Myanmar Condemned by U.K.; EU Seeks Political Change (Update4)

By Alan Crawford and Camilla Hall

Sept. 24 (Bloomberg) -- European governments criticized Myanmar's military regime and backed opposition protests as demonstrators led by Buddhist monks marched in the largest city, Yangon, to demand democratic change.

The U.K. ``deplores the continued repression of ordinary citizens by the Burmese regime,'' Michael Ellam, Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesman, told reporters in London today. Burma is the former name for Myanmar. The government is ``deeply concerned by reports of further acts of violence by security officials against peaceful demonstrators,'' Ellam said.

``There is a golden thread of common humanity that across the nations and faiths binds us together and it can light the darkest corners of the world,'' Brown told the annual conference of his Labour Party in the English resort of Bournemouth. ``The message should go out to anyone facing persecution anywhere from Burma to Zimbabwe: human rights are universal and no injustice can last for ever.''

The European Union urged ``real political reform'' and France noted the widespread ``discontent'' in Myanmar, adding to international pressure on the junta as domestic opposition gathers pace. Monks led about 100,000 people from the Shwedagon Pagoda shrine through Yangon's streets today in the biggest demonstration in the city since a 1988 pro-democracy uprising that was quashed by the military, the Associated Press reported.

Myanmar's government threatened to ``take action'' against the monks, Agence France-Presse reported, citing comments made on state television today attributed to the religion minister, Brigadier General Thura Myint Maung, when he met with senior members of the clergy.

`Held Responsible'

``The junta will be held responsible by the international community for the safety of the protesters,'' France's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. ``The size of the demonstrations and the involvement of the monks underline the discontent of the Burmese people.''

The EU called on Myanmar's leaders to ``exercise utmost restraint in handling demonstrations,'' said Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. ``We hope that the regime will use this opportunity to launch a process of real political reform.''

The German government said it welcomed ``the peaceful course of demonstrations'' in Myanmar. ``If the government of Myanmar is serious about its reform plans, then it must not prevent this expression of opinions,'' Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger said at a news conference in Berlin.

Fuel-Price Revolt

Myanmar has been under international sanctions since 1990, when the army rejected the results of elections won by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. Demonstrations against the regime have intensified since the doubling of some fuel prices last month, posing the biggest challenge to the regime since monks led the 1988 revolt.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday described the Myanmar military junta's abuse of civil rights as brutal.

Two of Myanmar's southeastern Asian neighbors also commented on the country today, with Singapore's government saying it hoped the protests will end without violence, and the Philippines urging the development of democracy.

``Nothing like this has been seen for two decades or more,'' Mark Canning, U.K. ambassador to Myanmar, said in a telephone interview from Yangon. ``Translating this into positive political change will be difficult.''

Economic Hardship

The protests reflect the economic hardship of the people and their frustration at the lack of political progress, Canning said. Gatherings were taking place across Yangon, the former capital, and in other centers such as Mandalay, Canning said. The government had shown ``commendable restraint,'' he said.

Germany, current holder of the presidency of the Group of Eight leading nations, issued a demand together with the Portuguese presidency of the European Union for the release of those arrested during the protests, Jaeger said.

``We also urgently wish that Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who is still in captivity, will be released,'' Jaeger said. ``The German government is monitoring the situation in Myanmar closely.''

Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, also backed the protest. ``I extend my support and solidarity with the recent peaceful movement for democracy in Burma,'' the Dalai Lama said in a statement, AFP reported.

To contact the reporters on this story: Alan Crawford in Berlin at acrawford6@bloomberg.net ; Camilla Hall in London at chall24@bloomberg.net .

Last Updated: September 24, 2007 12:46 EDT

BURMA Threat (junta orders journalists, actors to refrain from protesting, speaking out)

ALERT - BURMA

24 September 2007

Junta orders journalists, actors to refrain from protesting, speaking out

SOURCE: Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), Bangkok

**For further information on the crackdown against reporting on current protests, see IFEX alerts of 14, 12 and 7 September, 31, 30 and 28 August 2007, and others**

(SEAPA/IFEX) - As thousands of ordinary citizens join some 3,000 monks and nuns in the streets of Rangoon and Mandalay on their seventh day of peaceful marches on 24 September 2007, the junta is warning the press from joining the protests, worried that journalists, too, may be emboldened
enough by the deeply moving spectacle to exercise their right to free expression in its most basic form.

Major Tint Swe, the director of the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division, summoned journalists and editors from Rangoon-based periodicals to his office on 23 September and warned them from participating in the anti-junta protests that are gaining momentum by the day, reports the global organisation of exiled journalists Burma Media Association (BMA).

BMA said the order appeared to be a hasty response to the urging of a new group calling itself the Association of Journalists and Artists, for members of both professions to join what is turning out to be the country's biggest protests in two decades.

