| The protests |
Students
and opposition activists protested after the unannounced
15 August decision to increase fuel prices by 500%.
On 5 September, SPDC security forces used force against
monks to break up a peaceful demonstration in Pakokku,
Magwe Division. The military refused to apologize by
the monks’ 17 September deadline, and monks began
to lead daily non-violent protests. Civilians joined
as the protests quickly gained momentum and grew in
size. Between 18 and 28 September, thousands of monks
joined and led demonstrations. Between 19 August and
31 October, hundreds of thousands of monks, nuns, and
citizens participated in over 150 protests spread across
nearly every State and Division in the country. See
complete list of protests. |
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| The
crackdown |
The
crackdown began on 26 September and involved the use
of deadly force, raids on monasteries, and the arrest
of thousands of protesters. The regime arrested over
3,000 people, killed at least 31 during the crackdown,
and sentenced to prison at least 33. SPDC authorities
detained 18 elected MPs, several thousand monks, 274
NLD members, and 25 88 Generation Students members.
At least 18 detainees died in custody due to poor conditions
and harsh interrogations. The regime continued to hunt
for protesters in the months following the peak of the
protests. As of 25 January 2008, 700 people involved
in the protest remained in custody with 80 unaccounted
for. See more details |
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| The
international response |
The
international community was quick to condemn the arrests
of protesters in August, and criticism intensified as
calls for a peaceful approach to September protests
and genuine political dialogue went unheeded. ASEAN
expressed “revulsion” at the violent crackdown
while lawmakers from the bloc called for Burma’s
expulsion from the group. US, EU, Canada, and Australia
tightened economic sanctions against top officials.
In October, the UN Security Council issued a statement
condemning the crackdown. The UN Human Rights Council
passed a resolution stating the body “strongly
deplored” the violent repression of demonstrators.
See complete list of international reactions |
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| Worldwide
demonstrations |
People
in over 35 countries organized rallies, vigils, marches,
petitions, and protests during and following the Saffron
Revolution. Some expressed their support for and solidarity
with the peaceful protesters. Many demonstrations focused
on the policies of Burma’s military regime, with
calls for the release of political prisoners and an
end to the violent crackdown of the protests. Demonstrators
also urged the UN and governments worldwide to intervene.
See complete list of worldwide solidarity actions |
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| Related
reports |
•
Saffron Revolution: Recap
• Fuel price hikes inflame Burmese people
• Face off in Burma: Monks vs SPDC
• Saffron Revolution: Update
• Burma Bulletin - August 2007
• Burma Bulletin - September 2007
• Burma Bulletin - October 2007
• Burma Bulletin - November 2007
• Burma Bulletin - December 2007
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| Saffron
Revolution
T-shirts |
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