Myanmar Closes Curtains On Crackdown

Internet Cut, Reports Of More Violence; "Significantly More" Than 10 Killed

(CBS/AP)  Soldiers clubbed and dragged away activists while firing tear gas and warning shots to break up demonstrations Friday before they could gain momentum. Troops also occupied Buddhist monasteries and cut Internet access, raising fears that a deadly crackdown was set to intensify in Myanmar.

The moves raised concerns that the junta may be preparing to intensify a crackdown on civilians that has killed at least 10 people in the past two days. The Internet in particular has played a crucial role in getting news and images of the pro-democracy protests to the outside world.

The clash in an area near the Sule Pagoda was the most serious of the several sporadic protests that were reported Friday in Myanmar's biggest city. But the crowds were much smaller compared to the tens of thousands of people that have poured into the streets over the past week, demanding the military junta step down and restore democracy.

Australia's ambassador to Myanmar said Friday he has heard that "several multiples of the 10" have been killed by the military.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown also questioned the number of deaths caused by the junta's crackdown, saying Friday he believed it was "far greater" than what was being reported.

The White House described the situation Friday as "very troubling," reports CBS News correspondent Peter Maer. Spokesman Scott Stanzel called the crackdown on peaceful protestors "quite barbaric."

"We certainly support the people who are marching for democracy and for peace," Stanzel said. President Bush discussed the situation Friday during a secure video conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, reports Maer.

According to one of the few Western journalists still inside Myanmar, also known by its pre-junta name, Burma, troops had surrounded several key Buddhist monasteries Friday.

Rosalind Russell told Britain's Sky News in a phone interview that it wasn't clear whether the monks were still inside the compounds, or if they had been cleared out and forced back to their home villages by the military.

Officials in Thailand said Friday planes were on standby to evacuate foreigners if the situation inside Myanmar deteriorates.

At least 10 people have been killed in the last two days, including a Japanese cameraman who was shot when soldiers with automatic rifles fired into crowds.

Australian Ambassador Bob Davis said Friday he had heard unconfirmed reports of many more casualties than the 10 that Myanmar authorities acknowledged were killed by troops in the capital, Yangon.

"We spoke to a number of people overnight last night before the curfew provisions applied (and) we have individual reports from them of seeing ... significantly more than that number of dead being removed from the scene," Davis told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio by telephone.

"Several multiples of the 10 acknowledged by the authorities," he said, adding that no figure had been confirmed.

In addition to widespread fears that the death toll from the government crackdown was higher than reported, CBS News correspondent Barry Peterson reports that today the country was rife with rumors of mutiny among the military.

Andrew Spooner, a British journalist in Myanmar, told Petersen he had unconfirmed reports that an army division had joined the protestors in Yangon. A dissident Web site in London even reported than a major figure in the junta had switched sides.

Today, the military regime started shutting down public Internet access - closed for "maintenance."

U.S. Sanctions Imposed

The United States imposed new sanctions on a dozen senior Myanmar officials, including the junta's two top generals, and again urged China as Myanmar's main economic and political ally to use its influence to prevent further bloodshed.

CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller reported President Bush called the Myanmar military regime "brutal" and said it had ruled for too long.

Police sealed off a Yangon neighborhood after hundreds of protesters defied the government's orders and the violence of previous days to take to the streets. They were quickly dispersed without bloodshed. Elsewhere, witnesses said the streets were mainly quiet.

Russell, a freelance journalist reporting from Yangon, said there were very few monks on the streets Friday - in sharp contrast to the previous days of demonstrations - and that it was now mostly young civilian men leading the protests.

Southeast Asian envoys were told by Myanmar authorities that a no-go zone had been declared around five key Buddhist monasteries, one diplomat said, raising fears of a repeat of a democratic uprising in 1988, when troops gunned down thousands of peaceful demonstrators and imprisoned the survivors.

Gates were locked and key intersections near monasteries in Yangon and Mandalay were sealed off with barbed wire. There was no sign of monks.

