Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Released from House Arrest!!

(PHOTO CREDIT: REUTERS)

YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar's military government freed its archrival, democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, on Saturday after her latest term of detention expired. Several thousand jubilant supporters streamed to her residence. Suu Kyi has been jailed or under house arrest for more than 15 of the last 21 years.

James: You would think that after all the abuse Aung San Suu Kyi has endured at the hands of the military dictatorship in Burma, that she'd be a broken spirit. Yet, she has weathered house arrest extremely well. She even went so far as to say that she has no ill feeling toward those who detained her. How could that be possible? As it turns out she has credited Buddhism with helping her survive house arrest. It seems likely that she was able to put into practice the Buddhist teaching of "no-self" which teaches that there is no unchanging, permanent "self" that exists separate from everything else. We don't have to travel through samsara alone because we are interconnected and interdependent with all people, things and phenomena. Nothing ever exists independent of all other things.

A tree exists because the sun exists. Suu Kyi was only imprisoned materially but since there is no "self" to imprison, she was always connected with her supporters as long as she remained aware of that essence. She could travel above those confining walls in concentrating upon the unbreakable connection with family, friends, teachers and fellow citizens. Thus, rather than sinking into feelings of loneliness and bitterness, Aung San Suu Kyi probably rested secure in being aware that she was never alone. She was interconnected with all Burmese (and the world) and therefore could weather the storm of personal imprisonment with greater ease. Because she understood these teachings it is very likely that she survived her imprisonment better than the junta leaders.

But, you might say, "How are the junta leaders imprisoned?" They are imprisoned by clinging to the delusion of "self." If one believes that there is a permanent "self" that is separate from everything else then anything that maintains the delusion of that "self" is "good" and anything that doesn't is "bad." This creates suffering when the "good" isn't around because the self is attached to the "good" in order for it to feel important. And it creates suffering when the "bad" is around because the drug-addicted self isn't being given what "it" thinks is necessary for happiness.

But it isn't lasting happiness because a dictatorship is based on the delusion that there is a "self" that is perceived to be better than everyone else. But, in order to keep that delusion inflated the "self" must constantly be on alert for threats to its fragile existence. Therefore, in order to keep this elaborate charade going the dictator (self) worries and ruminates with paranoia about losing this delusional sense of "specialness." This creates a lot of suffering inside. The dictators may not show it but they're not happy inside. A person who is at peace doesn't need to go around and control, manipulate, oppress and murder people as the Burmese junta is doing.

So, if Aung San Suu Kyi was able to over-come the quagmire of the the "self" then she was free to be at peace with her situation regardless of the house arrest. Because her sense of worth and happiness wouldn't be dependent upon if the "self" was happy, or even if it existed at all. And, while the dictators remain physically free, emotionally they are in one of the darkest, deepest prisons known to existence in samsara (self-importance). Maintaining that heavy burden of self-importance means wherever you go, your prison travels with you. Yet, Suu Kyi will always be free no matter where you try to lock-away her body. Her example helps us to remember that if she can survive decade after decade of imprisonment by dictators, then surely we can survive our daily lives. May her freedom spark a softening of relations between the junta and the strong and noble people of beautiful Burma.

~Peace to all beings~

Growing Pressure on European Union for a United Nations Investigation of Burmese Regime.

From the U.S. Campaign for Burma:

Pressure on the European Union (EU) to support an UN investigation into crimes against humanity in Burma is growing. This week three prominent dissident groups in Burma, the All Burma Monks Alliance, the 88 Generation Students and the All Burma Federation of Student Union sent an open letter to the EU asking for their support. The pressure is working--just this week Hungary announced it supports the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into crimes against humanity in Burma!

Right now, the EU is drafting a resolution on Burma that it will introduce at the UN General Assembly meeting (UNGA) which will begin on the 3rd week of September. We need your help to make sure this resolution calls for the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into Crimes Against Humanity in Burma. We need you to call the ambassadors again as soon as possible.

