Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a human rights group involved in the action, said Tuesday’s strike comes ahead of another "day of prayer" Sunday, September 9, "in response
to the current crisis in Burma."
CSW said the actions are held because "the regime launched a brutal crackdown," detaining people participating in "peaceful protests" against the military leadership’s decision to raise fuel prices by 500 per cent.
"Some of the biggest demonstrations in a decade have been taking place in Burma. Hundreds of people have marched peacefully almost every day since August 19" to protest the price hikes, said CSW, which is active in Burma. "Over 100 people have been arrested so far while demonstrators, including women, have been beaten up with iron rods and bamboo sticks by police and the junta’s proxy mobs," the group added.
"FAST AND PRAY"
CSW’s National Director Stuart Windsor said that his group has been urging Christians to "support calls for a global hunger strike" and to "fast and pray…in solidarity with the people of Burma who continue to show extraordinary courage and dignity, risking attack, arrest, torture and even death to protest peacefully at the injustice of the military regime.”
He said his group has also been "calling for Christians to join in a special day of prayer" on Sunday, September 9, at the request of Burmese exiles and campaign groups. "We encourage people to pray for the release of those arrested, for action by the international community, and for meaningful dialogue between the regime, the democracy movement and the ethnic nationalities."
Almost all known leading pro-democracy activists have been detained, and may be sentenced to up to 20 years in jail, observers said. "Amongst those arrested are Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi – two leaders of the pro-democracy movement in 1988 when thousands of peaceful protestors were massacred by the regime. They have already served 16 and 15 years in prison respectively during which time they endured terrible torture," CSW added.
MULTIPARTY ELECTIONS
The military has been in power despite multiparty elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party – the National League for Democracy (NLD) – winning a landslide victory. One of the most well-known pro-democracy activists, NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi, has been under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and 2000 to 2002. She was jailed in May 2003 and subsequently transferred again to house arrest.
Last year, the military extended her detention for another year while her supporters and others promoting democracy, including Christians, were harassed or jailed, human rights groups and BosNewsLife established. Human rights groups say that Christianity is seen by the military
as a threat to its powerbase and ideology.
The Burmese government has defended its actions and accused Western groups investigating reports of human rights abuses of "spreading propaganda" and parts of a "colonial" attempt by the United States to control Asia. (BosNewsLife reports from Burma added to this story).
