Forum for Democracy in Burma Strongly Denounces
Burmese Authorities' Brutal Suppression of Buddhist Monks

7 September 2007

Over 500 Buddhist monks from Pakhokku in Magwe Division staged a peaceful protest march on 5 September 2007 in sympathy for the sufferings of the people of Burma. They held placards reading, "Decrease Commodity Prices"; "For Justice"; and "Release Arrested-Demonstrators," while chanting.
  
The State Peace and Development Council's (SPDC) military troops and police response was disproportionate and cruel. They blocked the march, fired gun-shot warnings into the air to disperse the crowd, and used bamboo sticks to maliciously beat and drag away both onlookers and protesting monks alike. Three monks were tied to lamp-posts and severely beaten, while others were detained, interrogated and forcibly disrobed.
 
"Such brutal treatment of our religious leaders by the Burmese authorities is not acceptable to the people of Burma, or to anyone who values religious freedom," said Dr. Naing Aung, Secretary General of Thai-Burma border based organization, Forum for Democracy in Burma. "These acts are not only state-sponsored human rights violations but deep insults to the Buddhist faith. We strongly denounce such senseless and criminal acts of violence against our Buddhist monks."
 
FDB firmly demands that the SPDC military government:

1. Publicly discloses the truth about this violent incident and takes legal action against those persons responsible;
2. Addresses the economic and political issues raised by the Buddhist monks.

Finally, FDB calls on all religious communities in Burma to pressure the SPDC to cease such inappropriate actions against religious personnel.
 
Policy Forum
Forum for Democracy in Burma
 
 
For more information, please contact:
Zaw Zaw Htun           (Tel: +66 81 5323177; E-mail: zawzawhtun@dpns.org)
Soe Aung                    (Tel: +66 81 8399816; E-mail: thanatpet2004@yahoo.com)