Burmese Monks Stage Bloody Protest in Dhaka

Dhaka (Narinjara): Exiled Burmese monks staged a protest on Sunday in front of the Burmese embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, against the upcoming constitutional referendum, with some monks striking their arms and drawing blood that sprayed on the white protest banners.

The protest was conducted by the International Burmese Monks Organization, Bangladesh branch, and was the biggest protest yet staged by Burmese exiles in Bangladesh.

Ashion Maygiya, president of the monk organization, said, "Our program is successful and we were able to stage our protest in front of the Burmese embassy and show our feelings on the referendum to the Burmese military government."

Many Bangladesh police constables blocked the entrance road to the Burmese embassy to prevent the demonstrators from marching to the front of the building, but the monks paid no heed to the road block and marched on to the embassy while shouting many anti-referendum slogans.

U Thuriya, who is an active monk in the organization, said, "We came here to protest the Burmese government which is now preparing to hold the referendum for approving their constitution. The constitution is not useful for our country and will be dangerous for our people in the future. The constitution is only for the army to rule Burma continually. How can we accept the constitution? So we staged a protest by punching our arms for blood to vow to fight until Burma is a democracy."

U Thuriya and some other monks spread their blood on some of the banners in the demonstration after striking their own arms, while some staff from the Burmese embassy watched the scene with interest.

The demonstration was staged for two hours in front of the embassy, beginning at 11 am and ended at 1 pm on Sunday, 4 May.

Over 60 Burmese people, including monks and women, participated in the protest, and the diplomatic area near the Burmese embassy was flooded with the protestors' shouts and slogans.