"We were told security forces had the monks under control" and will now turn their attention to civilian protesters, the Asian diplomat said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol. Getting the monks out of the way raised concerns that the government would now feel emboldened to take tougher measures against remaining protesters, the diplomat said.

Russell confirmed the reports that Myanmar's one Internet server had been shut down, and said the government had told people it was down for maintenance.

[getloud1]

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[getloud1]

If Americans don%u2019t wake up their will be nothing left, our Nation is broke and Wall Street is the only people making a profit. While the Hidden inflation tax continues to rise and the value of the dollar declines. Ron Paul is the only one who truely understands this, and honestly if he is not elected America should be prepared for a real economic depression like it has never seen before.

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[luigi999-2009]

Let''s get the U.S. Marines in there and put an end to the military junta! Time to crack down on those clowns!

[pwrslm]

not such a good idea for Bush to send anyone to mayanmar...China is still a communist and militarized economy...the presence of US Military on thier border is very touchy

[ioweign]

i guess that means you really hate FDR,,, he rounded up all the japanese in america,,,

bush has not rounded up all the muslims in america,,,

Posted by lars008 at 04:55 PM : Sep 28, 2007

He tried "Mayfield" !!

Then you have the renditions !!

[libsluvsuvs]

in reality, what CAN the UN and the EU do about this??

[ioweign]

I guess BURMA is fu cked..the liberals cannot focus on doing something to save this country..THEY ARE TOO BUSY USING BURMA TO ATTACK BUSH..

Posted by libsluvsuvs at 06:40 PM : Sep 28, 2007

And what is the Shrub doing ??

The only people to SAVE Burma are the Burmese.

I thought Bush campaigned AGAINST "Nation Building" !!

[libsluvsuvs]

I guess BURMA is fu cked..the liberals cannot focus on doing something to save this country..THEY ARE TOO BUSY USING BURMA TO ATTACK BUSH..

[libsluvsuvs]

As in Burma & every country with severe human rights abuses,, Guess who you will find ??? ------ USA Oil Companies, largely controlled by republican contributers.


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

Posted by j-whitman at 01:56 PM : Sep 28, 2007
+ report abuse

*******

actually your post should had read like this,

".....USA Oil Companies, largely controlled by republican contributers WHICH I HAPPLY GIVE MONEY EVERYTIME I BUY GASOLINE"

[libsluvsuvs]

If the people of this country continue to give into the fear that is shoveled to us from Washington DC on a regular basis...


...it is not impossible for the U.S. to descend into a government system similar to Myanmar, where communications are controlled and freedoms are TRULY eliminated.



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

Posted by USAyesterday at 04:42 PM : Sep 28, 2007
+ report abuse


******

fear was rammed into our lives with a 747. the fear that you are ranting about is non-existent..because if it does...your post would be banned..liberal hollywood will be shut down AND MOST IMPORTANT..you would be either dead or jailed..are any of those happening now???

[libsluvsuvs]

Not yet.

And FDR was wrong for doing what he did. But as I said in my first post, it was fear that was the basis for imprisoning Japanese-American citizens. It''''s ironic, however, that the person who''''s "fear" speech is so widely used, came from the guy who instilled fear into so many Japanese-Americans during WW2.

Fear is the main ingredient of control. To control the masses, first, you have to scare them. It''''s a common "How To" playbook for dictators (and wannabe dictators) around the world since the beginning of time.


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

Posted by USAyesterday at 05:46 PM : Sep 28, 2007
+ report abuse


******

based on your rantings, you are trying to sell, instigate and spread fear that is founded on allegations and conspiracy.

what bush is doing is trying to react to fear sent to us by islamic radicals..

