Firing Tear Gas at Monks in Burma [Update 2]

Sorry, Jeff. This isn't the blog I told you I'd have, but it's still on it's way. In the meantime, I got this email from Diana Lee Hirschi today, and felt it was worth dragging myself away from work for a moment.

Greetings. Suggested political action courtesy France Barrel, Amnesty International:

"May we be free of torture, may there be peace in hearts and minds as our kindness spreads around the world."

Protect the protesters



"May we be free of torture." This was the chant of pro-democracy protesters in Burma (Myanmar) this past week. Yesterday, security forces began a violent crackdown on the protests, led by 30,000 red-robed monks.

The military government's forces clubbed and tear-gassed protesters, fired shots into the air, and arrested dozens if not hundreds of monks. Several people were reportedly shot to death.
You can take action now to prevent more violence by the military government. Send a message today asking the UN Security Council to oppose this violent crackdown and do everything in their power to prevent further bloodshed.
When the people of Burma last staged mass pro-democracy protests back in 1988, the military junta murdered thousands. But history does not have to repeat itself.
Please take action today -- and ask your friends and family to do the same. Together we can act now in solidarity with the brave people of Burma.

Thank you,
Larry Cox
Executive Director

The suggested action is to spend 2 seconds to click on the web page to send Bush a letter asking the UN Security Council to intervene. It's not hard, please take a moment to do it. And if you want more info about what is happening, Google News has it all.

It's depressing that things like this and Darfur are going on, yet Bush thinks it's more important to fight over oil in Iraq.

[Update]
CNN is reporting that there may be satellite photos to prove the abuses that have been happening. Let's not let this be the only thing done by a Bush to address the wrongs taking place there:

In a plea to Myanmar's ruling military regime, Mrs. Bush said earlier this week, "I want to say to the armed guards and to the soldiers: Don't fire on your people. Don't fire on your neighbors." Her remarks were in a Voice of America interview.

[Update 2]
Burma has now shut down the internet, according to another CNN article.

London-based blogger Ko Htike -- who has been one of the most prominent bloggers posting information about the violence -- has vowed to keep up the fight, saying where "there is a will, there is a way."

"I sadly announce that the Burmese military junta has cut off the Internet connection throughout the country," he said on his blog Friday. "I, therefore, would not be able to feed in pictures of the brutality by the brutal Burmese military junta."

[...]

He told CNN.com a day earlier that he has as many as 40 people in Myanmar sending him photos or calling him with information. They often take the photos from windows from their homes, he said.

Myanmar's military junta has forbidden such images, and anyone who sends them is risking their lives.

"If they get caught, you will never know their future. Maybe just disappear or maybe life in prison or maybe dead," he told CNN.

Why would they take such risks?

"They thought that this is their duty for the country," he said. "That's why they are doing it. It's like a mission."

You don't need to risk your life to help, but speak out - write Bush. And if you know any other action sites on this topic, please let me know in the comments.