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'

UN rights council condemns Myanmar crackdown

GENEVA : The United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday passed a motion condemning the crackdown on peaceful protests by the military junta in Myanmar.

The council "strongly deplores the continued violent repression of peaceful demonstrations in Myanmar ... and urges the government of Myanmar to exercise utmost restraint and to desist from further violence against peaceful protesters," according to the text of the approved resolution.

The motion also called for the immediate release of all those detained in the recent protests, and of other political prisoners including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The approved text differs slightly from the original version proposed by the European Union, which urged the council to "strongly condemn" the crackdown.

The motion was passed without a vote because no objections were raised. 'Link'