Myanmar's public internet access has been cut in an effort to shut down the flow of information that journalists, activists and bloggers are trying to get out to the world.
Al Jazeera reports that officials have blamed the internet black out on a damaged underwater cable, but bloggers and activists say it is a deliberate move to cut off the flow of information.
Picture credit: AP
dawn_1o9 blogs about what she's seen and heard with this blog entry from Tuesday, September 25th:
The military has been ordered to shoot. (That's just what I heard. I don't know when they're supposed to shoot, who they are going to shoot, how they're supposed to shoot, or why they're supposed to shoot. Just that "they have been ordered to shoot." (Even now, a co-worker is saying, "They are going to shoot.") The hospital has been ordered to be cleared, and that they are going to shoot today. (Well, that's what they said yesterday too.)
Blog entry from Thursday, September 27th:
Someone from the office went out to there, and came running back when there were shots being fired. He said they were being shot up into the air, and into the crowd too. That was around 2:50pm. He didn't see anyone being hit, though a girl told him that her friend was hit. I heard the gun shots too, but it sounded alot like clapping. So I went out to look. People were running back, and some were just staying in the place, and some were walking back towards Sule Pagoda. I was reading the news on a blogger's Cbox, and it said that at least 5 monks were dead at Shwedagon Pagoda.
Ko htike talks about how he is from Singapore and has been working in Myanmar for the past 11 years, he was on his way to the office when riot police shut the road down.
I stop my car with my wife and walk out. suddenly riot police and soldiers drove the truck around the corner and start firing shots at the crowd. we quickly ran to the side and squat down near the wall.
The soldiers came down and start to shoot at us. I was shot twice but i did not know what hit me. My both leg were bruised. the soldiers and police kicked us and the rest of the crowds into the drain and shouted that they would kill us if we look at them.
Ko htike says his doctor told him he was extremely lucky these did not hit him in the groin. Um, yeah, I would say he was lucky...
Things are bad in this country, but we have to be grateful we can still protest without getting shot at and we can freely blog without worrying about the repercussions. Dawn_1o9 talks about her fears:
Note: I am just reporting the current events in Yangon. I doubt that I will be captured and questioned just for writing this, but then.. you never know.
SNIP
My friend said I was brave blogging about this when I am confused about where I stand. I was not being brave. I am a coward hiding in the office. At first, I started removing my photo in my profile, and was going to hide the posts that provide personal details of me. Then I decided not to because I am not doing anything wrong.
In the midst of all these chaos, I am very afraid. I am afraid for myself, I am afraid for my family, and I am afraid for the country.
No Dawn_1o9, you are not a coward just because you are afraid. It is very brave of you to get this information out to the world and from one blogger to another, thank you for doing it.
Some other brave bloggers from Burma:
Seinkhalote
Tomorrow...we need more strength and resistance, if we can stand tomorrow, I am 80% sure that our hope is coming right away
Koniknayman
My duty time part is working on Emergency YGH... at about 2:00 pm 5 patients was coming to our Emergency ... for Gun Shot from Government militaries... 1 patients died on the spot on arriving Hospital... ( shot on Bladder ) 4 r still bad in Diagnosis... The patient's attendant said " the patient r not in the line of protest... they ( victims ) are just chatting and watching the protest line and sitting on Cafe Bar near Shawe Dagon Pagoda , some r pedestrians" when they watching.... Government military Car was crossing to the protest line and randomly shot all of them ... don't they have Family? don't they have Brain? ... I always ready to support Protest Monks and People... and wanna treat whenever they get injuries ... This PROTEST is our chance to get improving our country among neighbours ...
My browser doesn't display Burmese characters correctly, so excerpts taken from Times Online. Thanks to whitis in the comments.