This is long over due. There have already been 19 UN General Assembly resolutions on Burma since 1991, but none have mentioned the Commission of Inquiry and none have taken serious action. Following UN Special Rapporteur Tomas Quintana's call for the investigation this March, some of the UN's most powerful players, including the US and UK, have endorsed his recommendation. Support for the Commission of Inquiry is the highest it has even been. But this is not enough, we need the EU, a major sponsor of the draft resolution on Burma, to include the call for the Commission of Inquiry in this UNGA resolution.

Below, we have included instructions on how to call or email.

Myra Dahgaypaw

Burma Building Nukes.

A new investigation has revealed that Burma has begun a nuclear weapons program with the help of North Korea. A documentary made by the Norway-based group Democratic Voice of Burma says evidence has come from top-secret material smuggled out of the country over several years. The investigation found the south-east Asian country was a long way from producing a nuclear weapon, but had gone to great lengths to acquire the technology and expertise to do so. Read the full report: Click on this sentence.

The most important agreement that Burma must satisfy is its agreement with the IAEA. It signed an agreement with the IAEA in 1995 that it would not pursue nuclear weapons under a carefully defined standard international legal agreement. Burma has certified that it has no nuclear facilities, has minimal nuclear materials, and has no plans to change this situation. The information brought by Sai suggests that Burma is mining uranium, converting it to uranium compounds for reactors and bombs, and is trying to build a reactor and or an enrichment plant that could only be useful for a bomb. There is no chance that these activities are directed at a reactor to produce electricity in Burma.

James: As we say here in America, "Arms are for hugging, not killing." The Burmese are starving and impoverished, yet the dictatorship would rather spend money on trying to acquire nuclear weapons. Burma is a good reminder of why politics often falls short because by nature it is based on power, which is an extension of greed--one of the three poisons in Buddhism.

~Peace to all beings~

Obama Calls for Aung San Suu Kyi to be Released.

Pro-Burmese Democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi (right) with her former spiritual adviser, The Venerable Buddhist monk Thamanya Sayadaw who is now deceased).

By VIJAY JOSHI, Associated Press Writer Vijay Joshi, Associated Press Writer – Sun Nov 15, 9:11 am ET

SINGAPORE – President Barack Obama on Sunday told Myanmar's junta to free pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during an unusual face-to-face interaction with a top leader of the ruling military. Obama delivered the strong message during his summit with leaders of 10 Southeast Asian nations, which included Myanmar Prime Minister Gen. Thein Sein. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that Obama called on Myanmar to free his fellow Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi and other political prisoners, and end oppression of minorities.

A joint statement issued after the summit — the first ever between a U.S. president and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — devoted a paragraph on Myanmar, a major irritant in relations between the two sides. But the statement did not call for the release of political prisoners, including Suu Kyi, who has spent 14 of the last 20 years under detention by the military regime. It only urged Myanmar to ensure that the elections it intends to hold in 2010 are "conducted in a free, fair, inclusive and transparent manner."

However, a direct appeal from Obama carries more weight as he is the most powerful leader to have conveyed the message directly to a top Myanmar official.

James: It's easy to feel compassion for the Burmese when we know that we are an extension of them, however, we must all be careful not to have pity toward them. Compassion is selfless in that it places the needs of others at the same level as our own and motivates us to give freely of our time, talents and resources to help ease that suffering a bit. Pity is feeling sorrow for someone's situation but then doing nothing about it. Or helping someone out of a feeling of obligation, which is based on your needs rather than those suffering. You're helping them to make yourself feel better because you silently judge them for being in the position that they are in. And when I say "you" I mean me as well. It is empty compassion. Pity comes from a place of believing that if the object of our pity were only like us then they wouldn't be suffering. As if we don't have a lot of suffering to deal with in our own regard!! Money and freedom aren't necessarily recipes for happiness and freedom from suffering.

True compassion should be extended toward the junta as well because true compassion is unbiased regardless of a person's actions. It's easy to pity the generals but not have genuine compassion because we've made the judgment that they are undeserving of relief from suffering. Yet who amongst us is free from delusion and unskilllful actions? We all have a lot of karmic rocks in our samsara backpack to carry around. We know that using violence, oppression and fear does not bring those leaders happiness. They are clearly suffering and true compassion seeks to ease suffering -- period. It has no prerequisites, no qualifiers, no judgments and no selectivity. There is a saying in America, "You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar." Another saying goes, "A rising tide lifts all boats." In other words when we show compassion to all sides out of motivation to help all beings be free from suffering we realize that it helps all sides.