A journalist told BMA: "All journals and periodicals were also ordered by the Information Ministry to carry an announcement in which we have to state that we are not a part of the association and not interested to take part in the protest."

Actors have been similarly summoned and warned by the authorities, but that did not stop leading actor Kyaw Thu from offering the marching monks alms at the famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon on 24 September.

The junta has full control of all media and information distribution facilities, and imposes prior censorship to ensure that no dissenting views are allowed. Taking to the streets, which carries the risk of imprisonment and torture, is the last resort left to those with views unwelcome by the
junta, which has shown no hesitation in cracking down on pro-democracy groups since it staged a bloody coup in 1988.

Over the past weeks, however, the monks, who are deeply revered in the Buddhist-majority nation, appeared to have paved the way for the long-repressed nation to express their unhappiness with the dictatorial rule. The monks have been marching every day since 18 September after the junta refused to apologise over a recent beating of a group of monks and violent suppression of public demonstrations against a fivefold hike in fuel prices in the impoverished country. More than 100 demonstrators remain in prison after they were arrested for joining the rare mass protests that
started on 19 August.

For further information, contact Roby Alampay, Executive Director, or Chuah Siew Eng, Alerts Coordinator, at SEAPA, 538/1 Samsen Road, Dusit, Bangkok, 10300 Thailand, tel: +662 243 5579, fax: +662 244 8749, e-mail: sieweng@seapa.org, seapa@seapabkk.org, Internet: http://www.seapabkk.org

The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of SEAPA. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit SEAPA.
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Burma (RSF condemns threats against journalists by military censor)

24 September 2007

BURMA: Military censor threatens journalists who support strike call

Reporters Without Borders condemns the threats made yesterday by Maj. Tint Swe, the director of military censorship, against journalists and news media that might be tempted to go on strike. At a meeting in Rangoon to which he summoned all of the city's journalists, he said reprisals would be
taken against journalists supporting a strike call issued for today. A Burmese journalist told Reporters Without Borders that a number of his colleagues were planning to create an Association of Journalists and Artists that supported the current wave of protests in Burma.

"All the newspapers must publish a statement saying they do not recognize this organisation," Maj. Tint Swe told the meeting. "And the managing editors must ensure that journalists do not participate in the strike. If this is not published in the pages of your newspapers, the government will assume that you support the strike." The information minister has meanwhile threatened reprisals against cinema and TV workers after leading actor Kyaw Thu announced his intention to speak out publicly in Rangoon in support of the protests.

------------

BIRMANIE
La junte menace de représailles les journalistes qui s'associeraient aux manifestations

Reporters sans frontières dénonce les menaces proférées par le major Tint Swe, directeur de la censure militaire, à l'encontre des journalistes et des médias qui seraient tentés de participer à un mouvement de grève.

Le dimanche 23 septembre, le Major Tint Swe a tenu une réunion à Rangoon à laquelle étaient convoqués tous les journalistes de la ville. L'officier a menacé de représailles les journalistes qui s'associeraient au mouvement de grève lancé par des journalistes pour le 24 septembre. Selon un journaliste birman interrogé l'organisation, plusieurs professionnels de l'information envisagent la création d'une Association des journalistes et artistes pour fédérer ceux qui souhaitent s'associer aux manifestations en cours dans le pays. « Tous les journaux doivent publier dans leurs pages qu'ils ne reconnaissent pas cette organisation. Et les directeurs de publication doivent veiller à ce que les journalistes ne participent pas à la grève. Si cela n'est pas publié dans vos pages, le gouvernement considérera que vous soutenez la grève », a menacé le chef de la censure militaire.

Le ministre de l'Information a également menacé de représailles les professionnels du cinéma et de la télévision, après l'annonce, par le célèbre acteur Kyaw Thu, de son intention de prendre la parole publiquement à Rangoon en faveur des manifestations.
--
Vincent Brossel
Asia - Pacific Desk
Reporters Sans Frontières
47 rue Vivienne
75002 Paris
33 1 44 83 84 70
33 1 45 23 11 51 (fax)
asia@rsf.org
www.rsf.org

ARTICLE 19 calls for solidarity as monks, people protest for rights

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release - 24 September 2007

Burma: One Hundred Thousand March for Freedom

“The struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma is a struggle for life and dignity.” Aung San Suu Kyi

Reports suggest that more than one hundred thousand Burmese led by Monks have today taken to the streets of Burma’s cities and towns in peaceful demonstration against Burma’s military regime.

“Now is the time for action, not inaction. Now is the time to show the people of Burma that we care, that we listen, that we watch, and that we speak out with them. Now is the time to support them in their peaceful demonstrations and actions for democracy. We cannot and must not turn our backs on them yet again” said Dr Agnès Callamard, Executive Director, ARTICLE 19.

