Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09RANGOON561
2009-08-26 10:28:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rangoon
Cable title:
BURMA: RUMORS OF POSSIBLE MONK-LED DEMONSTRATIONS
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C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000561
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO
PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: RUMORS OF POSSIBLE MONK-LED DEMONSTRATIONS
IN OCTOBER
Classified By: Political Officer Marc Shaw for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000561
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO
PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: RUMORS OF POSSIBLE MONK-LED DEMONSTRATIONS
IN OCTOBER
Classified By: Political Officer Marc Shaw for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)
1. (C) 88 Generation Students leader Toe Kyaw Hlaing told
P/E chief and Poloff August 25 that, according to his
monastery contacts, monks may be planning peaceful
demonstrations and symbolic refusal of alms on October 3, the
Full Moon day of Thadingyut (end of Buddhist lent). (Note:
During the September 2007 uprising, monks overturned their
alms bowls as a sign of protest to signal dissatisfaction
with the regime. End note.) Monks reportedly will demand
the release of all of Burma's political prisoners, including
monks, and an apology from the regime for its actions against
monks. Press contacts report that some monks have used radio
broadcasts to call for the regime to apologize for actions
taken against monks since September 2007, and to do so no
later than noon on October 2. If no apology is received,
according to a monk quoted by Radio Free Asia, demonstrations
will begin at noon October 30. Under a slightly different
scenario, Toe Kyaw Hlaing said, the protests, if they occur,
would happen on October 3 and could involve monasteries in
Rangoon, Sittwe, and Magwe.
2. (C) Toe Kyaw Hlaing told us August 26 that five large
monasteries were recently raided by the police (no
information as to date or location) due to circulation by
monks of a statement calling for the October 3 demonstration.
He added that police have also infiltrated many monasteries
around the country; one police officer related to a family
friend described receiving two week's of training before
disguising himself as a monk and entering a monastery to gain
intelligence on monk activities. Toe Kyaw Hlaing said
monasteries have noticed the police presence and veteran
monks are careful to avoid talking to new entrants.
3. (C) Comment: In September 2007 monks took to the
streets following the regime's refusal to apologize for an
incident earlier that month in Pakokku, in which authorities
beat several monks who were peacefully protesting. In 2007
monks gave the regime a set deadline by which to respond, and
began refusing alms immediately after that deadline passed.
The reports of planned activities in October bear
similarities to the origins of 2007's large-scale protests,
though it's premature to assume a repetition. Nevertheless,
these indicators merit watching, particularly as the
September 4 (Pakokku),September 18 (start of wide-scale
demonstrations) and September 25-27 (crackdown on protestors)
anniversaries draw near.
VAJDA
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO
PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: RUMORS OF POSSIBLE MONK-LED DEMONSTRATIONS
IN OCTOBER
Classified By: Political Officer Marc Shaw for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)
1. (C) 88 Generation Students leader Toe Kyaw Hlaing told
P/E chief and Poloff August 25 that, according to his
monastery contacts, monks may be planning peaceful
demonstrations and symbolic refusal of alms on October 3, the
Full Moon day of Thadingyut (end of Buddhist lent). (Note:
During the September 2007 uprising, monks overturned their
alms bowls as a sign of protest to signal dissatisfaction
with the regime. End note.) Monks reportedly will demand
the release of all of Burma's political prisoners, including
monks, and an apology from the regime for its actions against
monks. Press contacts report that some monks have used radio
broadcasts to call for the regime to apologize for actions
taken against monks since September 2007, and to do so no
later than noon on October 2. If no apology is received,
according to a monk quoted by Radio Free Asia, demonstrations
will begin at noon October 30. Under a slightly different
scenario, Toe Kyaw Hlaing said, the protests, if they occur,
would happen on October 3 and could involve monasteries in
Rangoon, Sittwe, and Magwe.
2. (C) Toe Kyaw Hlaing told us August 26 that five large
monasteries were recently raided by the police (no
information as to date or location) due to circulation by
monks of a statement calling for the October 3 demonstration.
He added that police have also infiltrated many monasteries
around the country; one police officer related to a family
friend described receiving two week's of training before
disguising himself as a monk and entering a monastery to gain
intelligence on monk activities. Toe Kyaw Hlaing said
monasteries have noticed the police presence and veteran
monks are careful to avoid talking to new entrants.
3. (C) Comment: In September 2007 monks took to the
streets following the regime's refusal to apologize for an
incident earlier that month in Pakokku, in which authorities
beat several monks who were peacefully protesting. In 2007
monks gave the regime a set deadline by which to respond, and
began refusing alms immediately after that deadline passed.
The reports of planned activities in October bear
similarities to the origins of 2007's large-scale protests,
though it's premature to assume a repetition. Nevertheless,
these indicators merit watching, particularly as the
September 4 (Pakokku),September 18 (start of wide-scale
demonstrations) and September 25-27 (crackdown on protestors)
anniversaries draw near.
VAJDA