Monks protest enters 3rd day

YANGON – Almost 1 000 Buddhist monks, protected by onlookers, marched through Myanmar’s biggest city for a third straight day yesterday and pledged to keep alive the most sustained protests against the military government in at least a decade.

The monks chanted as they marched in a steady rain from the golden Shwedagon pagoda, the country’s most revered shrine, to Sule pagoda in downtown Yangon, and then rallied briefly outside the US Embassy. Washington is one of the junta’s major foreign critics.It was the third day the monks have marched in Yangon.Their activities have given new life to a protest movement that began a month ago after a huge government-ordered hike in fuel prices, sparking demonstrations against policies that are causing economic hardships.The protests also reflect long pent-up opposition to the repressive military 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 monks and several thousand followers marched past Scott’s Market, the city’s main market, before returning to Sule pagoda, where they prayed before ending their protest.Speaking to a crowd of about 5 000 people, an unidentified monk said people’s lives were getting worse because the government was ‘unjust and selfish’.”We will stage our marches every Sabbath day,” said another monk who sat on a huge ornamental chair.The next Buddhist Sabbath falls next Wednesday.As the monks marched calmly in long processions though the city streets, onlookers clasped their hands together in a traditional gesture of respect.They offered refreshment to the marchers, while others kept the streets clean by picking up water bottles.Such open expressions of support had been lacking at smaller demonstrations carried out by laymen over the past month.Monks at the head of the procession carried religious flags and an upside-down alms bowl, a symbol of protest.At least as many bystanders marched alongside, arms linked, to prevent any intrusion.No uniformed security personnel were in sight, though dozens of plainclothesmen stood by without interfering.The monks said prayers at Shwedagon before starting their march.They had been locked out of the pagoda the two previous days.As they marched, they chanted sermons, avoiding explicit anti-government gestures.But their message of protest was unmistakable to fellow citizens, since monks normally leave their monasteries only for morning rounds with bowls seeking alms.Monks held at least four separate marches on Wednesday in Yangon, along with protests in at least two other cities, Sittwe and Mandalay.Nampa-APWashington is one of the junta’s major foreign critics.It was the third day the monks have marched in Yangon.Their activities have given new life to a protest movement that began a month ago after a huge government-ordered hike in fuel prices, sparking demonstrations against policies that are causing economic hardships.The protests also reflect long pent-up opposition to the repressive military 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 monks and several thousand followers marched past Scott’s Market, the city’s main market, before returning to Sule pagoda, where they prayed before ending their protest.Speaking to a crowd of about 5 000 people, an unidentified monk said people’s lives were getting worse because the government was ‘unjust and selfish’.”We will stage our marches every Sabbath day,” said another monk who sat on a huge ornamental chair.The next Buddhist Sabbath falls next Wednesday.As the monks marched calmly in long processions though the city streets, onlookers clasped their hands together in a traditional gesture of respect.They offered refreshment to the marchers, while others kept the streets clean by picking up water bottles.Such open expressions of support had been lacking at smaller demonstrations carried out by laymen over the past month.Monks at the head of the procession carried religious flags and an upside-down alms bowl, a symbol of protest.At least as many bystanders marched alongside, arms linked, to prevent any intrusion.No uniformed security personnel were in sight, though dozens of plainclothesmen stood by without interfering.The monks said prayers at Shwedagon before starting their march.They had been locked out of the pagoda the two previous days.As they marched, they chanted sermons, avoiding explicit anti-government gestures.But their message of protest was unmistakable to fellow citizens, since monks normally leave their monasteries only for morning rounds with bowls seeking alms.Monks held at least four separate marches on Wednesday in Yangon, along with protests in at least two other cities, Sittwe and Mandalay.Nampa-AP