ARTICLE 19 calls:
• On the military regime to respond peacefully to the peaceful voices of the people of Burma, and to do what is right: release Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners, and allow for the establishment of a process leading to democracy;

• On the international community to join in full solidarity with the people of Burma and support their peaceful struggle for freedom of expression and democracy in Burma;

• On the European Union to meet as soon as possible and adopt an affirmative stance on Burma that includes full economic sanctions and proactive dialogue with regional superpowers China, India and Russia on Burma;

• On the United Nations Security Council to adopt an immediate and binding resolution on Burma which includes proactive dialogue with the Burmese Junta to secure the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners and a process leading to the establishment of democracy and respect for human rights, including freedom of expression.

Dr. Callamard adds: “As across Burma where crowds of protestors have formed protective human chains around the monks in their march of protest throughout Burma’s cities, the international community as a whole must now join together in a chain of support for the Burmese protestors. Even despite the relentless freedom of expression restrictions imposed on them, the Burmese people have joined together in an ardent and determined expression of their dissatisfaction towards the regime. We must now use our own freedom of expression to do the same.”

Background:
The protests first started on 19 August 2007 when hundreds of Burmese protestors took to the streets of Rangoon and other cities around the country to protest against the 15 August 2007 fuel price hike. Despite an ongoing crackdown by the regime, the protests have continued and were significantly strengthened last week by the country’s monks who, in response to violence used against them during the protests, enacted Pattanikuzana, a ceremony which effectively amounted to the excommunication
of the military regime from the Buddhist faith. The monks, now peacefully protesting en mass, have been joined by an increasing number of other protestors, including members of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party who, after being elected in 1990, were denied their rightfully won places in parliament.

On Saturday 22 September, in an extraordinary event, hundreds of monks marched to the house of Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Laureate, honourary ARTICLE 19 board member and leader of the NLD, to see her emerge from her home, hands held palm to palm in a Buddhist gesture. The tearful meeting has done much to bolster the Burmese people’s already burning spirit for change. The last time Suu Kyi was seen in public was four years ago, in 2003, and she has been held under house arrest for 11 of the past 17 years.

The military regime has used a range of tactics to restrict the circulation of information on the protests ranging from blocking telephone lines and the already heavily censored Internet to threatening journalists attending the protests and confiscating their cameras and other equipment.

The events of the last five weeks indicate enormous strength, bravery and determination on the part of the Burmese people who are standing up for their freedom. Activists inside the country, however, have indicated that immediate and affirmative support from the international community is essential to the success of their project to restore democracy. We, the international community, must show our support for them at this crucial moment.

The EU, which until now has had a weak and fragmented policy on Burma, should take immediate and collective action to urge regional superpowers China, India and Russia to use their influence on Burma to ensure that the peaceful demonstrations can continue, as well, ultimately, as the release
of Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners, and a process leading to the establishment of democracy and respect for human rights, including freedom of expression.

NOTES TO EDITORS

• For more information: please contact Catrina Pickering, Programme Officer, catrina@article19.org, +44 207278 9292

ARTICLE 19 is an independent human rights organisation that works globally to protect and promote the right to freedom of expression. It takes its name from Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees free speech.

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More than 200 detained over Myanmar protests

Many tortured, says group

Agence France-Presse
Last updated 02:33pm (Mla time) 09/24/2007

BANGKOK -- Myanmar's military rulers have detained 218 people over anti-junta protests that erupted five weeks ago, sometimes subjecting them to beatings during interrogations, a watchdog said Monday.

"Activists have not only been beaten while in detention, but have also been under extreme physical and mental torture," said Bo Kyi, head of the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma).

Most of those arrested were members of Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party or part of the 88 Generation Student movement that kicked off the protests on August 19, he said.

Mon Ko Naing and other leaders of the 88 Generation Student group, who spearheaded a 1988 uprising against the military, have not been allowed any contact with the outside world since they were arrested, Bo Kyi added.

"The authorities have not announced anything about them or allowed anyone to visit them," he said.

Bo Kyi, a former political prisoner who now runs a group that monitors Myanmar's jails, said 46 of the detained protesters are being held in squalid conditions at a police base in Yangon.

"They are not allowed to take showers, and they were not provided enough food. Some people were injured when they were arrested, but they have not been provided with medicine," he said.

Myanmar is believed to have 1,100 political prisoners -- most famously Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent 12 of the last 18 years in detention, usually under house arrest in Yangon.

International rights groups have alleged abuse and torture were rampant in Myanmar's prisons. The International Committee of the Red Cross says it has not been allowed to visit any prisons there since December 2005.