I know your smart but next time re-think your logic

[lastdance2]

Sign this Appeal.This site is an Appeal For Redress in support of our mission in Iraq.An Appeal For Redress is an authorized means for active duty military to submit a grievance to ongress. It can be signed by Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard military personnel.It is authorized by DoD Directive 1325.6 and DoD Directive 7050.6.The wording of the Appeal for Redress is:As an American currently serving my nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to fully support our mission in Iraq and halt any calls for retreat. I also respectfully urge my political leaders to actively oppose media efforts which embolden my enemy while demoralizing American support at home. The War in Iraq is a necessary and just effort to bring freedom to the Middle East and protect America from further attack.If you are active duty, reservist or national guard, please Sign this Appeal.Most service members fully support the war in Iraq and feel calls to retreat by Congress and attacks by our media on our conduct and mission act to motivate our enemy while demoralizing our support at home, directly increasing the threat we face and resulting in greater American casualties. This Appeal for Redress provides a way in which individual service members can appeal to Congress to fully support us and actively oppose media attacks on our mission and our morale.This Appeal will be delivered to members of Congress.
http://www.appealforcourage.org/

Posted by lars008 at 05:50 PM : May 27, 2007

[usayesterday]

i guess that means you really hate FDR,,, he rounded up all the japanese in america,,,

bush has not rounded up all the muslims in america,,,

Posted by lars008 at 04:55 PM : Sep 28, 2007
............

Not yet.

And FDR was wrong for doing what he did. But as I said in my first post, it was fear that was the basis for imprisoning Japanese-American citizens. It''s ironic, however, that the person who''s "fear" speech is so widely used, came from the guy who instilled fear into so many Japanese-Americans during WW2.

Fear is the main ingredient of control. To control the masses, first, you have to scare them. It''s a common "How To" playbook for dictators (and wannabe dictators) around the world since the beginning of time.

[lars008-2009]

Posted by USAyesterday at 04:44 PM : Sep 28, 2007

i guess that means you really hate FDR,,, he rounded up all the japanese in america,,,

bush has not rounded up all the muslims in america,,,

[usayesterday]

Bush has eliminated Habeus Corpus, and nearly destroyed the 4th Ammendment.

What is next for him?

[usayesterday]

If the people of this country continue to give into the fear that is shoveled to us from Washington DC on a regular basis...


...it is not impossible for the U.S. to descend into a government system similar to Myanmar, where communications are controlled and freedoms are TRULY eliminated.

[lars008-2009]

VOTE FOR JEFFERSON,,, VOTE AGAINST FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAM,,, VOTE GOP,,,

dnc are like john adams and want to give the jihadist their lunch money hoping they will leave us alone,,,

gop are like thomas jefferson and want to spend their lunch money on weapons and go kick the jihadists in their arses,,,

What Thomas Jefferson learned from the Muslim book of jihad,,,

Thomas Jefferson knew about fascist nazi islam,,, he killed plenty of them,,,

In 1786 Jefferson and John Adams went to negotiate with Tripoli''''''''s envoy to London, Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdrahaman or (Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja). They asked him by what right he extorted money and took slaves. Jefferson reported to Secretary of State John Jay, and to the Congress:

The ambassador answered us that [the right] was founded on the Laws of the Prophet (Mohammed), that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have answered their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Mussulman who should be slain in battle was sure to go to heaven.[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War
http://www.usvetdsp.com/jan07/jeff_quran.htm
muslim justifies slavery and piracy%u2026
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?6bdec278-6a71-4436-bc4d-29d1c54b0ad7

[tnt1954]

so i''m going nowhere. i left the lights on in
the car for four hours. battery dead. no turnover.
that means a call to the auto club, another
major hassle in the castle. who was the idiot
who invented the automobile and roads and all
that major hassle. horses were fine. how about
just walking. or the scooter for the crippled.
maybe i''ll just shine it all on and starve to death.
be like the shaolin monks, escape from all desire
and get off the wheel of life.

[j-whitman]

As in Burma & every country with severe human rights abuses,, Guess who you will find ??? ------ USA Oil Companies, largely controlled by republican contributers.

[tnt1954]

so i''m going chinese to panda garden, its cheaper
than the japanese place. and to think i get
a fortune cookie with it. i''ll have the jack
in the box stuff tonight.