Subject: PRESS STATEMENT ON THE DENR'S APPROVAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE TO MINDORO NICKEL PRO
The people of Mindoro are furious with the DENR’s approval of Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for the operation of the Mindoro Nickel Project by... Intex Resources.
To express our protest, from November 17 onwards, volunteer-campaigne rs mostly from Alyansa Laban sa Mina (ALAMIN) will hold a HUNGER STRIKE AND FASTING, in front of the DENR Building in Visayas Avenue, Quezon City.
There are already 25 persons who are determined to fast or not to take anything except water, while holding a peaceful vigil in front of the DENR to manifest the protest of the people of Mindoro against the questionable and spurious approval of ECC to Intex Resources by the DENR.
The said hunger strike is planned to be held for indefinite number of days until the ECC is reconsidered and revoked by DENR Secretary Atienza.
On the first day of the vigil (November 17), the 25 hunger strikers will be joined by representatives from the local government units both from Occidental and Oriental Mindoro. The presence and participation of the following local government officials are expected but still to be confirmed, namely: Governor Arnan Panaligan (Oriental), Governor Josephine Ramirez-Sato (Occidental) , Vice Governor Estella Aceron (Oriental), Vice Governor Mario Gadiano (Occidental) , The Municipal Government of Victoria led by Mayor Alfredo Ortega and Vice Mayor Luis Castillet, the Municipal Government of Sablayan led by Mayor Godofredo Mintu and Vice Mayor Eduardo Gadiano, and other LGU officials.
On the second day of the vigil (November 18), the 25 fasters will be joined by the representatives from the Church, the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan led by Bishop Warlito Cajandig and the Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose. The attendance of the two bishops is still to be confirmed. But priest and sisters from the two Vicariates have expressed their willingness to join the vigil and peaceful prayer protest. Seminarians too from stakeholder provinces will join the second day vigil. Bishop Broderick Pabillo of the CBCP-NASSA will be invited to celebrate the Eucharist for the group.
On the 3rd and 4th day of the vigil (November 19 and 20), the 25 hunger strikers will be joined by representatives of peasant group coming from Mindoro and other parts of the region to express their solidarity being one of the primary sectors that will be affected by the mining project. The national peasant federation of PAKISAMA is to be invited, along with other organized peasant groups.
On the 5th day of vigil (November 21), the 25 hunger strikers will be joined by the civil society organizations led by Alyansa Tigil Mina. Other development, HR and environmental organizations to be invited include: LRC-KsK, Philippine Misereor Partnership (PMP), PANLIPI, Ateneo Human Rights Center, ULAN, Haribon, among others. Fr. Robert Reyes will be invited to lead the prayer vigil and to do a “Takbo Alay Para sa Kalikasan” along with other campaign activities.
The succeeding program of activities for the vigil and participation of other solidarity groups/sectors days will be arranged in coordination with Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) and other Manila-based NGOs.
Please join us in this campaign to save our environment!
For more details, please contact:
Fr. Edwin A. Gariguez, ALAMIN/Mangyan Mission Email address: edugariguez@ gmail.com
WWF and Meralco estimates that more than a million Filipinos participated, saving 56MWh of energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 30-tonnes in Luzon alone – equivalent to shutting down an entire coal-fired powerplant!
Yes, the 30 tons is for the entire hour. This translates into:
Number of cars equivalent
Luzon: 334 cars consuming full tank fuel of 40L; 263 jeepneys consuming full tank fuel of 45L
We, the Officers and Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, loyal to God and country and to our duty under the Constitution, do hereby make the following declaration:
A crisis of extreme proportions now confronts our people. The economy, the rule of law and the moral order lie in ruins. Political, judicial and economic power, as well as the power of the mass media, has been perverted to inflict and justify high crimes against the Filipino people. More and more among our people no longer eat, while the idle rich and the corrupt live like kings. Minority rule has replaced majority rule. The three branches of government are now in total disarray, the entire system has broken down, thanks to a President whose legitimacy is denied by the vast majority of our people.
