Uh oh. The violence grows.Meanwhile, the Singapore government, which is also the current chairman of ASEAN, still has nothing more to say than these three sentences:80-year-old disabled monk protester 'bashed'
AT least 17 Buddhist monks were injured when Burma's security forces violently dispersed their peaceful anti-junta protest today, witnesses said.
All 17 were injured around midday when police baton-charged a group of monks and mainly young protesters near the Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar's holiest shrine, the witnesses said.
Among the wounded was an 80-year-old monk who witnesses said was beaten about the head by security forces.
The elderly monk has participated in the daily anti-junta protests in Rangoon although he cannot walk and has to be carried.
Hospital officials have refused to comment on any injuries stemming from the crackdown.
Despite the violence, tens of thousands of people remained on the streets of Yangon, scattered across the city, witnesses said.
In the outlying township of Ahlone, about 300 monks protested but were blocked by armed soldiers who began firing over their heads, witnesses said.
The monks urged the people to stay away from the protest, but when the bullets started whizzing overhead, hundreds of people sat on the ground around the monks in a show of solidarity, the witnesses said.
"I felt so sorry when I saw this scene. I've never seen this kind of violence. I feel so sorry for the monks," one woman said by telephone from Ahlone.
"Singapore is deeply concerned by reports of clashes between protestors and security forces in Yangon. We urge the Myanmar authorities to exercise utmost restraint. We call upon all parties to avoid provocative actions and to work towards reconciliation and a peaceful resolution of the situation."
21 comments:
But of course, Burmese dictator Than Shwe is a close friend and business associate of the pappies. Don't want to lose that money source.
Don't be surprised some of the pappies are secretly cheering the junta on but outwardly expressing 'concern', just to be politically correct on the safe side. Because, if the conditions were right and some despot had his way, there would be a Tiananmen in Singapore.
typical government response. in fact, it's exactly the same as most ASEAN declarations. it goes, blablabla is concerned with blablabla.
Singapore should train the Myanmar military goons to circle the monks and prevent them from marching, like what they did to Chee and his sister during last yr's Hong Lim protest. Very effective leh LOL.
Hi Wang,
Altho most of us think that this will be a Tiananmen sequel, none of us expected the Berlin Wall to fall and the Warsaw Pact to crumble so quickly.
So let's just cross our fingers and hope for a positive outcome.
But whatever it is, some bloodshed will be spilled before the end-game!
Dr.Huang
Singapore, of course, is concerned but concerned for who: the junta or the monks?
It would not be surprised that the General's family may be in Singapore to rest in our clean and orderly country, away from their own "troublesome" country.
We are always a good host to a lot of "very important and special friends".
But, we should remember that our esteemed (most senior) leader ever said that he would kill 200,000 people to have 100 years of peace.
Is he going to dish out this same advice to the General too?
soon.. it will be like south vietnam... the monk will start to burn themsleves on the street as a protest....
by then.. pap has to choose their side...
How to comment without being called a hypocrite, especially if you don't have the moral authority ?
Our own human rights records is so apalling poor, less it will be like the kettle calling the pot black.
That's the dilemna of a dictatorial govt.
What is the roles and responsibilities of the chairman for ASEAN in the first place??
You are cynical Mr Wang. Your main purpose of the article is again to chide the Singapore Government. What do you expect them to say or do.Maybe you can teach them.
UN, Eurpoe has come out to make strong statements. I wonder why is ASEAN so quiet. Are we tolerating these crap dished out by the Burmese Junta??!!! The Junta shld sit up & listen to the ppl.
I hate to be the dissenting voice here, but I really think Singapore is better off just keeping her mouth shut. Any intervention should be done on a clandestine level only.
We are, after all, really very small and fragile. And I think no amount of positive thinking is going to change that.
I felt so disgusted by the treatment of the dictators on the civilians and monks. They are simply inhuman.
The junta has followed in the footsteps of its closest Asian partner and mentor. Last night's raid on the monks takes me back to one such night in the history of our small island which although not ruled by Generals (perhaps a few)is still ruled by a elite few. Perhaps the "concern" was why did the ruling junta allow such a thing to happen in the first place or why it was not crushed quietly and efficently like we do it.
Update:
"ST Sep 27, 2007
S'pore 'deeply troubled'
SINGAPORE is deeply troubled and concerned by reports that the demonstrations in Yangon have been suppressed by force and has urged the Myanmar authorities to exercise utmost restraint.
It has also welcomed the decision of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to send Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari to Myanmar, saying that it fully supported any initiative by the UN that would defuse the situation.
A spokesman for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs said yesterday that Singapore 'urges the Myanmar authorities to admit Mr Gambari into Myanmar and grant him full access to all players in Myanmar'.
'A peaceful resolution to the situation in Myanmar will require the cooperation and involvement of all parties, including the military.'
The spokesman pointed out that the situation in Myanmar affected all Asean countries.
'We hope that the Myanmar authorities and all other parties in Myanmar will appreciate the broader implications of their actions on the region as a whole and act accordingly.
'The UN offers the best hope for a peaceful resolution of the situation. We call upon the Myanmar authorities to take advantage of Mr Gambari's planned visit to defuse the situation,' the spokesman added.
Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo, who is currently in New York for the UN General Assembly session, has urged all parties in Myanmar to work towards national reconciliation and has assured Mr Gambari of Singapore's full support.
Noting that the UN security Council is due to meet on the situation, the spokesman added that Mr Yeo, in his capacity as the current Chairman of the Asean Standing Committee, has held consultations with his Indonesian counterpart, Hassan Wirajuda, and other Asean members.
Indonesia is currently a non-permanent member of the Security Council."
ought to actually sympathise w/ the junta to some extent though, given the extent of disruptions caused. Surely, if people here ever launched protests on such scales persistently in the CBD, quite likely it'd turn ugly much more quickly, as opposed to a week of peaceful demonstrations taking place, assuming a large enough group could even be inspired to protest in the first place. In that respect, at least they're better off than us.
Does it mean that Pappies do not have any confidence in the junta anymore? Seems like it.
Read this:
"The unrest is a sensitive issue for the Chinese government, which is one of the Myanmar junta's closest allies and is constantly on guard against an uprising against its own rule"
from: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/
stories/afp_asiapacific/view/
302394/1/.html
Anonymous said...
You are cynical Mr Wang. Your main purpose of the article is again to chide the Singapore Government. What do you expect them to say or do.Maybe you can teach them.
September 27, 2007 2:19 AM
-----------------------------
^^^
Very simple...
Stop ALL business dealings with members of the military junta in Myanmar. If Than Shwe wants to go to the Singapore General Hospital for some exclusive medical treatment (again), tell him to get lost.
And improve your own human rights record.
THEN, and only then, can the Singapore government have the moral right to 'express concern', 'call for restraint', 'appeal for calm to the conflict' blah blah blah.
In the meantime, shut the fuck up.
Are there any GLC or Temasek holdings investments in Myanmar that causes the concern (i.e. concerned that something like Shin Corp collapse would happen)?
time for our well-trained well-equiped SAF to strike!
On second thought, we should wait after the whole thing is over then go and clean up the dead bodies.
Stand with the Burmese Protesters. http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/tf.php?cl_tf_sign=1
This is how the SG gov helping the junta.
http://www.moeyyo.com/MM/archives/001005.html
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