Nature cries for Burma

(AFP/Getty Images)
Blood on the floor of a Rangoon monastery raided by police last night in a bid to round up protest leaders



There are so many heartbreaking things about what is going in Burma, but for a foreigner one of the hardest to bear is the optimism. There are few foreign journalists here, but people treat them as saviours, encouraging them to get the story and the pictures out, with a touching faith that it will make a difference.

“Tell them to send foreign troops, UN troops,” said a young monk at the Mwe Kya Kan pagoda. “Please, fly them to our country to save our lives.”

An American in Rangoon told me yesterday about an opinion poll carried out on Burmese attitudes to US foreign policy.

“Like most people, they thought that it sucks,” he told me. “But not for the usual reason. Burmese wanted to know why George Bush hasn’t invaded their country yet.”

now amidst this tragedy, the latter sentence is actually kinda funny. Ironically funny. Yes Mr. Bush, if there ever was a worthwhile place to invade it would be Burma. Of course, the Chinese would heavily object and it would definitely be world war 3.

Read the rest by Kenneth Denby in Rangoon for the Times.


Free Burma...