Walk on with Caution

The curfew is now being imposed on the Burmese households across the nation. It hints to the world that the regime, again, is going to harshly handle the demonstration and show no will to settle this situation in a peaceful way. Clinging firmly onto his power, Gen. Than Shwe seems to believe the ongoing demonstration should be crushed before it escalates into the out-of-control stage. It is a shame that this vicious bloodthirsty monster cannot see that his days are being numbered. The consequences of his reckless actions in trying to tackle the situation violently will not turn out in his favor.

In looking at the regime's tactical move, we can predict that the troops and thugs operating under their tyrant's order will initially provoke people to engage in perilous confrontations. The demonstration leaders must therefore coordinate and control the crowd with caution so they will not fall into the regime's trap. Despite the rigid curfew, the protesters should carry on their daily protests peacefully under the well-coordinated guidance of the noble monks and leaders. The protesters should not trigger any further conflicts by offensively responding to the soldiers with improper remarks or inflammatory and provocative rhetoric. Perhaps, the monks and leaders must also constantly keep the oversea media and broadcasters informed about their daily demonstration time-frame as well as the venues of their matching and other political activities.

Undoubtedly, the regime will begin its vicious plan to incite people to commit premeditated violence. Meantime, the troops and thugs will also infiltrate the crowds of the demonstrators by disguising themselves as ones of the holy monks with the malicious aim to spark violence and justify a crackdown. Those who participated or witnessed the uprising in 1988 can never forget how we ended up flatly defeated by the regime's organized crackdown and nasty tactics.

Here are some cautionary guidelines to which our peace activists should pay attention:

• Do not engage in any type of violence
• Refrain from breaking public properties
• Do not offend soldiers with the inflammatory rhetoric or curses
• Peacefully carry on with organized marches
• Urge the Sangha Association head(s) to become mediators
• Respond to soldiers with smiles and warm greetings (let the soldiers feel the demonstration is not opposing them but the tyrannical doctrine)
• Prepare and let the soldiers/police arrest you without defending or running away
• Organize mass arrests (let them find out how many they can detain and how long they can keep us. At this point, we all know everyone in Burma is virtual prisoners and victims).

Retreat from this stage is not acceptable. We cannot lose this opportunity and we shall be victorious.

If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart. ~Buddha~