Corruption has not only become a way of life among those in power. It has also become the most effective means of destroying our country and people. Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has played a key role in promoting corruption to its present levels. In her mad desire for power, she has corrupted and destroyed all institutions. She has promoted a policy of loot and plunder while hypocritically announcing a war against corruption.
She has corrupted the justices of the Supreme Court, the entire Commission on Elections, the mass media, some members of the military, the police and the clergy, and countless teachers who took part in counting the votes in the last elections. She is not only the most corrupt official in the country today. She is also its No. 1 corruptor.
We cannot stand idly by while the rule of law, the moral order, the integrity of our institutions, the very future of our country and the people, and our own professional careers are destroyed by this bogus President. We cannot afford to do nothing while she and her cohorts turn our government into a criminal syndicate. We cannot allow ourselves to be used as a tool of injustice and oppression. We must act, and we must act now.
Pursuant, therefore, to our constitutional duty as “protector of the people and the state,” we have today withdrawn our support from Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, in order to end her unconstitutional and illegal occupation of the Presidency.
This we have done to restore the rule of law and public morality, the legitimacy and accountability of government, the integrity of our public institutions, the sanctity of the democratic process, and the trust and confidence of our people and the rest of the world.
We call on all our comrades-in-arms to discharge their genuine responsibilities to our people with full dedication and fervor. We call on our people to support the men and women at the forefront of this undertaking. We call on Mrs. Arroyo to accept gracefully the formation of a new government.
As soldiers, we do not seek political power for ourselves. But we shall not allow anyone to use political power to commit crimes against our people or to pursue their own personal agenda, at the expense of the national interest. We shall maintain law and order, prevent any group from taking advantage of the situation, and protect the innocent from all possible harm. We shall leave the actual business of governing the nation in the hands of professionally competent, morally upright, patriotic, trustworthy and self-sacrificing Filipinos whom we now invite to form a new government.
This may be our last chance to correct our past mistakes. We cannot afford to fail. We must not fail.
We appeal to everyone to give this effort a chance to succeed. We appeal to all our people to unite and extend all the support and counsel which the new government will need from them. We pray to Almighty God to bless our efforts and keep us pure and strong in this hour of need.
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim
Regiment Commander
First Scout Ranger Regiment
============
The Oakwood Agreement
The following are the terms of the Oakwood Agreement, which was approved by the so-called Magdalo soldiers and the government represented by Gen. Roy Cimatu (Ret.):
· Only the five (5) leaders named will suffer the consequences of the actions of the whole group at Oakwood. The five (5) are: Cpt Gary Alejano PN(M), Cpt Gerardo Gambala PA, Cpt Milo Maestrecampo PA, LTSG James Layug PN and LTSG Antonio Trillanes IV. All the rest shall only be admonished under the provisions of AW 105.
· There will be an independent investigation on the status of RSBS.
· There will be an independent investigation on the selling of arms and ammunition to the enemies of the state.
· There will be an independent investigation on the bombings in Davao and other areas in Mindanao.
· There will be an independent investigation on the extent of corruption in the AFP.
The agreement was witnessed by Mr Max Soliven, VADM Ruben Domingo, COMMO Tirso Danga, BGEN Danilo Lim, CAPT Feliciano Anggue PN, COL Oban PAF, Usec Abraham Purugganan, and Gen Dionisio Santiago (Ret). The above terms were approved by GMA through a phone call made by Gen Cimatu. As further proof of Malacanang’s approval of the Oakwood Agreement, the terms were broadcasted live on national TV by then AFP Chief of Staff Gen Narciso Abaya before the Magdalo soldiers agreed to stand down.
Starting 29 July 2003 all officers and EP who participated in the Oakwood Incident were detained in direct contravention of the agreement.
A few weeks after the incident, the Maniwang and Feliciano Commissions were created by the government to conduct the investigations as stated in the agreement. Both commissions exonerated both the GMA administration and the AFP of any wrongdoing.
In Aug 2003, two (2) Marine officers testified in the Senate regarding the selling of arms and ammunition to lawless elements in Jolo. In fact, a marine company was even directed by Southcom to transport and deliver the said items to a drop-off point at a roadside. This was admitted by then Southcom Chief LTGEN Padiernos. The tragic irony is that these same guns and ammunition may have been the same ones used against the Marines in the recent clashes in Jolo, which killed at least 12 and wounded more than 20 of them.