Myanmar anti-junta protests biggest in 20 years

By Aung Hla Tun

YANGON (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people joined Buddhist monks on marches in Myanmar's former capital on Monday in the biggest demonstration against the ruling generals since they crushed student-led protests nearly 20 years ago.

"I'm very excited and frankly I'm worried too," a teacher said as she watched the massed opposition in Yangon to 45 years of army rule that has impoverished the Southeast Asian nation of 53 million people.

A senior U.S. official said President George W. Bush would announce new sanctions against Myanmar's rulers and call for support for political change in the country formerly known as Burma during a speech at the United Nations on Tuesday.

The European Union urged Myanmar's military junta to show the "utmost restraint" in dealing with the demonstrations.

"We hope that the regime will use this opportunity to launch a process of real political reform," said Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

Protests were reported elsewhere in Myanmar, with residents of Sittwe saying it seemed the entire northwestern coastal town of more than 100,000 people was marching with the monks.

"I've never seen such a big crowd in my life. The whole town came out," one said.

In Mandalay, 10,000 monks and people took to the streets. A demonstration also took place in Bago, just north of Yangon.

The junta, which had been silent since the monks' protests began six days ago, threatened them with legal action.

Minister for Religious Affairs Brigadier General Thura Myint Maung was quoted on state-owned radio as telling senior members of the State Monks Council that the protests were incited by "destructive elements who do not want to see peace, stability and progress in the country."

LOCKING ARMS

Earlier, five columns of maroon-robed monks, one stretching more than a kilometre (nearly a mile), marched from Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda, the devoutly Buddhist country's holiest shrine, to the city centre where thousands of people filled five blocks.

"People locked arms around the monks. They were clapping and cheering," a witness said.

Some monks carried placards calling for "Better Living Conditions" and the "Release of Political Prisoners." Another banner said: "May The Peoples' Desire Be Fulfilled."

After holding prayers at the Sule Pagoda in the business district, a crowd estimated at up to 100,000 marched to another pagoda and dispersed peacefully.

For the first time, the marchers included members of parliament elected in 1990 from the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), two days after a dramatic appearance of support for the monks by detained NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Beyond fresh U.S. sanctions, White House national security adviser Stephen Hadley said Bush "is going to announce that there will a visa ban to key individuals associated with the negative activities of the regime, including their families."

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokeswoman issued a statement urging the Myanmar government to show restraint and commending the demonstrators for taking a peaceful approach.

Ban called on the junta to "seize this opportunity to engage without delay in dialogue with all the relevant parties to the national reconciliation process," the statement said.

"IT'S ABOUT REFORM"

What began as anger at sudden steep fuel price rises last month has become a wider movement against the generals, with one monk group calling for peaceful mass protests until the junta fell.

"There's no prospect now of the monks just deciding to abandon this. They are getting braver every day and their demands are getting greater every day, and it's much more overtly political," a Yangon-based diplomat said.

"It's now about Aung San Suu Kyi, it's about reform," the diplomat said. "The monks have got numbers and, if not immunity, then certainly it's much more difficult for the government to crack down on them than ordinary civilians."

Myanmar's regional neighbours, long frustrated by the generals' refusal to speed up reforms, looked on with worry.

"We hope that the ongoing protests will be resolved in a peaceful manner," said the Foreign Ministry of Singapore, one of Myanmar's biggest foreign investors.

There were no signs of trouble during Monday's protests, but rumours of an imminent crackdown swirled in Yangon. One rumour suggested hospitals were being emptied of non-critical patients.

The generals were due to hold a quarterly summit soon in their new capital of Naypyidaw, carved out of the central jungle. Dealing with the protests is sure to top the agenda.

The protests began on August 19 and soon prompted a round-up of the democracy activists who organized them and now face up to 20 years in jail. As the protests have grown, they have drawn public declarations of support from the famous.

The country's biggest stars of the stage, screen and music, including Tun Eindra Bo -- Myanmar's equivalent of Angelina Jolie -- have formed a "Sangkha Support Committee" and pledged to provide the monks with whatever assistance they need.

(Additional reporting by Ed Cropley in Bangkok and Matt Spetalnick in New York)

MYANMAR (BURMA): 30, 000 ON YANGON'S STREETS, 50 PCT MONKS

(AGI) - Yangon, 24th September - The crowds spilling onto the streets of Yangon(formerly Rangoon) have been swelling rapidly, reaching numbers of at least thirty thousand people, half of whom are monks. It was they who set off on yet another march against the military junta which has ruled Myanmar (Burma), for the past 45 years. In doing so they were in disobedience of their Buddhist hierarchies, which are under regime control, who ordered them to return to their monasteries and stop their protests. Today's protests come after five consecutive weeks of daily demonstrations, sparked off by unannounced fuel price rises which are unaffordable to the inhabitants of one of the world's poorest countries. Not only are today's marches the most threatening, they are also the most widespread in the past twenty years in former Burma. The monks ignored the ban against marching, which came from the 'Sangha Nayaka' committee, the organ at the top of the Buddhist clergy, deciding instead to continue with their peaceful demonstration. To begin with, only around five hundred monks set off on a march, but they soon turned into thousands, with a minimum of five thousand pouring onto the streets of the old capital together with a swarm of supporters.