~Peace to all beings~

Gold Scratched Off Historic Golden Buddhas in Burma.

by Aye Nai, Democratic Voice of Burma, Oct. 14, 2008

Magwe, Myanmar -- A pagoda treasurer and local village authorities have scratched off gold coating worth five billion kyat from historical Buddha statues in a village in Magwe division's Yaynanchaung township, according to villagers. "NLD member U Nan Win from Pin Phayagon village saw the pagoda's treasurer Mya Moe, the village Peace and Development Council chairman Kyi Nyunt and six other people in the village scratching off the gold from the Buddha statues," Tint Lwin said.

James: It's a horrible shame whenever a sacred site/object is desecrated, however, in the end even the most sacred Buddha is just an object. A sacred site is impermanent like anything else and placing too much importance to it only wraps the ropes of attachment that much tighter around us. The gold coating attracts this kind of greed and waters the already hearty seeds of desire and is one of the reasons that I think golden Buddha statues are excessive.

PHOTO: Not the pagoda mentioned in the story.

~Peace to all beings~

Burmese Monks Defy Ban on Private Relief Efforts.

Myanmar's military government, which has a relief hub just 10 miles north in the town of Bogalay, has not delivered aid to scores of remote villages like this across some of the most devastated areas of the Irrawaddy River delta. For now, the villagers' only hope is goods that arrive from time to time in an underground supply chain operated by Buddhist monks in Bogalay, who are defying the ban on private relief operations in the delta.

James: The Burmese Sangha has shown such courage and compassion toward the people from the protests last year to helping victims of the recent cyclone. They clearly understand the importance of compassion to the point of risking their own lives and safety to help as many people as they can. All despite many monasteries being destroyed and severely damaged.

Their efforts are even more noble when you consider that the monks themselves don't have a lot and usually rely upon the laity for their food. Yet here they are giving and helping in any and all ways they can. However, I'm not surprised being how centered in oneness that these monks know and practice. They intimately know the interconnected between all beings and that helping others is not different and no less important than helping oneself.

It is not an exaggeration to say that monks are trained to help the people. Their vows are quite centered upon working for the betterment and liberation of the people from suffering and their response to the aftermath of this disaster is a powerful expression of those values.

They are a cherished example for me in how to deal with severe suffering in my own life and in the lives of other people. The monks have suffered as much as the people and yet they are being pro-active and not wallowing in their sorrow. They are a wonderful example that helping others can help ease our own suffering. Too often when I am in deep pain and suffering I retreat from others into a place where I feel self-pity as if I am the only person suffering in the world. The monks are a beautiful reminder of why I do my best to follow the Dharma.

In the confusion of the aftermath of cyclone nargis many believe that it was the result of the "bad karma" of the victims. That, however, is somewhat short-sighted says one Burmese monk, "If the government would have warned people, they would not have died. So this disaster is not karma; it is a natural case of cause and effect by humans."

~Peace to all beings~

Burma's Junta and Cyclone Nargis.

We have known for a long time that the repressive government in Burma has been distrustful of outsiders but they should be more concerned with their people--especially after the recent protests. As a historian, I know that in many cases the fall of a brutal regime comes from within the populace more than from a foreign power.

The junta has extreme paranoia of the international community. This suspicion has been expressed through resisting foreign aid after the Cyclone Nargis out of fear that somehow allowing aid would undermine their unquestioned authority. They seem to believe that allowing in help from these countries is a back door attempt to affect revolution. They seem to be concerned that the Burmese civilians will see foreign aid as a sign that the junta isn't capable of helping them and help erode their iron grip on power. The problem is that they are so isolated and out of touch with their own populace that they don't seem to understand or aren't willing to accept the reality that the people have long ago known that the junta is incapable and unwilling to aid them.

The regime assumes that the international community has ulterior motives for sending this humanitarian aid rather than doing it out of pure compassion and concern. I believe this is because they are so ruthless that they can not believe governments actually do things out of the goodness of their hearts. They seem to assume that there is always a catch because that is how they operate, they can not believe that a government actually helps it's people simply because they have compassion for them.

