The Saffron Revolution - Buddhists Fight For Democracy

I just read a great article on the Burmese fight for democracy. The piece just came out so it has a kind of comprehensive character that most of the chaotic reports of breaking violence don’t have. Also tells the escape story of one of the monk organizers.



This story makes me reassess my view of organized religion. The monks are most certainly playing a good role in Burma. They are fighting to end oppression in a morally respectable way. Their role in the protests have been crucial, the monks attracted the support of the general population of Burma by lending their moral authority to the cause. They attracted world wide attention because of the dramatic footage they created and their unique position in society. And most importantly they blunted the reaction of the military junta, saving an unknown number of lives. The crackdown was still violent and bloody, with many dead and many more injured, but without the monks it would have been worse.



An amazing BBC piece from inside Burma, fantastic footage
Monks at 0:50
Original fuel protests 2:05