The Burmese state radio station, Radio Myanmar, reported that one person had been killed and three others injured - the first official confirmation that the violence had caused casualties.
Earlier, a hospital source in Rangoon told the BBC that the monks were beaten with rifle butts, and that taxi drivers had transported the injured to nearby medical facilities.
There were unconfirmed reports of at least three deaths on Wednesday, including a civilian, and two monks who were killed near the Shwedagon pagoda. State radio spoke only of one death.
Read the report here. (Photo taken from BBC News Online).
If you wanna see more pics (and even some videos), head over to this Burmese blogger's site here.
ADDENDUM: Here's the latest from BBC Online (as at 0331 hours, UK time). While most of us here in M'sia were sleeping last nite/early this morning, authorities stormed into monasteries and arrested "scores of monks" in an attempt to try to "stem a rising tide of protest". Read about it here.
On a side note, while many nations in the west are calling for sanctions and/or other measures (including a threat from Brown himself!!!) so that the junta stops the violence, guess what was M'sia's response? Oh, they were concern alright. Concern for THEMSELVES!!!! Not long after spouting crap on BBC's Hardtalk recently, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar was quoted saying that the situation in Burma is worrisome - because it is an embarrassment for ASEAN!!! He went on to say that if not settled, it would be a joke on ASEAN that it could not resolve it!!!!!!!! Don't believe me? Read it here.
Malaysians, think hard before voting in the next elections.
Back on the home front, i called up me mate yesterday at about half 12, checking to see if the lawyers were all beaten up and thrown into jail. They weren't. They were just starting their march!!!! She explained that the delay was caused (they were supposed to start the march at 11 am) because authorities did not allow the buses ferrying the lawyers into Putrajaya!!!!
So in the end, all these lawyers had to make the trek all the way into Putrajaya under the afternoon sun, all decked in their black suits!!!! Must have been quite a sight to behold.
I must ask wat is all the bus-stopping all about???? Is the government afraid of a group of lawyers walking peacefully, protesting against corruption? Was it a desperate attempt to to stop them?
Well, they (the lawyers) stood their ground and physical inconvenience did not deter them. Good for you all!!! One blogger even commented that in view of this, there'll be no more lawyer-bashing jokes... for one month!
p/s - pic of lawyers marching taken from The Star Online.
*Arguably, their biggest hit ever, peaking at #1 in the US in 1991, arguably their biggest hit ever. Kinda ironic since they are a funk metal group and this is an acoustic piece.
3 comments:
I was there last month staying in one of the hotels. I saw the burmese blog and in several pic, ppl are all flooding around the hotel where i normally stayed! And i tot i could make a trip there next month. Looks like i gotta postpone it till its safer.
-KC
you were there for business??? aiding the military junta???
can i follow you next time?
Actually I was trying to preach to them monks... there are no chain in the Gospel. We are all free ppl. I guess they overeacted.
Did you know the curfew will last for 50days? My agent told me. Situation better now. My new chemist just told me.
-KC
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