In Oct 2006, Defense Sec. Avelino Cruz declared that because of its bankruptcy, the RSBS would shut down its operation.
CALLING FOR THE IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION OF GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO AND NOLI DE CASTRO AND FOR THE HOLDING OF SPECIAL (“SNAP”) ELECTIONS WITHIN 60 DAYS
WHEREAS, because of the numerous unresolved scandals involving the present administration, including but not limited to the “Hello Garci” Election controversy, the ZTE , North Rail Project, Diosdado Macapagal Highway scandals, the Joc-joc Bolante Fertilizer scam, Jose Pidal caper, hundreds of unresolved extra-judicial killings and the latest Malacañang Bribery Incident, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has completely lost her moral authority to govern this country;
WHEREAS, the GMA has lost public sympathy and support in the light of her tainted electoral mandate and her responsibility for the numerous controversies hounding her administration, as consistently shown by survey after survey conducted by reputable polling entities;
WHEREAS, Vice President Noli De Castro is a member of the Arroyo cabinet and is a beneficiary of the cheating perpetrated during the May 2004 Elections and is also considered to be a silent partner in crime of GMA not only because of his close personal association and unflinching support for GMA but also because of his failure to stand-up against and denounce the abuses and excesses of the Arroyo regime;
WHEREAS, the recent Glorietta bombing incident appears to be a signal for the more violent phase in the regime of GMA;
WHEREAS, the sham impeachment case filed by personalities connected with Malacanang effectively sabotages and ridicules the impeachment process;
WHEREAS, the only peaceful, legal and constitutional option available to the Nation under the circumstances and to prevent the situation from developing into a full-scale conflict or civil strife is for GMA and Noli De Castro to resign from their respective positions as President and Vice-President, of the Republic of the Philippines;
WHEREAS, the 1987 Constitution, under Section 10, Article VII, expressly provides that:
“Sec. 10. The Congress shall, at ten o’clock in the morning of the third day after the vacancy in the offices of the President and Vice-President occurs, convene in accordance with its rules without need of a call and within seven days enact a law calling for a special election to elect a President and a Vice-President to be held not earlier than forty-five days nor later than sixty days from the time of such call. Xxx.”
NOW, WHEREFORE, We the undersigned citizens, taxpayers and voters of the Republic of the Philippines, in our capacity as the true sovereign of the Nation, DO HEREBY:
1. Call upon Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Noli De Castro to spare the country from further turmoil and violence by immediately resigning from their respective positions as President and Vice-President of the Philippines;
2. Demand the holding of a Special Presidential and Vice-Presidential Election within Sixty (60) Days from the date of the resignation of GMA and Noli de Castro, pursuant to Section 10, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution;
May God bless our Great Nation!
DONE in Metro Manila, Philippines on this 21st day of October 2007.
This statement is intended to explain why I refuse to enter into any form of plea bargaining in any of my cases arising from the Oakwood incident.
To begin, I must make it clear that I respect my co-accused, and hold no adverse opinion on their decisions to consider or enter into plea bargains. Their beliefs are their own, as is their right to chart the courses of their own lives.
When I went to Oakwood, four years ago, it was clear to me that in order for me to bring the truth to my countrymen, I could stand to lose my life, my career or everything I hold dear. Standing trial and facing possible conviction for various offenses are natural consequences of my decision to tell the truth. Thus, I hold no rancor for those who must compel me to submit to the legal processes, even as I expect no justice to come out of such processes.
Years later, it is to my sorrow that no significant changes have taken place despite our warnings, our concerns and our acts in Oakwood. The system is as corrupt as ever, the military is now more politicized than ever before and the highest executive in the land holds office in spite of the absence of a clear mandate. Even sadder, our soldiers are still needlessly dying out there.
I have since learned that I must cast my lot with the majority of the Filipino people who, despite the recent electoral exercises, remain outside of the decision making processes exercised by our public officials, and therefore remain powerless. - PILIPINO.ORG was born from this difficult lesson.
