Rangoon: ‘army mutiny’ reported

NewsDeskSpecial ^

[LibWhacker]

Troops refuse to fire on crowds

Reports from Rangoon suggest soldiers are mutinying. It is unclear the numbers involved. Reports cite heavy shooting in the former Burmese capital.

The organisation Helfen ohne Grenzen (Help without Frontiers) is reporting that "Soldiers from the 66th LID (Light Infantry Divison) have turned their weapons against other government troops and possibly police in North Okkalappa township in Rangoon and are defending the protesters. At present unsure how many soldiers involved."

Soldiers in Mandalay, where unrest has spread to as we reported this morning, are also reported to have refused orders to act against protesters.

Some reports claim that many soldiers remained in their barracks. More recent reports now maintain that soldiers from the 99th LID now being sent there to confront them.

Growing numbers of protestors are gathering in Rangoon, with 10,000 reported at the Traders Hotel and 50,000 at the Thein Gyi market. The police are reported to have turned water cannons against crowds at Sule Pagoda.

Many phone lines into the Burmese state have now been cut, mobile networks have been disabled and the national internet service provider has been taken off-line.

[nuconvert]

I can’t tell which day this report is from.

[nuconvert]

I also just read that things have quieted down with the arrival of UN envoy

[WildcatClan]

"So tonite I light a candle to his memory. Domo Arigato, Kenji Nagai-San. You died bravely and well. All gave some: you gave all."

I will join you in that tribute. It was pure cold-blooded murder and the man was just doing his job. I find it hard to believe the thread on YouTube has turned into the usual bunch of idiots who have no sympathy for the man or for those fighting for their freedom. As usual it is just one big jesters promenade of lies and America-bashing.

[DieHard the Hunter]

> I find it hard to believe the thread on YouTube has turned into the usual bunch of idiots who have no sympathy for the man or for those fighting for their freedom. As usual it is just one big jesters promenade of lies and America-bashing.

Sadly, YouTube is only useful for its original video content — and even at that, only 10% is of any value, the rest is rubbish. The comments are worthless, for the most part composed by pimple-faced, rotten-toothed, dysfunctional angst-ridden teenagers who would otherwise be playing X-Box or smoking Dak or abusing themselves in the privacy of their own bedrooms, wishing they had girlfriends. I would be stunned if any grown, properly-adjusted adult ever contributed to the YouTube comments.

Maybe it’s time they hired a hairy-faced sharp-toothed Admin Mod or two? Maybe they need to discover the Power of the Zot? Maybe the Viking Kitties have a few spare hours to invest in this otherwise-valuable YouTube medium?

...just a suggestion!

[JimSEA]

Disheartening. Brutal exercise of power and the “special perks” to the military from the drug trade wins again, I guess.

[DieHard the Hunter]

> Disheartening. Brutal exercise of power and the “special perks” to the military from the drug trade wins again, I guess.

But the Burmese “Army” wears Jandals! True! Check it out in the video...

(Jandals == what you Yanks would call beach thongs, flip-flops. No serious army could possibly wear beach thongs, surely! Perhaps they should be henceforth known as Burmese Combat Boots!)

[WildcatClan]

I think they have mods, but not for the comments. The mods are primarily looking at the content of sourced videos. I think you pretty much nailed the makeup of the YouTube commenters, lol. I’ve nothing to add to that as it seemed spot on accurate to me. :)

[Wiz]

What IF these news that claim protests are over were written by Chinese agents, or paid writers; but anyways, we have no way to find out what is happening for true without updated video that gives proof.

[expatguy]

I think everyone was sincerely hoping for a different outcome ...

[andyandval]

Basically the uprising is over.

AP, Reuters, AFP all have pics up from yesterday and today that convey a sense that it is not over.

Was the uprising crushed?

Does it have no momentum?

Here is a pic from Manila from yesterday...

[jimtorr]

I’ve been watching this blog, which seems to be fed directly from Myanmar:

http://burmamyanmargenocide.blogspot.com/

I don’t recall seeing any reports of large-scale army mutinies there. Only small-scale.

[nuconvert]

Thanks. Looks good. I had been checking this one...
http://ko-htike.blogspot.com/

[expatguy]

My contact at the airline is a Malaysian Chinese but I don't think they are a Chinese agent.... but you never know *wink*

We are just a few hours flight from Rangoon here.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[andyandval]

From the NYTimes...

Internet cafes were closed down. Both MPT ISP and Myanmar Teleport ISP cut down internet access in Yangon and Mandalay since this morning. The Junta try to prevent more videos, photographs and information about their violent crackdown getting out.

[expatguy]

"Was the uprising crushed?"

In a word, yes. The military opening fire on protesters has a tendency to do that.

"Does it have no momentum?"

Perhaps, but it has become very subdued from what you have been seeing over the last few days.

[Flavius]

now we have a fight
people marching against bullets makes for a good shocking story

if they want change bad they will have to take it to the string pullers behind their goons

[UKrepublican]

Not working from what I’ve heard. Too little too late. The revolt has been crushed. From around 100,000 protestors in one day to just hundreds now.

It is so sad. These brave people have tried, and the cowards in the international community have let freedom escape these poor brave souls. Seems we’ll have another chance in 20 years.....

[andyandval]

From your blog...

There are also unconfirmed reports this evening that family members of Burma's head of State Than Shwe and other top members of the military have departed Burma for Thailand. Hopefully more information on this tomorrow.

I am reading that Than Shwe's wife is in Dubai.

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3395654699583066404&postID=4772375211733680646

Sounds like the top brass junta thugs are worried about something.

Here's hoping they have alot to be worried about.

[Reader of news]

The revolt has been crushed.

The Spanish press is reporting about new demonstrations today after the initial calm. El Mundo points out a 10,000 protester demonstration. It also mentions reports about the junta head's family in Singapore and the regime intelligence's #2 man asking for asylum in Norway.

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2007/09/29/internacional/1191046331.html

An opposition website is also speaking about new demonstrations:

http://www.mizzima.com/

[Wiz]

El Mundo points out a 10,000 protester demonstration. There seems to be conflicting information, one side mentioning a crushed revolution, while other news source mentions another 10,000.