Burma deathly quiet

Other than airlines discontinuing service and India suspending arms sales to Myanmar, it seems that the world has forgotten about this summer’s “Saffron Revolution”. A dutch journalist hiding behind the letter “N” so as not to be identified and targeted says that the political situation in Burma is like a “frozen river”(Radio Netherlands Worldwide link);

September’s demonstrations were violently suppressed, but this doesn’t mean that calm has returned to Myanmar. “The present situation can be compared to a frozen river,” says N. “All sorts of things are moving below the surface. The demonstrations have given the people the feeling that it’s possible to change the situation in the country.”N thinks the people of Myanmar are very proud of the monks and the fact that they had the courage to speak out. “But of course people also wonder what has happened to the monks who were arrested. It’s a very odd situation, of course, because the monasteries and pagodas have never been so empty.”

BurmaNet News (h/t Have Coffee, Will Write) reports that the government is still cracking down on monks and their public Buddist teachings;

The Burmese military government has ordered a ban on Buddhist dhamma talks and seminars in Rangoon, according to monks in the former capital.

The monks told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that dhamma [the Buddha’s teachings] talks by four well-known monks were forced to cancel in December. The monks were named as: U Kawthala, also known as Dhamma Sedi Sayadaw; U Kawvida, also known as Mizzima Gon Yi Sayadaw; U Nadapadi, also known as Pyu Sayadaw; and U Sadila, also known as Lu Yay Chun Sayadaw.

Township authorities in Rangoon had been ordered to ban dhamma talks by the Regional Commander of Rangoon, said the sources. On Wednesday, U Kawvida, who is also a PhD in Buddhism, prepared to conduct a Buddhist tutorial in Insein Township, on the outskirts of Rangoon. However, officials arrived at the scene and ordered the dhamma talk to be stopped immediately.

Since the media decided to let the events in Burma drop from our screens, the UN is right there with the media – MIA.

Category: Foreign Policy, Society