BUDDHIST MONKS AND CIVILIANS UNITE TO OPPOSE MILITARY DICTATORSHIP

The situation in Myanmar or Burma is at once awe inspiring and powerful. Tens of thousands of monks and others have united to challenge an oppressive military dictatorship. It is a great nonviolent struggle at this point. Today monks were reportedly killed and another person, six in all.

I wonder how the monks came to this point? How long did they plan and was there some event that triggered their street protests?

I don't know what efforts may have been made in the past to control the monks. It looks like this religious superstructure, a sort of pagoda system and of course the monk organizations is the basis for the leadership in this situation.

Interestingly the street demonstrations were of significant size from the outset.

The military does seem to be unable or unwilling to take any action which could prevent the movement from at least developing some social momentum.

Perhaps there are some who will place their lives on the line for peace and justice just as there have been far too many who sacrifice for war and inequity.

Of course there are some and there are many who have struggled for justice. Most were not devoted to war. Few wanted inequity. I think of the Palestinean intifada which was noviolent, in terms of harming people, until many Palestineans were murdered by the Israeli settlers and armed forces.