VARIOUS: Demonstrators around the world protest against crackdown in Myanmar

Peace, restraint and international intervention were the themes of various demonstrations across the globe Saturday (September 29) against the violent repression in Myanmar. Demonstrators in Brussels accused the European Union of doing too little in the face of a brutal crackdown in Myanmar and called for a boycott and an inquiry into the actions of French oil company Total in Myanmar. The Total company is one of the biggest western investors in the former Burma and Belgian lawyers accuse it of complicity in crimes against humanity. In Berlin, protesters demanded China take a more active role in pushing for a peaceful resolution in Myanmar, or face of boycott of it's Beijing Olympic Games. Barbara Lochbihler, German general secretary for Amnesty International, told Reuters Television, "we still remember the pictures from 1988 when more than 3,000 peaceful demonstrators were killed and it's our urgent appeal, from all the large cities around the world, for the military junta to come to reason and not to use excessive violence." "To the contrary," Lochbihler demanded, "they must begin talks with the opposition and with the monks." Myanmar students in New Dehli, wearing red headbands and carrying banners marched through the Indian capital calling for an end to the military crackdown on peaceful anti-government demonstrations back home. The protesters also called on the Indian government to step in. India, along with China, are key trading partners of the former Burma. "We want to ask the Indian government and Indian people to help us to stop this in Burma," said protester Thin Thin Aung. India shares a 1,645-km (1,000-mile) border on its east with Myanmar. And in Bangkok, some 200 Buddhist, Muslim, Christian and Hindu people lined up along the outside of the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok to light candles and pray for the people of Myanmar. The participants held rainbow pace peace flags and banners declaring "solidarity with the Burmese monks, citizens and their peaceful demonstrations". Prayers were said in various languages and some sang songs of peace. The vigil came on the day that U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari flew into Myanmar carrying worldwide hopes he can persuade its ruling generals to use negotiations instead of guns to end mass protests. Some people at the Bangkok vigil held up banners reading: "UN don't fail us again". So far the junta that rules Myanmar seems to have ignored international clamour for a peaceful end to their crackdown on a mass uprising led by monks, the moral core of the Buddhist nation, which grew from small protests against shock fuel price rises in August. Troops and riot police manned barricades on Saturday in the area from which the pro-democracy protests have reverberated around the world. Small groups gathered to taunt and curse them before scattering down alleys when they started to charge. The junta says it is acting with restraint. In practice this has meant firing at crowds, raiding a dozen monasteries in the largest city Yangon and sealing off two pagodas marking the start and end points of the mass protests.

ITN Source | September 30, 2007

Tags:. .opposition. .lawyers. .berlin. .citizens. .globe