With these in mind, I refuse to bargain with the dubious authorities who exercise power without conscience and who are responsible for the ills that I felt compelled to report to my countrymen. At any rate, an agreement of this nature would be a tacit ratification or recognition of Presidential powers that lie uneasily in the wrong hands.
If this refusal to bargain means a prison term or the loss of my life, I am prepared, now, as much as I was four years ago, to pay the price for telling the truth.
A website sympathetic to Sen. Antonio Trillanes and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim on Thursday said urged the people to support the officials, after their walkout from a Makati City courtroom to march to the Manila Peninsula Hotel where the group gave a formal statement before members of the media.
"Senator Antonio Trillanes, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, Magdalo soldiers, their guards and the people hve started marching towards Makati triangle.
"We presently find in existence a dangerous concept where the armed forces now owe their primary allegiance and loyalty to those who temporarily exercise the authority of the executive branch of the government rather than to the country and the Constitution they have worn to protect.
"That is a concept we defy and struggle to eradicate.
"If you believe you are a man of will and courage with unselfish motives and brave enough to fight against such tyranny, rise up and be counted!" - GMANews.TV
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- President Hugo Chavez's government called its ambassador back to Caracas for talks.
The shadows of relatives of people kidnapped cast over their pictures during a protest last week in Bogota.
The two countries' leaders have exchanged increasingly sharp words since Colombia's conservative Alvaro Uribe last week ended Chavez's efforts to broker a prisoner swap to free hostages held by Colombian rebels, including three U.S. defense contractors and French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt.
The guerrillas on Tuesday issued their first statement on recent events, saying that Chavez's participation in the fledgling talks had been "the only hope" for a deal.
Venezuela's foreign ministry announced it had called home Pavel Rondon, its ambassador in Bogota, "to oversee an exhaustive evaluation of bilateral relations."
A foreign ministry official said Rondon has been in Caracas since Saturday.
But Colombia's foreign minister, Fernando Araujo, vowed not to recall Colombia's ambassador in Caracas, insisting his government's dispute is with the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC, not Venezuela.
"The enemy of the Colombian people is the FARC," Araujo told a news conference.
The Andean neighbors share a 1,380-mile border and $5 billion in trade last year, maintaining friendly relations despite sharp ideological differences -- until now.
Uribe last Wednesday booted the leftist Chavez and a Colombian senator from talks with the FARC, saying the Venezuelan leader had violated the conditions of his involvement by speaking directly to the head of Colombia's army.
"Uribe's attitude is wretched, very wretched, to suspend the humanitarian mediation of President Hugo Chavez and Senator Piedad Cordoba, when it was the only hope for achieving a prisoner swap in Colombia," the guerrilla commander known as "Ivan Marquez" said a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press.
The rebel leader, who had traveled to Caracas to meet with the Venezuelan president earlier this month, thanked Chavez and Cordoba for trying to stimulate talks.
Since taking office in 2002, Uribe's government has had no face-to-face talks with the rebels. Some FARC hostages have been held for more than? 10 years.
Chavez on Sunday said he was putting relations with Colombia "in the freezer," calling Uribe a "liar" and accusing him of "not wanting peace."
Uribe replied hours later, claiming that Chavez is pushing an "expansionist project" across Latin America and seems to want Colombia to fall "victim to a terrorist FARC government".
The rebel force is holding 46 high-profile hostages whom it has pledged to release in exchange for hundreds of imprisoned guerrillas.
Uribe in August invited Chavez to help broker a deal with the leftist rebels, who are sympathetic to the Venezuelan leader's socialist ideals.
Colombia, Washington's closest ally in South America, has received billions of dollars in U.S. military aid in the past seven years to fight the FARC and the world's largest cocaine trade. by cnn
Are we having war in the town? ... war need two side to fight each other with guns, now we got bare hand, junta got guns and military equipment made by China.
