UK NEWS

BURMA: U.N. MEETING TONIGHT

People protesting against the military government in Yangon

Wednesday September 26,2007

By Jessica Johnson for express.co.uk

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The UN Security Council will meet tonight at 8pm to discuss the crisis in Burma.

Up to 10,000 Burmese Buddhist monks and civilians have defied police tear gas and baton charges to continue protests in Rangoon against the military rulers.

At least one monk was reportedly killed and witnesses spoke of monks' shaved heads stained with blood at the Shwedagon Pagoda as police charged.

Security forces reportedly ringed six monasteries to prevent more monks joining the ninth day of protests.

Earlier, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for talks with a view to sending an envoy to the country. He vowed there would be "no impunity" for human rights violators.

The military and the monk-hood, Burma's two most powerful institutions are at war - and the outcome is still unclear.

It has been reported that monks were beaten with the back of rifles and taxi drivers are transporting the injured to nearby medical facilities.

Other reports differ on the number killed with a monastery official telling Reuters news agency two monks had died while Burmese officials told AFP three monks had been killed.

The British ambassador to Burma, Mark Canning has said that people had shown their determination to demonstrate, despite a number of them being severely beaten.

He said at one point there were almost 10,000 people outside the embassy.

"There was a nucleus of perhaps 1,000 monks with probably 8,000 or 9,000 civilians - many women, many students.

"They have marched in big columns throughout various areas of the city. They were entirely peaceful," he said.

A statement read out on Burmese television said the authorities were handling the situation: "most softly to avoid incidents desired by destructive elements while protecting the people."

Analysts fear a repeat of the violence in 1988, when troops opened fire on unarmed protesters, killing thousands.

I BET THE'RE REALLY SCARED!

26.09.07, 8:52pm

Oooo, I bet those wicked Generals are really scared (NOT)!

Let's face it with vile countries like Russia, China and India queing up to protect the Generals we all know nothing is going to happen. Any more than it has in Iran or any other Hell Hole.

You see, the Generals have Oil and Gas......need I say more.

Sorry, Monks and Burmes people, the world thinks more of your oil than they do of you, what a sick and sad world we live in!

• Posted by: Robertocarlo • Report Comment