Monks who fled Burma say they are returning to keep up the pro-democracy fight, as the international community debates its response to government repression.
Monks at the Thai border told VOA Saturday they are going back to continue protesting because, they say, change can only come from inside. Approximately 300 monks have made the difficult journey to the border into the Thai border town of Myawaddy by evading police and military checkpoints.
As the United Nations discussed its response to the violent crackdown in Burma, Burmese state television Friday broadcast images of Aung San Suu Kyi for the first time in at least four years.
Late Friday, the United States, Britain and France circulated a draft statement to the U.N. Security Council condemning repression by Burma's military government, and demanding the government begin a dialogue with the opposition.
The non-binding statement, which requires consensus by all 15 Security Council members to be adopted, was circulated after the Council heard a briefing by U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari on his recent four-day mission to Burma.
Urging stronger action, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Zalmay Khalilzad said Friday Washington will introduce a resolution imposing sanctions such as an arms embargo if the Burmese government does not respond appropriately to the international community's concerns.
But China opposed pressuring Burma, saying that could lead to mistrust and confrontation, while Burma's Ambassador Kyaw Tint Swe said no action by the Security Council is warranted.
The prime minister of Singapore, which heads the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, has said sanctions against Burma would be counterproductive. In an interview with CNN reported by local media Saturday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong denied Singapore is serving as a money-laundering center for Burma's military leaders.
Burmese state media acknowledged Friday that hundreds of monks were detained during the crackdown, but it said all but 109 have been released. The announcement followed Thursday's report that authorities arrested more than two thousand people during the past week. - VOA News
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