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Thousands rally in Northeast India in solidarity with monks in Burma
October 2, 2007: (Mizzima) Thousands of Indians in the northeastern state of Mizoram today hit the streets in a show of solidarity for the Burmese people's struggle for change and freedom from bondage under the military dictatorship. They urged India to intervene in the current imbroglio.
Nearly 2,000 people including leaders of political parties on Tuesday marched on the streets of Aizawl, capital of Mizoram and urged the Indian government to immediately intervene in the ongoing crisis and pressure the ruling junta to work towards peace and democracy in the country.
The procession in Mizoram, bordering Burma, which hosts over 60,000 Burmese refugees and migrants, is the largest brought out so far by activists and campaigners to express solidarity with the Burmese people, who have been under military yoke for nearly half a century.
"We are demanding restoration of democracy and freedom for people in Burma," Muanpuia, a leading activist, told Mizzima.
The protest, joined by leaders of local political party units, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, Mizoram Congress Party and Zoram National Party, comes amidst mounting international outcry over the Burmese junta's heavy handed crackdown on Buddhist monk-led protests in Burma.
"We want the Indian government to do more for Burma," added Muanpuia.
Burmese soldiers and security forces last week, in a bid to weaken the monk-led protests that posed a direct challenge to 45 years of military rule in the country, began midnight raids in key monasteries and arrested over 200 monks.
The Burmese Army on Wednesday began opening fire on protesters in Rangoon in what is a near repetition of the brutal suppression of the 1988 student led pro-democracy uprising in the country.
According to the Burmese junta's state-run media 10 people were killed during the crackdown. But activists said the death toll is much higher. It could be several hundreds and the figures are being suppressed.
Meanwhile, 53 Burmese monks, who have come to India for studies, today staged a similar protest in New Delhi condemning the junta for its brutal treatment of monks, who are highly revered and seen as moral guardians in the pre-dominantly Buddhist country.
The protest in New Delhi was joined by several other Burmese activists as well as monks from India, Tibet , Bangladesh and Mongolia.