MYANMAR (BURMA): MORE THAN 100, 000 ON YANGON'S STREETS

(AGI) - Yangon, 24th September - The space of a few hours has seen the development of the most impressive protest demonstration to be organised in Yangon over the past five weeks of resistance to the ruling military junta in Myanmar.

According to eye-witness reports, more than one hundred thousand people filled the streets of the Burmese capital, led as ever by Buddhist monks, who have defied the ban imposed on their returning to the streets by their ecclesiastical hierarchy - under the control of the regime - which insisted they return to their monasteries. (AGI)

Myanmar regime steps up violence against journalists, NGOs says

Vienna - Journalists trying to cover the protests in Myanmar have been increasingly affected by government propaganda, censorship and violence, Reporters without Borders and the Burma Media Association said Monday.

The Myanmar government was trying to prevent journalists from doing their jobs covering the protests that began a month ago, the two organizations said in press release. At least 24 'serious violations' of the freedom to report news and information have occurred since August 19.

Pro-government media accused foreign journalists of creating unrest, and reports on articles covering protests against the rising costs of living were rejected by the censorship office, Reporters without Borders said. No visas have been granted to foreign journalists since the begin of the protests.

State-controlled media described the protesters as violent agitators, mobilized by the opposition National League for Democracy and foreign governments. The few foreign journalists working in Rangoon came from countries supporting Myanmar's military regime, the Burma Media Association said.

Reporters without Borders called on ASEAN members to increase pressure on the government in Myanmar to stop these abuses.

According to media reports, 100,000 people participated in the protests on Monday.

Huge anti-government march

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Led by a huge contingent of Buddhist Monks, the largest crowd since a failed 1988 pro-democracy uprising has marched through the heart of Myanmar's (mee-an-MAHRZ') capital.

The crowd swelled to as many as 100,000 after anti-government demonstrators began their march at the country's most sacred shrine and wound through the streets of Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon. Some 20,000 monks took the lead, with onlookers joining in on what had been billed as a day of general protest in the country once known as Burma.

At one point, the march passed by the old campus of Rangoon University, a hotbed of protest in past times. Students were seen joining in.

The 1988 uprising was brutally crushed by the military.

Myanmar anti-government protesters claim 100,000 marching through Yangon

YANGON: As many as 100,000 anti-government protesters led by a phalanx of Buddhist monks marched on Monday through Yangon, the largest crowd to demonstrate in Myanmar's biggest city since a 1988 pro-democracy uprising that was brutally crushed by the military.

Some participants claimed there were several hundred thousand marchers in their ranks, but an international aid agency official with employees monitoring the crowd estimated the size was well over 50,000 and approaching 100,000. From the front of the march, witnesses could see a one-mile stretch of eight-lane road filled with people.

After a week of marching by the monks, the protests have become explicitly political, though the clerics prefer to make their point indirectly through chants and prayers at key locations.

Members of the public who have joined them have taken up chanting the slogans of the pro-democracy movement: national reconciliation, meaning dialogue between the government and opposition parties, freedom for political prisoners, and pleas for adequate food, shelter and clothing.

The monks' protest raised the political ante Saturday when a crowd of more than 500 people was allowed to pass by detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's house, where she greeted them in her first public appearance in more than four years.

Monday's march, launched from the Shwedagon pagoda, the country's most sacred shrine, gathered participants as it wended its way through Yangon's streets under cloudy skies. Some 20,000 monks took the lead, with onlookers joining in on what had been billed as a day of general protest.

The march covered at least 15 kilometers (9 miles), passing by the old campus of Rangoon University, a hotbed of protest in past times. Students were seen joining Monday's march. Marchers also passed the offices of the Defense Ministry, where they said prayers for peace.

Security forces were not in evidence along the march route, though riot police and their vehicles were stationed at intersections leading to Suu Kyi's house.

In the central city of Mandalay, 500-600 monks set off shortly after noon on their own protest march, also undisturbed by the authorities.

The current protests began on Aug. 19 as a movement against economic hardship, after the government sharply raised fuel prices. But they have their basis in long-standing dissatisfaction with the repressive military government.