Name: Ko Soe Than (b) Si Tone Address: 716 , 26 Street , No 5 Quarter, S\Okkalapa Age: 41 years old Date of death: 27 September, 2007
Name: Kenji Nagai Adress: Nakano Ward, Tokyo, Japan Age: 50 Date of death: 27 September, 2007 Remark:He is a photo journalist of freeland
Name: Myo Min Htun Address: 287 , 24 Street , No. 7 Quarter, S\Okkalapa Age: 22 Father: U Than Htun Date of death: 27 September, 2007
Name: Zayar Naing Address: Mahor Video rent shop , Thura 2 Street, No. 9 Quarter, S\Okkalapa Age: 18 Date of death: 27 September, 2007 Remark: He is a tenth student of Basic Education High School- BEHS (2) School , S\Okkalapa, Rangoon
Name: Pho Zaw Address: Dan Ohn Set, Marga street, N/Oakkalapa, Rangoon Age: 40 Date of death: 29 September 2007 Name: Sunny (alais) kalamalay Address: Bo Htun Zan Quarter, Daw Bon, Rangoon Age: 18 Date of death: 29 September 2007
To trick Mr.Gambari, UN envoy, the junta announces through their mouth-piece-media that there is a demonstration in Myitkyiinar . Actually that demonstration is a fake one for the junta wants to prove that their soldiers are not terrorist and not shooting at people and it's also the junta's plan to hide the truth of their terrorist evidences. At the same time, in Rangoon,the riot police are hitting with iron bar to any group of people whether they are demonstrators or not.After hitting violently, they arrest the people who collapse.
Internet line in Burma is not stable yet, now it is off again.
Above figure is the brain of a young student who was beaten violently to death by soldiers of the junta found in the drain near No. (3) Tarmway high school.
Now Internet is back online from Burma. but it is difficult to use proxy.
Yesterday pictures in Yangon ( thanks to mizzima.com)
Home industry Owners Mr Pho Zaw who lives in Mar Ga Street, South Okkalapa T/S, on 27.09 he drove his own car to downtown to buy the floor tiles, on the way to the downtown near by Kyikkason Pagoda he headed on the Military car, he give a Horn whilst the soldiers pulled off from his car and beaten him then drown into Pagoda compond, Heard he died, the death body is missing. His properties (eg, hand phone, cash and car were no return and missing.
Thandar Ngwe Oo (father U Tin Oo) age 29, pregnant 6monts whom was arrested by Military on 27.09 night.
At mid night on 28.09, The chairman of NLD SanChang T/S was arrested.
Where is Gambari? Where is he going? how junta is palning to trick on UN?
Gambari will arrive YGN 3:30 pm local time with the Silk Air today. The Junta is planning to take him to NAYPYITAW, which is the official capital of the country where there are not civilian apart from civil servant.
So, what is the reason for Gambri to go to Myanmar? He is ... shown the place where no people live and junta trying to blind him, and they will lie to him as usual, finally he might come back with answer ... well! .. SPDC is moving toward to Democracy. They will continue to cause blood shed in the streets of Rangoon and other cities ….
In order prevent the crowd gathering near the airport they are asking anyone going near the airport they are also blocking the road to prevent protest at the Air
The courage of our peacefull people( this is now happening in downtown in YGN 14;10 27.09.07)
3 men were shooted one is already dead in Sule there are only people they are shooting in the group but never run away the people NOWthis is how they come out and try to kill people
The courage of our peacefull people( this is now happening in downtown in YGN 14;10 27.09.07)
3 men were shooted one is already dead in Sule there are only people they are shooting in the group but never run away the people NOWi got a news from inside, as below
2.40 am in Burma. Sept 27 morning.
Soldiers Beating and capturing in the Ngwe Kyar Yan Monastry of S/ Oakalapa Tsp now. People hearing noises from the monastry until.Monks are crying and running arround there. Please try to spread to spread this URGENTLY.
Another friend told me "now army from ygn is changed with the army from chin state
so there can b worse condition tomorrow than today and now they entering into the monestries at the mid nite time and arrest the monks by trucks."
Please ask buddhist people to protact the buddhism for the lowest humiliation and insult by taking security duty in the monastries.
Another suggestions her! Very importent too!
As the Junta pointed 86 points to say that protesting monks are not monks but fake. So please also try to find the rules and regulations of a soldier and quote these to say that these soldiers and those who commend them are not soldiers because they break the rule of a good soldier. So please declare publicly that they are terrorist, not soldier. So fight them back.
