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Rangoon: ‘army mutiny’ reported
NewsDeskSpecial ^

Posted on 09/29/2007 1:54:23 AM PDT by 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.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: army; burma; mutiny; rangoon
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To: Dubya's fan

Our news sources have been well on top of this - and have been playing up the protests.

All indiciations are - it is being crushed. It is not as big as it was just a week ago - nowhere near in fact.

I really hope I’m wrong here, but I think all indications are it won’t last much longer.

btw thank you for the opposition link - they have been very reliable.


41 posted on 09/29/2007 5:54:57 AM PDT by UKrepublican
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To: Wiz
There seems to be conflicting information, one side mentioning a crushed revolution, while other news source mentions another 10,000.

The Spanish press was also speaking about calm in Rangoon this morning, but later they started to report about new demonstrations.

Mizzima (an opposition web site) is reporting that at 4 PM local time the crowds dispersed. According to an eyewitness, "The army was also fooled by protesters. The protesters would start at a place and when the security forces and soldiers came there, they would disperse and run and begin at another place."

http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/News/2007/Sep/today-demonstration.html
42 posted on 09/29/2007 6:57:07 AM PDT by Reader of news
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To: andyandval; Dubya's fan
Although, I can't confirm it yet - I would say they are most likely in Singapore.

Singapore has a disturbingly close intimate relationship with Burma's military junta.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

43 posted on 09/29/2007 7:50:38 AM PDT by expatguy (Support Conservative Blogging - "An American Expat in Southeast Asia")
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To: Dubya's fan; LibWhacker; CarrotAndStick; killjoy; nuconvert; expatguy; andyandval; jimtorr; ...
The Spanish press was also speaking about calm in Rangoon this morning, but later they started to report about new demonstrations.

Mizzima (an opposition web site) is reporting that at 4 PM local time the crowds dispersed. According to an eyewitness, "The army was also fooled by protesters. The protesters would start at a place and when the security forces and soldiers came there, they would disperse and run and begin at another place."


Uh Oh, this is hit and run tactics. Wow, the protesters are smart. I am now confident the protest is not dead. It's not just alive, the protest tactics are evolving!
44 posted on 09/29/2007 7:54:33 AM PDT by Wiz
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To: andyandval; Dubya's fan
I wouldn't read to much into that at the moment - Both Kuala Lumpur and Singapore have daily flights to Rangoon - Just over 2 hour flight.

The families of the military junta are often down doing their shopping on Bukit Bintang or Orchard Road. I've seen Than Shwe's children myself on more than one occasion.

Than Shwe himself is in Singapore almost once a month to see his doctors at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

45 posted on 09/29/2007 8:01:57 AM PDT by expatguy (Support Conservative Blogging - "An American Expat in Southeast Asia")
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To: snowsislander

NY?


46 posted on 09/29/2007 8:02:41 AM PDT by Peelod (I do renounce Hillary! and all her pomps and works.)
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To: Dubya's fan; LibWhacker; CarrotAndStick; killjoy; nuconvert; expatguy; andyandval; jimtorr

LibWhacker, I have gained information that a diplomat of an unknown country mentioned on Sept 28 that the diplomat recieved information from “various sources” that there were troops within the military disobeying commands, and moving toward supporting the protest. There is also a likely friction within the top level about how to deal with the protest in Mandaley. This news source you posted matches the diplomat’s claim.


47 posted on 09/29/2007 8:24:27 AM PDT by Wiz
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To: expatguy
Singapore has a disturbingly close intimate relationship with Burma's military junta.

Just like the Thai politicos. Business is business -- regardless.

Anyone questioning the courage of the protesters needs to remember the last 20 years of brutal repression they have undergone. A lot of the earlier protesters are either dead or in exile.

48 posted on 09/29/2007 9:18:21 AM PDT by JimSEA
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To: LibWhacker

Thanks, to all of you who refuse to call Burma by its current name. I cannot understand why our government officials and others, media, etc., refer to this place as Myanmar, as it is run by terrorists and guerillas.


49 posted on 09/29/2007 9:22:57 AM PDT by rabidralph
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To: DieHard the Hunter

When it comes to YouTube.com, I take it with a grain of salt because other then for the real nice companion animal videos, there is a lot of trash and angry chatter talk by the people you discribled. Example, anything that stands up to President Nutjob of Iran and his visit this week, a lot of the comments sound like they come from those folks. Take care.


50 posted on 09/29/2007 9:35:49 AM PDT by Biggirl (A biggirl with a big heart for God's animal creation.)
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To: andyandval

Whats amazing about these Junta idiots in Burma...is that one guy sitting in the midst of some jungle village with a scooter and a satellite comm kit (less than $2500, to include the laptop), and I can blast video, pictures and text all day long to any place on earth....as long as someone is paying the satellite bill. The idea that you can halt communications by cutting off the telephone traffic is ridiculous in today’s time.


51 posted on 09/29/2007 9:36:07 AM PDT by pepsionice
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To: rabidralph

I cannot even pronouce the new name, so stick to the old one.


52 posted on 09/29/2007 9:38:01 AM PDT by Biggirl (A biggirl with a big heart for God's animal creation.)
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To: LibWhacker
This is what Denver is going to look like when the anti war freaks show up for their 1960’s Dimocratic style riots next year. Denver folks should be digging their fall out shelters now.
53 posted on 09/29/2007 9:39:45 AM PDT by RetiredArmy (America's stupidity is overshadowed only by its pure stupidity.)
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To: snowsislander

No great surprise. The Burmese have hated the Japanese for over sixty years.


54 posted on 09/29/2007 9:49:06 AM PDT by reg45
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To: Wiz; All

Boy, I really hope it’s true, Wiz! Thanks for your comments.

Everyone... here (thanks to my lurking Freeper buddy) are a couple of other pro-democracy Burma blogs that haven’t been mentioned yet:

http://www.irrawaddymedia.com/

http://soneseayar.blogspot.com/


55 posted on 09/29/2007 12:25:43 PM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: LibWhacker

YAY !!!! About time....this is exactly what I have been hoping for .

Now for some concentrated airstrikes on Naypyidaw !

Take um out! Take um down !....


56 posted on 09/29/2007 2:59:26 PM PDT by LeoWindhorse
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To: LibWhacker

This is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO overdue! God bless the Buddhist monks for setting this in motion!


57 posted on 09/29/2007 3:03:06 PM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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To: Biggirl

LOL!


58 posted on 09/29/2007 3:08:41 PM PDT by rabidralph
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To: expatguy

I imagine any instability will send families “shopping.” It is the nature of juntas and such.


59 posted on 09/29/2007 3:12:49 PM PDT by arthurus (Better to fight them over THERE than over HERE)
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To: arthurus

...And shopping in more ways then one, not just for new clothes but future residences.


60 posted on 09/29/2007 3:17:41 PM PDT by Biggirl (A biggirl with a big heart for God's animal creation.)
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