The monks, who took over a faltering protest movement from political activists, already had managed to bring people into the streets in numbers not seen since the 1988 pro-democracy uprising snuffed out by the army at a cost of thousands of lives.

Diplomats and analysts said Myanmar's military rulers were showing the unexpected restraint because of pressure from the country's key trading partner and diplomatic ally, China.

A Southeast Asian diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity as a matter of protocol, said the regime is under pressure from China to avoid a crackdown just as its larger neighbor has pressured it to speed up other democratic changes.

``The Myanmar government is tolerating the protesters and not taking any action against the monks because of pressure from China,'' the diplomat told The Associated Press. ``Beijing is to host the next summer's Olympic Games. Everyone knows that China is the major supporter of the junta so if government takes any action it will affect the image of China.''

China, which is counting on Myanmar's vast oil and gas reserves to help fuel its booming economy, earlier this year blocked a U.N. Security Council criticizing Myanmar's rights record saying it was not the right forum.

But at the same time, it has employed quiet diplomacy and subtle public pressure on the regime, urging it to move toward inclusive democracy and speed up the process of dialogue and reform.

Josef Silverstein, a political scientist and author of several books on Myanmar, said it would not be in China's interest to have civil unrest in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

``China is very eager to have a peaceful Burma in order to complete roads and railroads, to develop mines and finish assimilating the country under its economic control,'' Silverstein said.

The movement seemed to gain momentum Saturday, when more than 500 monks and sympathizers went past barricades to walk to the house where Suu Kyi is under house arrest. She greeted them from her gate in her first public appearance in more than four years. But access to her home was barred Sunday.

The meeting symbolically linked the current protests to Nobel laureate's Suu Kyi's struggle for democracy, which has seen her detained for about 12 of the last 18 years.

Persecution cannot persist in Myanmar, Zimbabwe: British PM

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Monday told people facing persecution in countries like Myanmar and Zimbabwe that their suffering could not last forever.

Brown was speaking as more than 100,000 people flooded the streets of Yangon, joining Buddhist monks in the strongest show of dissent against Myanmar's ruling generals in nearly two decades.

"There is a golden thread of common humanity that across nations and faiths binds us together, and it can light the darkest corners of the world," Brown said.

"A message should go out to anyone facing persecution, anywhere from Burma and Zimbabwe: human rights are universal and no injustice can last forever."

Brown was speaking in Bournemouth on the southern English coast at the annual conference of his governing Labour Party.

Britain's Foreign Office on Monday warned Myanmar against any violent crackdown on mass protests against the military regime, but said it welcomed the largely peaceful response so far.

Monks protest against generals who rule Myanmar

This Reuters photo shows monks marching today against the military government in Myanmar.

"In swelling tides of humanity, two major marches snaked their way through the nation's commercial capital led by robed monks chanting prayers of peace and compassion," according to AFP, which estimates 100,000 monks and civilians took part in the protest. "Some of the people marched through the rain under a banner reading: 'This is a peaceful mass movement.' Others had tears in their eyes."

One Western diplomat expects a "sharp reaction" from the government.

Reuters has a chronology of the protests. The country, once known as Burma, has been ruled by a military junta since the early 1960s. In 2005, the generals decided to move the capital a few hundred miles north. Here's a report from inside the forbidden city.

Update at 11:25 a.m. ET: The Associated Press is reporting that the government is warning Buddhist clerics that it will take action if they don't rein in the protesters.

Update at 12:03 p.m. ET: American diplomats are said to be monitoring the situation in Burma. "We are consulting with allies and friends in the region on ways to encourage inclusive dialogue between the regime and those seeking freedom, as well as encouraging the regime to show restraint and be respectful of the people who are making their views known and simply want freedom," presidential spokeswoman Dana Perino says.

Monks protest against generals who rule Myanmar

This Reuters photo shows monks marching today against the military government in Myanmar.

"In swelling tides of humanity, two major marches snaked their way through the nation's commercial capital led by robed monks chanting prayers of peace and compassion," according to AFP, which estimates 100,000 monks and civilians took part in the protest. "Some of the people marched through the rain under a banner reading: 'This is a peaceful mass movement.' Others had tears in their eyes."

One Western diplomat expects a "sharp reaction" from the government.

Reuters has a chronology of the protests. The country, once known as Burma, has been ruled by a military junta since the early 1960s. In 2005, the generals decided to move the capital a few hundred miles north. Here's a report from inside the forbidden city.

Update at 11:25 a.m. ET: The Associated Press is reporting that the government is warning Buddhist clerics that it will take action if they don't rein in the protesters.

Update at 12:03 p.m. ET: American diplomats are said to be monitoring the situation in Burma. "We are consulting with allies and friends in the region on ways to encourage inclusive dialogue between the regime and those seeking freedom, as well as encouraging the regime to show restraint and be respectful of the people who are making their views known and simply want freedom," presidential spokeswoman Dana Perino says.