Today, the people’s uprising lead by the monks, NLD members, students and citizens of Burma are entering the battle with their lives and blood.
In the aftermath of 8888 (18 Aug 1988) pro-democracy uprising, the Burmese democracy activists were forced to leave the country in exile. They tried achieving democracy from abroad. Both the exile oppositions organizations and the international community share the similar opinion to bring about a change in the country from force within.We also believe in a change by standing up against the regime from within with a united force.Today is the tenth day that the monks have led the protest in the streets with the students and citizens to defy the junta.
In this revolution, 15 monks and people including a Japanese citizen have sacrificed their lives in this cause.In Burma, the only path to oppose the military junta is to demonstrate peacefully.The military junta repressed the peaceful demonstration brutally by hiding truth.The longer the military junta represses the people we are bound to loos more lives.
Would the Burmese community in exile and the institutions like the UN and EU wait till the situation in Burma gets worse like Darfur in Sudan?
The neighbouring countries like China, and so called democratic countries like India and ASEAN countries selfishly avoiding the problems in Burma by brushing pass as our internal problems. It does not matter how many people the military kills, we woe to struggle and scarify our lives to restore democracy for our future generation.
On behalf of the Burmese people I salute the courage of Mr Kenji Nagai, a Japanese journalist employed by the APF Tsushin based in Tokyo, who scarified his life whilst recording media footage of gun shots to educate the global citizens.
This is the pic from yesterday near Sule, a person who have no leg but breave enought to face theis regime
Blood Line running all through fear People sending all food to be shiver... Land of blood shed to wrong run tear Men of Sun set to be song gun hear. !!hey people, you all took our economics freedom, you all took our knowledge, you all took our children, you all took our song of peaceful... This is called our Mother Land of 19 years...
(Guyzordianry Guyz)
007
today.... 26/9/07 my duty time part is working on Emergency YGH... at about 2:00 pm 5 patients was coming to our Emergency ... for Gun Shot from Government militaries... 1 patients died on d spot on arriving Hospital... ( shot on Bladder ) 4 r still bad in Diagnosis... The patient's attendant said " the patient r not in d line of protest... they ( victims ) are just chatting and watching d protest line and sitting on Cafe Bar near Shawe Dagon Pagoda , some r pedestrians" when they watching.... Government military Car was crossing to d protest line and randomly shot all of them ... what the insanity and inhumanity of their mind don't they have self-mind.. that can desire to do or shouldn't do? don't they have Family? don't they have Brain? i was very sorry for victims ( pateints ) and victims' relatives really insanity , really inhumanity, really selfish to get holding their stupid military Government... really unintelligence .. how to manage the country like in this situation ... i always ready to support Protest Monks and People... and wanna treat whenever they get injuries ... and all my friends ... u also wanna see like that or not .... This PROTEST is our chance to get improving our country among neighbours ...his is what i got from my mail and telling what was happening with him on 27/09/07
Below is an actual of what had happen yesterday on 27/9/07.
I am a Singaporean working in Myanmar for the past 11 years. I was on my way to office( near Thuwana area) at around 4 to 4.30pm when the riot police block the road near "Super one, ILBC area". I stop my car with my wife and walk out. suddenly riot police and soldiers drove the truck around the corner and start firing shots at the crowd. we quickly ran to the side and squat down near the wall. The soldiers came down and start to shoot at us. I was shot twice but i did not know what hit me. My both leg were bruised. the soldiers and police kicked us and the rest of the crowds into the drain and shouted that they would kill us if we look at them.
We were forced to stay in the drain for 15 mins and gather by the into a group. A commander came and gather his troops and drove off to Tamwe direction. After that ,i looked at my injures and and found injures on my left and right legs. My wife found the "40mm riot control munnition" empty cartridge that the soldiers shoot at me.
I would like the embassy and media to know the actions of this army. We are just ordinary citizen going to work and they just shot at us for no reason. Imagine what they would do to the protesters!
I would like the Singapore government would make a strong stand against this violence crack down on the monks and people.
attached is the photo of my injures . I have been attended by a private doctor on my injures. The doctor said i was very lucky that the shot missed the groin area.
