Communities dominate Burmese Juntas

I spoke on Radio 4 today, where Mike Short pointed out that Mobile phones enabled us to get a better insight into what exactly the Military Junta were doing to try and suppress the Peoples cry for a free society. Via video, pictures and SMS.

We all deserve a free society, and I say lets see if communties cannot dominate bad dictorships.

As Bob Marley sang

Get up stand up. Stand up for your rights. Get up stand up dont give up without a fight

I ask every one of our readers to become one voice in saying that Burmese people deserve a better life.

Please join me in that effort with your support at this blogsite or elsewhere.

To support these people. If we can collectively apply pressure it becomes a bigger voice.

I have never before asked our readership to participate. But I ask you now lend your support, And make your voice heard.

The BBC says

Thousands of Buddhist monks have protested in several Burmese cities in escalating protests against the military government. In the western port city of Sittwe, nearly 2,000 monks demanded the release of four monks arrested on Tuesday.

About 1,000 monks marched through Mandalay, and several hundred more in Rangoon, the former capital.

And today we hear of beatings a nun died and the knifing to death and shooting of buddhist monks

And this is from the Guardian

Around 1,000 Buddhist monks, flanked by thousands of onlookers, marched through Burma's principal city today as the protests against the country's military regime gathered momentum. One group of monks assembled at the famous hilltop Shwedagon pagoda in Rangoon before marching through the city centre, pausing briefly outside the US embassy.

Thousands of city residents walked alongside or behind them in heavy rain to form a protective human chain around the monks as they prayed at the Sule pagoda in the centre of Rangoon, Burma's capital until last year.

Some of the monks reportedly carried small banners that summarized the grievances of the public: “Sufficiency in food, clothing and shelter, national reconciliation, freedom for all political prisoners.

Surely its not a lot to ask for?

So military Junta I hope you are watching because WE ARE

Comments

[Katrin Verclas]

Alan, thanks for this. Some of the footage, taken at great personal risk with mobiles and other cameras, and then smuggled out for people like us around the world to see, is truly moving, courageous, and incredibly powerful. We have been tracking the pictures over at http://mobileactive.org/ and it seems that a lot of it is still coming out via mobile though there are some reports that the mobile carriers are now completely shut down and Internet bandwidth throttled.

There is an incredibly beautiful and poignant picture at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7013852.stm that shows a hand-made sign: May all beings always well and happy, may they be free from danger and enmity, may they live peacefully.

The thoughts and prayers and most heartfelt wishes for a free and democratic Burma from the community at Mobileactive.org are with the monks and protesters.

Katrin

[David Cushman]

Thanks Alan. Will try to get something on my blog asap.
I often quote the example of Tiananmen Square. Could it happen in today's world of constantly connected communities?
I guess the bad bits could - but I wonder if the final result would be different.
I wonder if we are about to find out. My thoughts are with the Burmese.
Brings a whole new and powerful meaning to the age old phrase: "a problem shared is a problem halved" doesn't it?

[Alan moore]

Dear David and Katrin,

Thank you for your responses and thoughts.

I hope others might respond and or contribute

Thanks for posting

Alan