Minister praises dignity of Burma protests

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, today praised the leaders of the ongoing protests in Burma for their dignity and courage.

"I have been struck by the dignity and courage of the protests by thousands of Buddhist monks and tens of thousands of ordinary people in cities across the country, and their appeal for national reconciliation, genuine democracy and improved living conditions," Mr Ahern said this evening.

The latest protests began on August 19 as a movement against economic hardship after the government raised fuel prices and today an estimated 100,000 people joined Buddhist Monks in marching across Rangoon.

It was the largest anti-government protest since a 1988 uprising that was crushed by the military.

Minister Ahern said: "I join with others who have called on the Burmese authorities to show the utmost restraint in dealing with these peaceful, legitimate, demonstrations.

"Furthermore, I would again strongly urge them to respect the genuine democratic aspirations of the people of Burma/Myanmar, as expressed so clearly in these demonstrations".

The Minister also called for the immediate release of all political detainees and prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi.

Meanwhile, Burma Action Ireland (BAI) has expressed concern for the safety of monks who have taken to the streets in solidarity with civilian protests over fuel price increases.

BAI called for the UN Security Council to intervene.

World urges restraint amid Burma protests

International support: Buddhist nuns march in Rangoon on Sunday (Reuters/Democratic Voice of Burma)

Support poured in from around the world for protesters in Burma as the country's military rulers threatened to "take action" against Buddhist monks who have led the country's largest demonstration in nearly 20 years.

World leaders urged the Rangoon junta to show restraint and warned the regime would be held accountable for any violent crackdown on the march, which numbered 100,000 people in a major challenge to the military regime.

Among those praising the peaceful nature of the demonstrations but urging against retaliatory action was UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon.

Mr Ban "commends the peaceful approach the demonstrators are using to press their interests and he calls upon the Burma authorities to continue to exercise restraint," a UN statement said.

The US said it was keeping a close eye on the protests and expressed hope that dialogue would emerge.

"We are consulting with allies and friends in the regions on ways to encourage dialogue between the regime and those seeking freedom as well as encouraging the regime to show restraint," said national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown offered his support to protesters in Burma and other countries.

"There is a golden thread of common humanity that across nations and faiths binds us together, and it can light the darkest corners of the world," Mr Brown said as he addressed his Labour Party national conference.

"A message should go out to anyone facing persecution, anywhere from Burma and Zimbabwe: human rights are universal and no injustice can last forever."

Mr Brown's spokesman Michael Ellam meanwhile said the Government "deplore(s) the continued repression of ordinary citizens by the Burmese regime."

He also said they were "deeply concerned by reports of further acts of violence perpetrated this week by security officials against peaceful demonstrators," in an apparent reference to the reported use of tear gas and warning shots on September 18 to disperse 1,000 monks in Sittwe, west of Rangoon.

The latest show of dissent follows weeks of protests sparked by a massive fuel price hike, leaving observers concerned about a potential repeat of the violence seen in a 1988 crackdown on protesters that left hundreds if not thousands dead.

In the first official reaction to the protests, state media reported that the religion minister, Brigadier General Thura Myint Maung, had met with senior clergy to deliver a warning.

"If the monks go against the rules and regulations in the authority of the Buddhist teachings, we will take action under the existing law," state television quoted the Minister as saying.

In a message released in Paris, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama offered urged the military Government not to react with violence.

"I extend my support and solidarity with the recent peaceful movement for democracy in Burma," he said in a message datelined Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan Government in exile in northern India.

"I fully support their call for freedom and democracy and take this opportunity to appeal to freedom-loving people all over the world to support such non-violent movements," he said.

French foreign ministry spokesman Frederic Desagneaux said the junta "will be held accountable before the international community for the security of the protesters" and urged authorities to "open the real process of reform and of national reconciliation that the country needs."

Germany expressed its "sympathy" with the demonstrations and demanded the release of protesters arrested during the marches.

German foreign ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger also renewed calls for the liberation of pro-democracy leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest and has long been the global face of resistance to the generals who have ruled the country since 1962.

In Oslo, Geir Lundestad, the head of the Nobel Institute, hailed the "spirit" of the opposition in Burma and said he hoped the swelling protests would culminate in Ms Suu Kyi's house arrest being lifted.

World urges restraint amid Burma protests

International support: Buddhist nuns march in Rangoon on Sunday (Reuters/Democratic Voice of Burma)

Support poured in from around the world for protesters in Burma as the country's military rulers threatened to "take action" against Buddhist monks who have led the country's largest demonstration in nearly 20 years.

