Burmese protesters defy junta's threat of crackdown

One of the most repressive regimes in the world is facing spontaneous protests marches of Buddhist monks, even general populace have joined them in their non-violent movement against Burmese military dictators. The reason for this march is the following along with a subtle others that can be found anywhere where people's very basic rights of freedom are trampled and thwarted by bayonets and muzzles of guns:

"......want an apology for the beating and arrest of several monks at a protest three weeks ago. They also want the junta to roll back the steep fuel price increases that touched off the demonstrations in the first place, and for the government to release political prisoners."

Yesterday more than 100,000 took the streets like all the previous days, and today is no different. Only difference is that the uneasy Burmese regime have started to counter the monks and general populace by putting military back on the street in various disguises:

".......troops had infiltrated the demonstrated by disguising themselves as monks, planning to spark violence in order to justify a crackdown."

Why has the military junta so far kept their restraints? Here are some possible reasons explained in The Independent:

"For the regime, the stakes are huge. Every day, the number of ordinary people willing to risk the police and militia grows. Every day, the increasingly large numbers of people join the monks as they march for miles through the country's major cities calling for change. The key question is whether the government will respond with shocking violence as it has in the past or seek a compromise with the demonstrators in an effort to head off the challenge peacefully.

Observers believe that pressure from China, Burma's most important trading ally, may have been responsible for what has so far been a cautious response from the regime, seeking to avoid confrontation with the monks who are highly revered in Burmese society."

In order to justify a crackdown the military junta is not sparing any steps, even fabrication of violence is in their hidden cards of elitist rules. Will the people power, bottled up frustrations from years of oppressions overcome these deceitful and ferocious ploys?

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Burmese protesters defy junta's threat of crackdown

An audio report from Burma by Voice of America:
Ramirez report (MP3) - Download 656K