BURMA, October 1, 2007: Thousands of Buddhist monks detained in Burma’s main city of Rangoon will be sent to prisons in the far north of the country, sources have told the BBC. About 4,000 monks have been rounded up in the past week as the military government has tried to stamp out pro-democracy protests. They are being held at a disused race course and a technical college. Sources from a government-sponsored militia said they would soon be moved away from Rangoon. The monks have been disrobed and shackled, the sources told BBC radio’s Burmese service. There are reports that the monks are refusing to eat. The country has seen almost two weeks of sustained popular unrest, in the most serious challenge to the military leadership for more than two decades. Their eyes are on the international community, their only hope is that the world will see their plight and help them. Last week several monasteries were raided, and there were reports of monks being beaten and killed. With many monks behind bars, the demonstrations have now died down. The atmosphere in Rangoon is tense, the reporter said. Local people are well aware that the monks have been locked away and are afraid that they will be next.
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