Their paranoia of the international community will be their ultimate downfall I believe because they are continuing to neglect their citizens and their very neglect is what led to the protests of '88 and of '07. So now the populace is hungrier, sicker, more homeless and poorer than before the cyclone and in many cases literally have nothing else to lose. When people become this desperate then revolution can be sparked by the tiniest flame. The irony is that if the junta would just allow the aid into the country I think that many people might actually have an improved opinion of them.

However, blocking the help that they need to save their children might just be the final injustice that causes an uprising so massive that the junta will have not a chance at stopping it. There are also reports that the average soldier is extremely embarrassed at the neglect of the generals during the aftermath of the cyclone and I think it is only a mater of time before the junta's carefully constructed web of control unravels.

~Peace to all beings~

Burmese Junta Blocks Aid to People After Devastating Cyclone.

This from U.S. Campaign for Burma:

The news is staggering and in many ways unfathomable. Yesterday, Shari Villarosa, the leading US diplomat in Burma said that 100,000 may have died and 95% of the buildings in the affected areas could be wiped out. The death tolls could increase as water born diseases such as cholera are beginning to spread, and in these worst hit areas aid has not to arrive.

The Burmese regime's blocking of aid is beyond horrendous. Minimal aid is being allowed in. There are still many people and supplies waiting to go, but the Burmese regime continues to deny access. Yesterday, the French government launched a push in the UN to try and enforce aid delivery, but China blocked the effort. If you haven't already, email UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and urge him to step in. Yesterday, within hours after thousands of our members writing in, Ban Ki-moon did start speaking out about Burma.

The New York Times:

The United Nations suspended relief supplies to Myanmar on Friday after the military government seized the food and equipment it had already sent into the country but said it would resume the aid flights on Saturday. The United Nations World Food Program said it would send in two relief flights as planned on Saturday, while negotiations continued with the government about the distribution of supplies.

Under the military government, the public health infrastructure has been crumbling for decades, he said.

Malaria is already endemic, and many people with AIDS and tuberculosis are going untreated, he said. “We don’t think the blood supply is safe or adequately screened,” Dr. Beyrer said, adding that people injured in the storm and in need of transfusions face the risk of infection and blood-borne diseases.

Earlier, in a statement, Myanmar’s military junta said it was willing to receive disaster relief from the outside world but would not welcome outside relief workers, a key demand of aid agencies who want to coordinate and control their own aid.

James: I was afraid of this that the junta would seize aid for themselves and that little would get to the actual people suffering. I wouldn't be surprised if the government doesn't really care about the death toll, less people to have to control. Perhaps that is very cynical and not very optimistic but the junta has shown before that they have descended into the level of animals gone crazy and rabid.

It appears that the junta wants to take the aid and then give it out themselves to make it seem as though they are in control of the situation and had the food, medicine and other supplies all along. I guess the important thing is that aid actually gets to the people needed. That being said, if the junta doesn't allow the trained humanitarian aid workers and doctors into the country as they are not now then there will be another wave of death.

On the donations front, I have a few other details of trusted organizations. First, is UNICEF or United Nations Children Fund which has people already on the ground In Burma and has been there for a long time. The second group is the U.S. Campaign for Burma who are a trusted, long established that works toward great freedom and human rights for Burma. USCB said this of donations to them:

We will then send the money directly to trusted Burmese organizations inside who are working to help the people. You can send checks to us or make online donations.

Personally I am going to give funds to the U.S. Campaign for Burma as they have a direct link into the country and know people on the ground who can funnel the relief aid into trusted hands.

~Peace to all beings~

Malaysian Buddhists Rally to Help Burmese Cyclone Victims.

James: Do you want to help the Burmese victims of Cyclone Nargis but don't know who to donate to? Hopefully the below information will give you some direction.

The Buddhist Channel, May 8, 2008

Petaling Jaya, Malaysia -- Myanmar, more than any country in the world had popularised Buddhist meditation, hosting practitioners at its monasteries and sending teachers all over the world.
Now it is in time of need.