World leaders urged the Rangoon junta to show restraint and warned the regime would be held accountable for any violent crackdown on the march, which numbered 100,000 people in a major challenge to the military regime.

Among those praising the peaceful nature of the demonstrations but urging against retaliatory action was UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon.

Mr Ban "commends the peaceful approach the demonstrators are using to press their interests and he calls upon the Burma authorities to continue to exercise restraint," a UN statement said.

The US said it was keeping a close eye on the protests and expressed hope that dialogue would emerge.

"We are consulting with allies and friends in the regions on ways to encourage dialogue between the regime and those seeking freedom as well as encouraging the regime to show restraint," said national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown offered his support to protesters in Burma and other countries.

"There is a golden thread of common humanity that across nations and faiths binds us together, and it can light the darkest corners of the world," Mr Brown said as he addressed his Labour Party national conference.

"A message should go out to anyone facing persecution, anywhere from Burma and Zimbabwe: human rights are universal and no injustice can last forever."

Mr Brown's spokesman Michael Ellam meanwhile said the Government "deplore(s) the continued repression of ordinary citizens by the Burmese regime."

He also said they were "deeply concerned by reports of further acts of violence perpetrated this week by security officials against peaceful demonstrators," in an apparent reference to the reported use of tear gas and warning shots on September 18 to disperse 1,000 monks in Sittwe, west of Rangoon.

The latest show of dissent follows weeks of protests sparked by a massive fuel price hike, leaving observers concerned about a potential repeat of the violence seen in a 1988 crackdown on protesters that left hundreds if not thousands dead.

In the first official reaction to the protests, state media reported that the religion minister, Brigadier General Thura Myint Maung, had met with senior clergy to deliver a warning.

"If the monks go against the rules and regulations in the authority of the Buddhist teachings, we will take action under the existing law," state television quoted the Minister as saying.

In a message released in Paris, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama offered urged the military Government not to react with violence.

"I extend my support and solidarity with the recent peaceful movement for democracy in Burma," he said in a message datelined Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan Government in exile in northern India.

"I fully support their call for freedom and democracy and take this opportunity to appeal to freedom-loving people all over the world to support such non-violent movements," he said.

French foreign ministry spokesman Frederic Desagneaux said the junta "will be held accountable before the international community for the security of the protesters" and urged authorities to "open the real process of reform and of national reconciliation that the country needs."

Germany expressed its "sympathy" with the demonstrations and demanded the release of protesters arrested during the marches.

German foreign ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger also renewed calls for the liberation of pro-democracy leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest and has long been the global face of resistance to the generals who have ruled the country since 1962.

In Oslo, Geir Lundestad, the head of the Nobel Institute, hailed the "spirit" of the opposition in Burma and said he hoped the swelling protests would culminate in Ms Suu Kyi's house arrest being lifted.

U.S. urges restraint from Myanmar's military leaders

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday called on Myanmar's military rulers to act with restraint toward tens of thousands of people including Buddhist monks engaged in mass street protests against the junta.

"We are consulting with allies and friends in the region on ways to encourage inclusive dialogue between the regime and those seeking freedom, as well as encouraging the regime to show restraint and be respectful of the people who are making their views known and simply want freedom," White House press secretary Dana Perino said.

She said the U.S. embassy was closely watching the situation in the south Asian country, which has seen the biggest demonstrations since the military crushed student-led protests nearly 20 years ago.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, will be among the topics that U.S. President George W. Bush will raise in his address on Tuesday to the U.N. General Assembly, the White House said.

Bush to Levy Sanctions Against Myanmar

Monday, September 24, 2007
By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK — President Bush on Tuesday will announce additional sanctions against the military dictatorship in Myanmar to support the push for democracy in that Asian country, the White House said Monday.

Bush, in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly, will announce financial sanctions against key members of the regime and those who provide them financial aid, said Stephen Hadley, the president's national security adviser.

The U.S. action came amid a growing series of anti-government protests in Myanmar, also known as Burma. As many as 100,000 protesters led by a phalanx of barefoot monks marched Monday in the most powerful show of strength yet.

"It's very interesting what is happening in the country with the Buddhist monks who have joined this effort," Hadley said. "Our hope is to marry that internal pressure with the external pressure coming from the United States and the United Nations and really all countries that are committed to freedom to try to force the regime into a change."

Hadley would not be specific about the financial sanctions to maintain what he called an element of surprise against those who might try to hide their assets. But he said they would target key members of the regime and those who provide financial support to them.

He also said there would be a visa ban against those associated with the regime, including their families.

"He will call for the United Nations and for other countries there to do all they can to support a process of political change in Burma," Hadley said.

The U.S. restricts imports and exports and financial transactions with Myanmar. Washington also has imposed an arms embargo on Myanmar.

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