Happenings in Burma on October 4 - Monks continue to disappear

Last Update: 20:00 in Bangkok (19:30 in Rangoon)

More reports of monastery raids and monk beatings. An army tactic was exposed whereby an assembly of monks is divided into smaller groups upon expulsion from a monastery prior to being taken somewhere. Monks have continued to go missing. Some monks have apparently escaped into the border region -- at least one of which plans to sign up with the insurgency.

- The Irrawady reports that five monasteries were raided in Rangoon and about 36 monks were arrested overnight on Wednesday, after receiving beatings from soldiers. “They (soldiers) came and searched for monks on their lists,” a monk told The Irrawaddy. The soldiers had photographs of monks, and if they found a monk who was in a photograph, they arrested all the monks in the monastery, said the monk.

- "Monks have been ordered to go back to their native places. And from the Aung Mingalar Monastery in Ahlone Township, local residents arrange a vehicle for the monks returning to Meik town. There were about all together 60 monks but when they reach the outskirts of Rangoon, soldiers forcibly disperse the group into tens. Monks are repressed even worse than the civilians. Some of the monks have reportedly gone missing and have not reached home," a resident told Mizzima.

- "A Shan monk who escaped across the mountainous border into Thailand told a Thai TV reporter he intended leaving his order and enlisting in the Shan State Army-South, which is fighting the army in eastern Burma" reports FirstPost. There are apparently many others like him.
---> See my post, The Insurgency Factor.
---> Support escaping monks and other victims of Burma's junta. The Free Burma Rangers are a respected humanitarian relief organization established in the border region of Burma. Visit their website. Read this interesting BBC story about the good work they have been doing. Curious what if would be like to fight alongside the insurgents? Then read this.