Ironic Surrealism II

Please scroll down for a most important update. OMG!

Than Shwe an enigma

(photo: AP Photo/David Longstreath)

The Yomiuri Shimbun

The supreme decision-making body of Myanmar is the State Peace and Development Council, whose chairman is Senior Gen. Than Shwe, who is also the commander in chief of the armed forces, the Tatmadaw.

Than Shwe, 74, who serves as both head of state and defense secretary, assumes the full power of the council.

The junta has a Cabinet, but it has no power to make key policy decisions.

During World War II, the Tatmadaw–which was founded and trained by the Imperial Japanese Army–expelled the British Indian Army, and then played a significant role during anti-Japanese campaigns.

The Tatmadaw then became the driving force behind the modern state’s foundation, winning national respect.

Because of the long-lasting rule by the junta, the military has developed ever more elite status, attracting some of the most talented people in the country.

However, the junta, which on the surface appears under the control of the collective leadership of the SPDC, is in fact a personality cult under Than Shwe’s dictatorship.

“When Than Shwe nods his head, it means yes. When he shakes his head, it’s no. It’s no use trying to guess the future direction of Myanmar policy in light of past experiences,” a diplomatic source said.

When the relocation of the capital from Yangon to Naypyidaw was announced in 2005, it became a topic of speculation that Than Shwe’s decision to relocate was based on divination.

The truth behind this has never been clarified.

Both Than Shwe’s authoritarian rule and the junta’s hard-line stance became increasingly belligerent after Gen. Khin Nyunt, who as prime minister was the third highest-ranking politician and also dovish enough to serve as a liaison to Aung San Suu Kyi, fell from power in 2004.

It has been pointed out that top military officials allegedly have been engaging in backdoor deals as the junta’s rule drags on.

It is well known that Than Shwe’s son-in-law is heavily involved in business deals.

Gen. Thura Shwe Mann, the hawkish No. 3 in the government, is seen as the likely successor to Than Shwe, though Deputy Senior Gen. Maung Aye, vice chairman of the SPDC, is technically above him.
(Sep. 29, 2007)

Lady Vorzheva is covering the horrific situation in Burma/Mayanmar.

NINE KILLED IN BURMA TODAY! @ Spanish Pundit

Found in Burmanet.org.

This man has no legs but yet he stands against the military. This is a real brave man!

The result of the crackdown: a monk’s sandals totally stained with blood.

Also see…Military junta cuts Internet access in Burma

Kids are even caught in the crossfire…

Young demonstrator shot to death Sept 27 Rangoon

Burma blogger Ko Htike is doing the best one can do to try and cover the protests, and the military junta’s retaliation, under the circumstances. I am posting a couple of Ko’s photos to illustrate the scope of the uprising.

Link

Link

Tear gas

What they are up against.

Photos taken from Ko’s blog credited to Ko Htike.

Burma’s cyber-dissidents

Burma’s bloggers are using the internet to beat censorship, and tell the world what is happening under the military junta’s veil of secrecy.

Burmese-born blogger Ko Htike, based in London, has transformed his once-literary blog into a virtual news agency and watched page views rise almost tenfold.

He publishes pictures, video and information sent to him by a network of underground contacts within the country.

“I have about 10 people inside, in different locations. They send me their material from internet cafes, via free hosting pages or sometimes by e-mail,” he told the BBC News website.

“All my people are among the Buddhists, they are walking along with the march and as soon as they get any images or news they pop into internet cafes and send it to me,” he said.

Ko Htike is one of a number of Burmese online activists, almost all based beyond the country’s borders.

Think it Couldn’t Happen Here?

Updates:
Via Ko’s blog
http://ko-htike.blogspot.com/2007/09/blog-post_27.html

To all folk, it is really bad in YGN, pLs can someone do something for our country, now inside YGN it has been look like War Zone, i even heard stooting over the phone. it is over 50 shots, right now. but people are not giving up to protest and more and more people coming out to street.

they even used tear gas into primary school.

