until many are killed and injured. So many are led to the exit early and pushed out. I know not their names, what made them laugh, why they chose to become monks, their thoughts on god, nature and the universe, or anything about any of the people killed every day by other people...for this reason or that.
Incredibly, China contacted Myanmar and asked that they show "restraint" in dealing with the protests. That's called chutzpah.
More later, I have to go paint a flat!
2 comments:
what a coincidence! I had to paint a round today.
Anyway. If my wife ever leaves me, and I become penniless and homeless, I think I'm going to join a monastery and become a monk. I'm ready to give up on this whole rat-race society thing.
Apparently, you're not ready...you have a wife and a job you LOVE. Okay, perhaps not "love" but it provides you with ducets. It's a good back-up plan, though, and I was into Buddhism as a Unitarian Universalist years ago, for about fifteen minutes. It's the only religion I truly respect and admire. No fear of science and a love of compassion. If I weren't a stone cold existential nihilist/atheist I'd give it a shot.
I read this morning that the government in Myanmar "shut down" the Internet. How is that possible?
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