Reacting with utter disbelief at the scale of the disaster wrought by Cyclone Nargis where an estimated 100,000 people lost their lives, key Malaysian Buddhist organizations have mobilized their resources to bring aid to the devastated country.

The following organisations are collecting funds and some also accepting foodstuff and medicinal products to help the cyclone victims in Myanmar.

Readers are encouraged to circulate the information to support these relief efforts.

1. Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia (presently collecting funds only)
Donation may be sent by post to Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia, 123, Jalan Berhala, 50470, Kuala Lumpur. Donors are advised to make all contribution by cheque only made payable to "Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia." Please write "Myanmar" behind the cheque.

2. Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia (presently collecting funds only)
All cheques are to be payable to "Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia". Please indicate "Myanmar Relief Fund" at back of the cheques. Donors may bank in the cheques to YBAM Public Bank account: 3063802219 and send the bank in slip for our record at YBAM Secretariat, 9, Jalan SS25/24, Taman Mayang 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

3. Subang Jaya Buddhist Association (collecting funds & material)
Lot PT 12593, Jalan Kewajipan, SS 13, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor D.E.
Please donate dry foodstuff (noodles, biscuits, etc), canned food, mineral water, medicine etc. at SJBA for us to send to Myanmar. Cash donation is also welcome.(Tel: 03-56315299, e-mail: sjba@streamyx.com)

4. Siri Jayanti Association , Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple, (collecting funds & material)
Ven. Saranankara Nayaka Maha Thero says that if sufficient amount of items can be collected to fill a container, then it will be personally sent to Myanmar. Otherwise, the collection will be consolidated with items from SJBA to be forwarded to Myanmar.

Meanwhile Tzu Chi Malaysia said that nine of their relief workers are planning to leave for Myanmar this Saturday for ground assessment. If successful, this will be the first batch of Tzu Chi team to make it into Myanmar.

Members of the public who wish to make donations to Tzu Chi are advised to bank in directly into their account:

International Disaster Relief Fund
MBB A/C: 004067500119

Other relief / aid organizations

Those unable to reach the temples can donate online to the following trusted organisations with ppl already in Myanmar.

• Buddhist Relief Organisation ( http://www.brelief.org/cyclone/cyclone_relief.html)
• Journeys Within Our community ( http://www.journeyswithinourcommunity.org/ )

~Peace to all beings~

Burma's Saffron Revolution Faces Violence from the Government.

YANGON, Myanmar -- At least four people were killed and 100 injured Wednesday as Myanmar's security forces clamped down on anti-government protests led by Buddhist monks, according to officials and witnesses. About 200 people were also arrested, as many as half of them Buddhist monks, as soldiers and police cracked down on tens of thousands of protesters who swept across Myanmar's commercial hub Yangon, according to witnesses and diplomats.

Myanmar officials said at least three monks were killed, including one who was shot as he tried to wrestle a gun away from a soldier. Two other monks were beaten to death, they told reporters.

Police used batons and teargas, sometimes firing warning shots over the crowd to disperse the protesters.

But throughout the day, the protesters regrouped.
James: We knew that it would come to this and we morn the death of those who sacrificed their lives for the liberty of the masses. We grieve with this tense, down-trodden, oppressed country. I am so proud of these fearless monks, nuns and citizens. It takes amazing strength to march for your rights in the face of violent backlashes. Yet I urge the demonstrators to continue their steady wearing down of the walls of oppression if they feel the call. Stay safe as best you can as you face down the paper dragon. Don't let them intimidate you, they can not stop the masses no matter how many bullets and clubs they wield.

May the injured heal quickly and may the imprisoned monks and civilians be freed immediately.

May the government realize it's mistakes and turn to talk rather then violence. To engage in violence is cowardly, very unskillful. To sit down, talk and more importantly listen is the hard part but the only way to unite people to have pride for their beautiful, noble country, solidify reconciliation and hope for a better future. Do not respond to violence with more violence. Let us all heed the voice of the great Guru and master of non-violence, peaceful opposition, Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi:

I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before any one even at the cost of your life. I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.