Now, the government is trying to make a diversion. They give 10,000 kyats (around $7) & a set of Thin Gan(yellow robe) to “Swan Arr Shin”(like USDA which the form as a group that to crash down violently to protester) team and make them to pretend as Monks. Then, command to destroy the Islamic Mosque. This intends to become a fight between Buddhisms & Islams. So, if u hear or see the news that the monks are destroying the Mosque, these are not real monks. They are just fakes. As u all know, the real monks have no intention like that. So, give this information to Islams who u know and tell them
—————————————————————————————————-
Today picture in Sule around noon before open fire(now regime open fire into these group, and used fireengine to sweep the blood on the street )

15;00 in burma time

right now
they’re using fire engines
and hitting people
and dragging them onto E2000 trucks
and most of them are girls
and people are shouting

i got a news from inside, as below

2.40 am in Burma. Sept 27 morning.
Soldiers Beating and capturing in the Ngwe Kyar Yan Monastry of S/ Oakalapa Tsp now.
People hearing noises from the monastry until.Monks are crying and running arround there.
Please try to spread to spread this URGENTLY.
Another friend told me “now army from ygn is changed with the army from chin state
so there can b worse condition tomorrow than today and now they entering into the monestries at the mid nite time and arrest the monks by trucks.”
Please ask buddhist people to protact the buddhism for the lowest humiliation and insult by taking security duty in the monastries.
Another suggestions her! Very importent too!
As the Junta pointed 86 points to say that protesting monks are not monks but fake. So please also try to find the rules and regulations of a soldier and quote these to say that these soldiers and those who commend them are not soldiers because they break the rule of a good soldier. So please declare publicly that they are terrorist, not soldier. So fight them back.
Thanks

today…. 26/9/07 my duty time part is working on Emergency YGH… at about 2:00 pm 5 patients was coming to our Emergency … for Gun Shot from Government militaries… 1 patients died on d spot on arriving Hospital… ( shot on Bladder ) 4 r still bad in Diagnosis… The patient’s attendant said ” the patient r not in d line of protest… they ( victims ) are just chatting and watching d protest line and sitting on Cafe Bar near Shawe Dagon Pagoda , some r pedestrians” when they watching…. Government military Car was crossing to d protest line and randomly shot all of them … what the insanity and inhumanity of their mind don’t they have self-mind.. that can desire to do or shouldn’t do? don’t they have Family? don’t they have Brain? i was very sorry for victims ( pateints ) and victims’ relatives really insanity , really inhumanity, really selfish to get holding their stupid military Government… really unintelligence .. how to manage the country like in this situation … i always ready to support Protest Monks and People… and wanna treat whenever they get injuries … and all my friends … u also wanna see like that or not …. This PROTEST is our chance to get improving our country among neighbours …

Where is Gambari? Where is he going? how junta is palning to trick on UN?

Gambari will arrive YGN 3:30 pm local time with the Silk Air today. The Junta is planning to take him to NAYPYITAW, which is the official capital of the country where there are not civilian apart from civil servant.

So, what is the reason for Gambri to go to Myanmar? He is … shown the place where no people live and junta trying to blind him, and they will lie to him as usual, finally he might come back with answer … well! .. SPDC is moving toward to Democracy. They will continue to cause blood shed in the streets of Rangoon and other cities ….

In order prevent the crowd gathering near the airport they are asking anyone going near the airport they are also blocking the road to prevent protest at the Air

It is astonishing how strong the human spirit can become when peaceful human beings are pushed to their limit.

UPDATE:

Opposition supporters burnt alive in Yangon crematorium
10/08/2007 13:11
MYANMAR
AsiaNews sources confirm the existence of a crematorium in the suburbs of the former capital to hide the number of victims and add: detainees seriously injured during the September protests are also being thrown in. The junta’s fear of the monks grows: the largest Buddhist monasteries are ordered to transfer outside city limits and seminaries are closed.Continued.

H/T Free Thoughts

Original date published Sept. 28, 2007 18:27

burma monks human rights myanmar junta saffron revolution