In what appears to mark the beginning of a saffron-robed revolution, thousands of Buddhist monks have taken to the streets of Myanmar this week as discontent with the military junta – and increased fuel prices – grows rapidly.
The monks peaceful protests follow several violent attacks against the monks and other citizens opposed to fuel hikes and to the junta. According to Australia’s Daily Telegraph, “At least three monks were injured after security forces fired shots into the air and used bamboo sticks to disperse a crowd of 300 monks who were protesting against a massive hike in fuel prices”
In response, the monks temporarily locked members of the security forces inside a monastery.
As fuel prices increase, as housing prices plummet and as growing numbers of children here in the US enter the ranks of the medically uninsured, maybe some of us here should meditate and march against our own budget-and people–killing militarism.
