Saffron Revolution

The recent uprising in Burma that started off by the Buddhist monks have caught the attentions of the world. It is the biggest rally against the military rule in 45 years!

What causes this protest by the revered monks in the society? It all started with the removal of the fuel subsidies by the military junta. As a result, petrol and diesel prices doubled while compressed gas had gone up 5-folds. This just fits the saying of "The Rich get Richer". The 14 senior members of the junta have assets in foreign countries. This just shows how rich they are when the civilians are living in dire conditions. In fact, the Senior General Than Shwe has chartered a private plane to fly out his family to Vientianne, Laos. That shows how rich he is when his assets in the US have been frozen for years!

In fact, the killing of some of these monks and particularly the Japanese photojournalist Kenji Nagai at close-range have instigated more supports for the protesters. If such cruelty can be done towards foreigners and the very-much-well-respected monks, I am sure the junta is able to do much worse to the civilians. They probably consider themselves elite and this is no different from the Nazi days.

It's time for the junta to be "house-arrested"! Freeze all their assets, wherever they are and stop supporting them through businesses and trades.

My heart goes to all the monks and protesters out there. They have the courage and determination to keep fighting. Their spirits will not be dampened with the killings. There will always be replacements with renewed spirits.

I suppose this colour is the closest to the saffron/crimson robes wore by the monks. As such, this flower is in support for and a tribute to those involved (and perished) in the Saffron Revolution in Burma.