Fri, 28 Sep 2007
DPA
Myanmar's embattled military leaders beat back an 11th day of protests Friday and faced intense pressure from the international community to ease their brutal crackdown that has already claimed more than a dozen lives. The protests were smaller and less confrontational than the ones on Wednesday and Thursday, eyewitnesses said, with reports of tense standoffs between angry citizens and soldiers who have already demonstrated their willingness to gun down unarmed protesters, including Buddhist monks.
Hundreds of people marched in central Yangon, but they backed off when they ran into police barricades. The police fired warning shots in the air and tear gas, driving the marchers back.
United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari was scheduled to arrive in Yangon on Saturday to express the world body's concern over the violence in Myanmar. Myanmar's junta agreed on Thursday to receive the envoy selected by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
During a stopover in Singapore, Gambari met with leaders of the city state, which is the current chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation's (ASEAN) standing committee.
During the meeting, Singapore Foreign Ministry officials "reiterated Singapore's strong support for Mr Gambari's mission to Myanmar," a government statement said.
They "expressed the hope that the Myanmar authorities would give Mr Gambari and the UN their full cooperation so as to find a peaceful resolution to the situation in Myanmar," it added.
Myanmar's junta faced further diplomatic pressure Friday as Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda urged China, the military regime's main ally, to exercise its influence to help resolve the current crisis.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told Fukuda in a telephone conversation that China would make an effort to do so while closely observing developments, a Japanese government spokesman told reporters.
Earlier Friday, Japan filed a strong protest against the Myanmar government after the death of a Japanese video journalist during an anti-government demonstration on Thursday.
"It is important to continue seeking clarification of the truth. We will also strongly demand (the Myanmar government) to take appropriate measures to avoid the same situation from happening again," top government spokesman Nobutaka Machimura said at a press conference Friday.
The 50-year-old journalist, Kenji Nagai, was reportedly shot dead by security forces while filming the military crackdown on demonstrations, becoming the first foreigner to die in the uprising.
At least eight protestors were also killed in Myanmar's capital Thursday in continuing clashes between the military and demonstrators.
Fukuda and his ministers are urging the Myanmar government to resolve the crisis through dialogue rather than resorting to further violence.
Representatives of Myanmar citizens living in Japan demanded the Japanese government lead a concerted effort of the international community to restore order in their country.
"As the most powerful democratic country in Asia, Japan should reconsider their responsibility. Their 'wait and see' policy will not be effective," said Tin Win, president of the Federation of Workers union of Myanmar, at a press conference in Tokyo.
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo urged Myanmar's military to act with restraint and called on the junta to free political prisoners, including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
"We call on Myanmar to act on its own best interest and to avoid its further isolation and to redeem its democracy without any further delay," she said in a statement.
Filipino activists have been holding almost daily pickets in front of the Myanmar embassy in Manila to express support for the pro-democracy protests in Yangon.
In Cambodia, another ASEAN member, more than 100 demonstrators braved monsoon rain Friday to stage a peaceful protest against the Myanmar military junta.
Rights workers and opposition political figures held banners as police provided security outside the Myanmar embassy in Phnom Penh with opposition Sam Rainsy Party leader Sam Rainsy using the event to call on ASEAN to throw Myanmar out of the 10-member group if the violence did not stop immediately.
"We strongly condemn the Myanmar government's actions," he told the crowd. "Please stop the violence immediately [or] ASEAN should kick Myanmar out."
ASEAN consists of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia and is the region's most powerful diplomatic and trading bloc. Myanmar is a relatively new member, having joined in 1997.
Hundreds of people marched in central Yangon, but they backed off when they ran into police barricades. The police fired warning shots in the air and tear gas, driving the marchers back.
United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari was scheduled to arrive in Yangon on Saturday to express the world body's concern over the violence in Myanmar. Myanmar's junta agreed on Thursday to receive the envoy selected by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
During a stopover in Singapore, Gambari met with leaders of the city state, which is the current chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation's (ASEAN) standing committee.
