Myanmar trumpets release of protesters ahead of UN meet

Myanmar trumpets release of protesters ahead of UN meet - channelnewsasia.com

YANGON - Myanmar's state press on Sunday trumpeted the release of monks and demonstrators ahead of a UN Security Council meeting to discuss how to handle the military government following its crackdown on street protests.

Security Council members -- under pressure to condemn the military rulers after 13 people were killed in its drive to end the escalating pro-democracy rallies -- were to meet on Monday to debate a draft statement on Myanmar.

The New Light of Myanmar newspaper said Sunday that more than half of the 2,171 people arrested after the biggest anti-government protests in nearly two decades has been released, repeating figures given late Saturday on state TV. "Link"

US eager for UN envoy report on Myanmar

US eager for UN envoy report on Myanmar

WASHINGTON : The United States on Tuesday took a wait-and-see approach to a UN special envoy's visit to Myanmar after a deadly crackdown on protests there and said it looked forward to his report.

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Burmese monks 'to be sent away'

Thousands of monks detained in Burma's main city of Rangoon will be sent to prisons in the far north of the country, sources have told the BBC. news.bbc.co.uk

Hackers exploit Myanmar crisis

When protests in Myanmar took a violent turn in the last week of September, the online world went into hyperdrive with massive online postings and active emailing to gather support against the ruling junta.

Taking advantage of the situation now are hackers who have started to send out emails which claim to be a message of support for monks and other protesters in Myanmar from the Dalai Lama.

IT security and control firm, Sophos, is however cautioning that the email in fact carries a malicious attack designed to infect the recipient's PC.

The malicious email that's making its rounds also takes advantage of reports that the Burmese regime is trying to stop news coming out of the country by shutting down internet cafes and controlling computer users' access to the net.

...The email which is signed off by "Tenzin Taklha" asks that the message be distributed to as many people as possible. It reads: "Dear Friends & Colleagues, Please find enclosed a massage(sic) from His Holiness the Dalai Lama in support of the recent pro democracy demonstrations taking place in Burma." 'LINK'

Myanmar police, soldiers deployed to pagodas and monasteries

Myanmar police, soldiers deployed to pagodas and monasteries

YANGON: Military-ruled Myanmar deployed armed soldiers and riot police to key pagodas and monasteries around Yangon on Wednesday, in a bid to prevent Buddhist monks from staging anti-military protests, witnesses said.

Security forces were deployed around the Shwedagon Pagoda, where monks have begun their marches over the last eight days, as well as the Sule Pagoda, a key rallying point in the city centre, witnesses said.

The pagodas were not closed, but everyone was searched before being allowed to enter. 'Link'

Myanmar imposes curfew, declares Yangon 'restricted' area

YANGON : Myanmar's ruling military slapped dusk-till-dawn curfews on the country's two largest cities on Tuesday after Buddhist monks defied warnings of a crackdown and led 100,000 people in another day of mass protests.

The order, effective on Wednesday in Yangon and Mandalay, came after the ruling generals - under pressure after eight straight days of peaceful protests led by the monks - deployed at least 200 armed soldiers and riot police in Yangon.

"This order was issued because of the protests. Do not organise groups of more than five people," the announcement said, reiterating a long-time ban on assemblies that has been ignored as anti-government protests have swelled.

The 9:00 pm to 5:00 am curfew and the ban on public gatherings were to remain in place for 60 days, the announcement said.

Yangon has also been declared a "restricted area" - a term normally reserved for military or conflict zones. 'Link'