James: May those in the military who are Buddhist cease and desist their abuse of the sangha and fellow citizens. May they realize the error of their ways and leave the military to allow Democracy to wash over the country and clean off the grime of oppression and brighten the faces of all Burmese. A new day is dawning.

May we continue to write our leaders to keep the pressure on the Burma junta leadership to stop this madness. They must know that the world is watching and will hold them responsible for tese crimes against humanity. Let us also urge our leaders to lobby China (the junta's closest ally) and India to help intervene and broker a peace accord. Here are a few email addresses that you might want to use:

American President George W. Bush: comments@whitehouse.gov

The United Nations: inquiries@un.org

Speaking of the U.N., I hear from CNN International that the U.N. Security Council will soon convene to address the Burmese Golden Revolution. Let us urge the U.N. to work with the junta to send a peace keeping for to "the golden land."

In closing, I'd like to end my post today with one more inspirational quotes from Gandhi:

When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always.

CLICK HERE to reach the page where I found the Gandhi quotes.

AND, CLICK HERE to see many pictures regarding the on-going protests.

By the way, I have started to use the old name Burma to protest the Myanmar government.

~Peace to all beings~

PHOTO 1: Burmese military blocking a street in Yangon, Burma during a 9th day of protests by monks and civilians. Photographer unknown.

PHOTO 2: Burmese monks march in protest of the junta government. Photographer known but I will not post the name here for fear of reprisals. I'm not sure if the photographer is in Burma but I won't take that chance and risk this person's safety.

The Myanmar Monk Revolution Continues Despite Government Threats

Rangoon, Burma -- Burma’s junta threatened unspecified action against protesting Buddhist monks yesterday as up to 100,000 people marched in the biggest protest seen in a week of ever-expanding demonstrations in the city of Rangoon.

The protests have gone on for 8 days now despite the government threats of violence. Democracy advocate, Aung San Su Kyi has now been moved from her house arrest to a notorious prison in the country. It seems, unlike the protests of 1988, this movement is mostly led by unarmed, non-voilent monks and if the junta opens fire on them the world will come down very hard on them. It could very easily backfire on the government.

The Myanmarese have suffered for a brutal 45 years under the military dictatorship and it appears that they have finally had enough. They are following the courageous, fearless monks who know all about the inevitability of change. The monks are not afraid to put their lives on the line for the good of all Myanmarese. They are not attached to their bodies and that gives one great courage to suffer brutality for a higher cause, liberation. These monks meditate and practice the Dharma to help others and themselves achieve liberation from suffering, and political suffering is a big one.

They can break your arms and legs, they can break up houses but they can never break up the spirit of liberation. They can not break our spirit unless we let them. I wish that I could walk hand in hand with my brothers and sisters in Myanmar. I urge them to stay peaceful and not to engage in violence as that would only give the government an excuse to shoot into the crowds to stop the movement.

The monks know that they have a gentle strength in their devoutly Buddhist country and that they serve as a fearless, united core of peaceful civil disobedience for the average citizens to rally behind. It is like water molecules banding together to form a massive, unstoppable tidal wave that over-whelms anything that gets in it's way. The government might be able to arrest a few of them but not hundreds of thousands of them. They can control the media and some of the protesters but even the most powerful, brutal dictatorship can not stop the inevitability of impermanence. And the impermanence of the military junta in Myanmar has become very clear during this past week. Never underestimate the power of the people when they are united and resolute.

The message is getting out to the world of these brave and inspirational protests, despite the tightly controlled media. We here at the Buddhist blog want to lend our support to all Myanmarese in resisting the massive suffering that has been imposed upon them for generations. We thank-you for your bravery in getting this information out to the rest of the world. Be strong, your hour of liberation is at hand. I urge all people of all religious affiliations and ethnic groups within Myanmar to join the cause. We stand with you and you are in my thoughts ever day. I meditate in unity with you. I hope to one day visit Myanmar and rejoice in your freedom. Let us not forget that we are all interconnected in this world and the suffering in Myanmar is our suffering.

I was heartened to hear on CNN International this morning, that President George W. Bush called for more sanctions on the junta government today at the United Nations. Including sanctions upon the financial backers of the military state. He is also calling for an expanded travel ban on those behind human rights violations. In addition, the American president is calling for increased support for humanitarian groups and pressure on the U.N. to help the Myanmarese reclaim their freedom.