This turn into
This ..... so, who is making violent. I would like to apologise to everyone for last 2 hrs, i was too tired and i just can't bring myself still awake, I have 2 hrs sleep every night for 8 fays, sorry that i missed many phone calls and i missed some news, but now i am back online.
Burma time 16;12
To all folk, it is really bad in YGN, pLs can someone do something for our country, now inside YGN it has been look like War Zone, i even heard stooting over the phone. it is over 50 shots, right now. but people are not giving up to protest and more and more people coming out to street.
A government announcement said security forces fired at demonstrators who failed to disperse, killing one man. Foreign news agencies and exile groups reported a higher death toll, ranging from two to seven people.
Despite threats and warnings by the authorities and despite the beginnings of a violent response, tens of thousands of chanting, cheering protesters flooded the streets, witnesses reported. Monks were in the lead, “like religious storm troopers,” as one foreign diplomat described the scene.
In response to today’s violence, the United Nations Security Council called a special meeting for 3 p.m. today to discuss the crisis.
Though the crowds were large and energetic, they were smaller than on previous days, apparently in part because of the deployment of armed soldiers to prevent monks from leaving some of the main temples.
But it appeared that an attempt by the military to halt the protests through warnings, troop deployments and initial bursts of violence had not succeeded. Analysts said that the next steps in the crackdown might be yet more aggressive and widespread.
The foreign diplomat described “an amazing scene” today as a column of 8,000 to 10,000 people flooded past his embassy following a group of about 800 monks.
They were trailed by four truckloads of military men, watching but not taking action. The diplomat, in keeping with embassy policy, spoke on condition of anonymity.
According to news reports and telephone interviews from Myanmar, which is sealed off to foreign reporters, the day began with a confrontation at the giant, gold-spired Shwedagon Pagoda, which has been one focus of the demonstrations.
In the first reported violence in nine days of demonstrations by monks in the country’s main city, Yangon, police officers with riot shields dispersed up to 100 monks who were trying to enter the temple, firing tear gas and warning shots and knocking some monks to the ground. As many as 200 monks were reported to have been arrested at the pagoda.
Several hundred monks then walked through the city downtown to the Sule Pagoda, another focus of the demonstrations, where truckloads of soldiers had been seen arriving Tuesday. Another violent confrontation was reported here, with more shots fired and a number of arrests.
On a broad avenue near the temple, hundreds of people sat facing a row of soldiers, calling out to them: “The people’s armed forces, our armed forces!" and, "The armed forces should not kill their own people!”
Tens of thousands of people were reported to be demonstrating in the streets of Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city.
The demonstrations have grown from several hundred people protesting a fuel price rise in mid-August to as many as 100,000 Sunday, led by tens of thousands of monks in the largest and most sustained antigovernment protests since 1988.
That earlier peaceful uprising was crushed by the military, which shot into crowds, killing an estimated 3,000 people. It was during the turmoil a decade ago that the current military junta took power in Myanmar, and it has maintained its grip by arresting dissidents, quashing political opposition and using force and intimidation to control the population.
Now, emboldened by the presence of the monks, huge crowds have joined the demonstrations in protests that reflect years of discontent over economic hardship and political repression.
At first, the government held back as the protests grew. It issued its first warning Monday night, when the religious affairs minister said the government was prepared to take action against the protesting monks.
On Tuesday night, the government announced a dawn-to-dusk curfew, banned gatherings of more than five people and placed the cities of Yangon and Mandalay under what amounts to martial law. Troops began taking up positions at strategic locations around Yangon and tried to seal off five of the largest and most active monasteries.
As the protests grew, public figures began to come forward, and on Tuesday the government arrested the first of them, a popular comedian, Zarganar, who had urged people to join the demonstrations. He had irritated the government in the past with his veiled political gibes.
The crackdown today came in the face of warnings and pleas from around the world to refrain from the kind of violence that has made the country’s ruling generals international pariahs.
