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One of the most disturbing aspects of protracted refugee situations ---- when people have been sitting in camps waiting for some resolution of their plight for a decade or more ---- is the mutual resentment and distrust that builds between the refugees and those trying to assist them. The relationship gradually deteriorates under the weight of the despair of seeing no end on the horizon.
Things seem to be eerily quiet inside Burma after the recent violent crackdowns against monks and protesters. In addition to suppressing the media, it was reported today that the junta has shut down the Internet in Burma in order to prevent more negative images from slipping out.
I’ve been trying to keep up with all of the press coverage of the monks protesting in Burma over the past week. The images alone have been striking - hundreds of monks flooding the streets of the capital Rangoon like a saffron colored river. At first, there was no public reaction from Burma’s ruling junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).