I am going to send off an email to many leaders in the American government to support the growing opposition in Myanmar and I urge you to do the same where ever you are living in this country (America) or elsewhere in the world.

We will over-come suffering in all it's forms.

The Dalai Lama speaks out and offers his support for the Burmese protests:

I extent my support and solidarity with the recent peaceful movement for
democracy in Burma.

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.

Moreover, I wish to convey my sincere appreciation and admiration to the large number of fellow Buddhists monks for advocating democracy and freedom in Burma.

As a Buddhist monk, I am appealing to the members of the military regime who believe in Buddhism to act in accordance with the sacred dharma in the spirit of compassion and non-violence.

I pray for the success of this peaceful movement and the early release of fellow Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

UPDATE: The junta government has proclaimed a curfew in two cities effective immediately. People of Burma, do not lose hope. The world is with you.

~Peace to all beings~

Myanmar Monks Moblize for Peace

There is a velvet revolution quietly picking up steam in the military dictatorship of Myanmar in Southeast Asia. Some 1,500 Buddhist monks marched 10 miles in the rain through knee deep water in some places to passively protest the actions of the military junta there. They're destination was the famous golden hilltop Shwedagon Pagoda. It has long been a symbol for social and political justice, as well as independence.
(Above: Shwedagon golden pagoda. Source: www.asiatours.net, make sure to credit that website if you use this image).

Their mindful walk gained nearly the same amount of followers along the route and so, just as Gandhi before them these monks are showing the power of peace in creating change. Much like rain the they marched in, water can wear down and eventually break apart the hardest rock, so too will they wear and break down the unjust totalitarian regime.

The military dare not repress and clamp down violently on the monks for they are greatly revered in Myanmar and such a crack down would case a massive revolt from the people. To put it simply, the repressive government is in a tight spot.

The good people of Myanmar are so grateful for the engaged Buddhism of the venerable monks:

"I feel so sorry to see the monks walking in heavy rain and taking such trouble on behalf of the people. I feel so grateful as well," a 50-year-old woman said, tears rolling down her face. Like most onlookers, she asked not to be named for fear of drawing the unwelcome attention of the authorities.

At one point, a young man in white T-shirt and shorts flung himself to the ground, touching his forehead to the feet of a monk in a traditional Buddhist gesture of reverence.

The protests express long pent-up opposition to the repressive regime and have become the most sustained challenge to the junta since a wave of student demonstrations that were forcibly suppressed in December 1996.

The junta's crackdown on the protesters has drawn increasing criticism from world leaders, including U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and President Bush. They have called for the government to release opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has been under house arrest for more than 11 of the past 18 years.

James: The day before saw another protest march that swelled with 5,000 people. So far, Fridays march was the 4th in as many days.

The Myanmar monks are an inspiration not only to their downtrodden people but to all people everywhere. They remind us what is possible through peaceful action. They remind us here in America to not be complaisant with our government and our freedoms. If we do not accept that we are interconnected with our government then we risk detaching from the process of maintaining a healthy society. Things can change in a heartbeat and a Democracy is, in a way, a living, breathing organism that needs constant supervision to make sure the leaders don't become too corrupt and backslide on the individual freedoms that help prevent suffering.

This all reminds me of one of my favorite gathas from Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace in Oneself, Peace in the World.

UPDATE: Saturday saw another protest march in Myanmar (Burma). The military junta government has up till now has mostly remained on the side lines of these protests/marches. However, there are reports that the government is looking to infiltrate the monks and stir up unrest so that the military will have "cause" to crackdown on the demonstrators:

The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), the official name of the military regime of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) has been accused of formenting violence to break up the countrywide protests led by the country's Sangha.

It has been reported that an Emergency Committee, chaired a senior general has been established to "forment trouble" in protest marches led by monks in various parts of the country.

The plan includes ordering soldiers and policemen to take off their uniforms, shave their heads and dress like monks, infiltrate the peace marches and forment trouble to break them up. The move is to pre-empt condemnation by the international community, which would be the case if the army moves in to forcibly attack the monks.

~Peace to all beings~