Monks continue protests on streets of Burma

Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

November 5, 2007 - In the second such instance after the September protests in Burma, over 50 monks marched peacefully in Mogok town in upper Burma.

A protesting monk told the BBC Burmese service that, "the peaceful walk is because so far the government has not complied with the demands of the Burmese Monk Alliance made in September. We are not afraid because we are not destabilizing the state and not resorting to violence".

"In the future, if they (junta) move towards democracy, they will have to accept and welcome these peaceful protests. We will not have to care about action being taken by means of unfair laws and so we will protest," the monk added.

On Wednesday, around 100 monks in Pakokku in central Burma held a peaceful protest march, in the first of such instance after the junta's brutal crackdown on protesters in September, and ahead of UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari's trip to Burma.

Coinciding with the Pakokku protest, the junta shut off the internet on Thursday. The next day following the monks' rally the intranet was available.

In Sittwe, the townspeople had tried to protest on October 28, but the demonstration did not take place because of heightened security.

"Although the planned protest did not take place, the protests will go on. Here people are dissatisfied," U Mg Mg, a businessman in Sittwe, the capital of the Arakan state, told Mizzima.

During the night of October 29, students from Sittwe pasted many cartoon posters which said "Buddhaan Tranan Dai Dai (Kill all Buddha)," "Danman Tranan Dai Dai (Kill all Dhamma)" and "Thinga Tharanan Dai Dai (Kill all Monks)" at the entrances of temples and monasteries throughout Arakan State capital, reported Bangladesh based Narinjara News Agency.

Meanwhile, authorities are reportedly imparting riot trainings to police and civil servants in Sagaing, Rangoon, Mandalay, Pegu and Moulmein towns and parts of Arakan state.