During the meeting, Singapore Foreign Ministry officials "reiterated Singapore's strong support for Mr Gambari's mission to Myanmar," a government statement said.
They "expressed the hope that the Myanmar authorities would give Mr Gambari and the UN their full cooperation so as to find a peaceful resolution to the situation in Myanmar," it added.
Myanmar's junta faced further diplomatic pressure Friday as Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda urged China, the military regime's main ally, to exercise its influence to help resolve the current crisis.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told Fukuda in a telephone conversation that China would make an effort to do so while closely observing developments, a Japanese government spokesman told reporters.
Earlier Friday, Japan filed a strong protest against the Myanmar government after the death of a Japanese video journalist during an anti-government demonstration on Thursday.
"It is important to continue seeking clarification of the truth. We will also strongly demand (the Myanmar government) to take appropriate measures to avoid the same situation from happening again," top government spokesman Nobutaka Machimura said at a press conference Friday.
The 50-year-old journalist, Kenji Nagai, was reportedly shot dead by security forces while filming the military crackdown on demonstrations, becoming the first foreigner to die in the uprising.
At least eight protestors were also killed in Myanmar's capital Thursday in continuing clashes between the military and demonstrators.
Fukuda and his ministers are urging the Myanmar government to resolve the crisis through dialogue rather than resorting to further violence.
Representatives of Myanmar citizens living in Japan demanded the Japanese government lead a concerted effort of the international community to restore order in their country.
"As the most powerful democratic country in Asia, Japan should reconsider their responsibility. Their 'wait and see' policy will not be effective," said Tin Win, president of the Federation of Workers union of Myanmar, at a press conference in Tokyo.
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo urged Myanmar's military to act with restraint and called on the junta to free political prisoners, including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
"We call on Myanmar to act on its own best interest and to avoid its further isolation and to redeem its democracy without any further delay," she said in a statement.
Filipino activists have been holding almost daily pickets in front of the Myanmar embassy in Manila to express support for the pro-democracy protests in Yangon.
In Cambodia, another ASEAN member, more than 100 demonstrators braved monsoon rain Friday to stage a peaceful protest against the Myanmar military junta.
Rights workers and opposition political figures held banners as police provided security outside the Myanmar embassy in Phnom Penh with opposition Sam Rainsy Party leader Sam Rainsy using the event to call on ASEAN to throw Myanmar out of the 10-member group if the violence did not stop immediately.
"We strongly condemn the Myanmar government's actions," he told the crowd. "Please stop the violence immediately [or] ASEAN should kick Myanmar out."
ASEAN consists of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia and is the region's most powerful diplomatic and trading bloc. Myanmar is a relatively new member, having joined in 1997.
6 comments:
Halaluya!!!
I'm v8,why did our government use such a strong lyric? a treat to remove Myanmar, from the ASEAN member,you'r think the government care?it only hurting the people.if you realy cares for the people?than try to fine better pattern to sole this solutions.this is like Cambodia,in 1997,a bright mind thinkings is better.
Democratic leader no need to use such words "kick out" against other country. The 2008 election is getting closer and Sam Rainsy needs to bolster Khmer voters. People are searching for good and honest leader for our country future. Please use words like you are an educator, not like the one who receive a PhD from Hanoi.
Hey, "kick out" is westerner's shits, not Hanoi.
Anyhow, we need jobs, and Ah Chkout Sam Rainshit is killing it for us.
Go back West, Sam RainShit,
Go back West, Sam RainShit,
Go back West, Sam RainShit,
.
.
.
Go back West, Sam RainShit,
Go back West, Sam RainShit,
Go back West, Sam RainShit,...
To you 9:47 AM, Shut up Ah kon-tob!
Hey, if I shut up, no one will ever get job, and we will see more people committing suicide. Is that what you really want?
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