A spokesman for President Bush, who was in New York City for the United NationsGeneral Assembly, today denounced the crackdown and urged restraint. A day before, Mr. Bush had announced a largely symbolic tightening of American sanctions against Myanmar’s government, and White House officials had hoped that the announcement of the sanctions, which would affect the military government’s leaders directly, would intensify pressure on the government not to use violence.
“The United States is very troubled by the action of the junta against the Burmese people,” the spokesman, Gordon D. Johndroe, said, referring to the country’s former name. “We call on them to show restraint and to move to a peaceful transition to democracy.”
The European Union has also threatened to tighten its own sanctions if violence was used. Today, the British prime minister, Gordon Brown, said the first step after any meeting of the United Nations Security Council should be to send a United Nations envoy to Myanmar.
TheDalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, the former South African archbishop and anti-apartheid campaigner, have spoken out in support of their fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader, who has been held under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years.
The junta was also hearing the message directly from diplomats based in Yangon. The British ambassador, Mark Canning, said he met with a government official Tuesday to urge restraint.
“You need to look very carefully at the underlying political and economic hardships,” he said he told the official. “The government must also understand what this is about — not fuel prices, but decades of dissatisfaction.”
Monks have called for political prisoners to be freed
The first night of a dusk-to-dawn curfew has passed in Burma's two largest cities, Rangoon and Mandalay.
Burma's military rulers are now waiting to see if defiant protesters attempt to continue a series of escalating anti-government demonstrations.
A ban is in force on groups of more than five people, and armed troops have been deployed on the streets.
Overnight, authorities arrested two prominent democracy campaigners who had been supporting the protests.
U Win Naing, 70-year-old a veteran democracy activist has been detained, his wife told the BBC, along with a popular Burmese film comedian, Zaganar.
At the weekend Zaganar and other local celebrities arranged a special meal for the protesting monks as a way of showing their support.
Vow to continue
Reports early on Wednesday said truckloads of soldiers and riot police arrived at a number of major monasteries in Rangoon where recent protests have taken place.
The restriction on gathering in public, and the night-time curfew, will stay in place for 60 days, officials say.
LATEST PROTESTS
1. Shwedagon Pagoda. Tens of thousands of protesters, led by monks, gathered for the march 2.Sule Pagoda. Students joined the protest, passing by city hall
BBC South Asia correspondent Jonathan Head says the feared military response to what has become a mass uprising against Burma's rulers has drawn closer, with the deployment of armed troops at some of the focal points for the recent protests.
State TV has repeated warnings to Burma's people not to join the demonstrations, and to the Buddhist monks not to meddle in politics.
But monks led tens of thousands of people through Rangoon and other towns on Tuesday for an eight day of protests, calling for democracy and an end to military repression.
Joining them were workers, actors and politicians from the opposition National League for Democracy party led by Aung San Suu Kyi, who remains under house arrest.
Some chanted "we want dialogue" while others simply shouted "democracy, democracy".
People were also carrying flags, including some bearing the image of a fighting peacock used by students during the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, witnesses say.
Students were also openly marching, whereas during earlier demonstrations they had simply formed a chain and clapped.
The young monks leading this movement have vowed to keep up their protests, but our correspondent says that now looks certain to put them on a collision course with the army.
Restraint urged
The junta, which repressed the 1988 protests by killing some 3,000 people, finally broke its silence over the mounting protests late on Monday, saying it was ready to "take action".
5 Sept: Troops injure several monks at a protest in Pakokku
17 Sept: The junta's failure to apologise for the injuries draws fresh protests by monks
18-21 Sept: Daily marches by monks in Burmese cities gradually gather in size
22 Sept: 1,000 monks march to the home of Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon
23 Sept: Up to 20,000 march in Rangoon
24 Sept: New Rangoon march draws at least 50,000 and 24 other towns join in
Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Burma's military to show restraint in the face of the rising tide of protests.
President Bush announced a tightening of existing US economic sanctions against the military regime there.
The US has already imposed an arms ban on Burma, a ban on all exports, a ban on new investment and a ban on financial services.
Earlier, close ally China called for stability and the EU also urged the junta to show restraint and launch a process of real political reform.
The protests were triggered by the government's decision to double the price of fuel last month, hitting people hard in the impoverished nation.
