We had a call at work today from a Norwegian man who wanted to pass on this message:

In support of our incredibly brave friends in Burma: May all the people around the world wear a red shirt on Friday, September 28.

This message has been spreading by SMS across Phuket, but it’s also being passed on by bloggers, users of Facebook and MySpace, and anyone with access to the Internet. Tomorrow has apparently been declared red-shirt Friday.

Without access to a red shirt, I won’t be joining in with this display, but it’s interesting that this appears to have spread from one individual (who, I don’t know) in Norway, without the support of any major media. Why red was the chosen color I’m unsure, particularly as there was a red-shirt campaign in the US this year showing support for troops in Iraq.

I can’t decide whose benefit wearing a red shirt is really for.

I had given some serious thought to flying to Myanmar over the weekend if I could get a flight, but news such as this, from DPA, makes me questions whether I’d even be able to get near Rangon:

Escalating protests in the streets of Rangoon claimed an unknown number of casualties Thursday including two foreigners, both of whom were believed to be foreign photo-journalists.

Both foreigners were shot near the Sule Pagoda in downtown Rangoon. The Kyodo news agency of Japan has identified one of the foreign victims as a Japanese photo-journalist.

A Caucasian man was also shot and died as he attempted to pass through a police barrier, a Burmese photo-journalist who witnessed the shooting told DPA.

This from the NY Times today:

In response to the violence, the United Nations Security Council called an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the crisis, but China blocked a Council resolution, backed by the United States and European nations, to condemn the government crackdown.

I don’t think there is much a red shirt can do now.

Techno’ tags: Myanmar, Rangon, Burma

The world is watching Burma as security forces kill demonstrators and drag away scores of Buddhist monks in Rangoon while some 10,000 people march in protest of the country’s military dictatorship.

At least five people have been reported dead so far, with hundreds arrested. People are being beaten to death amid some of the most chaotic scenes Southeast Asia has seen for years.

The international community is voicing its outrage.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called the military government an “illegitimate and repressive regime” and hinted that the “age of impunity in neglecting and overriding human rights is over.”

Security forces fired gunshots into the crowds before hauling monks away in the backs of trucks, to who knows what fate.

Demonstrations were triggered August 19 by a fuel-price increase, but the problems are deep-rooted in resentment of the ruling military regime.

The United States and the European Union condemned the attacks and called on the military rulers to open a dialogue with pro-democracy leaders, including detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to a joint statement on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

On Tuesday, President Bush announced new U.S. sanctions against Myanmar, accusing the military dictatorship of imposing “a 19-year reign of fear” that denies basic freedoms of speech, assembly and worship.

(AP)

The protesting monks have said that they are “ready to die”, and the way things are going, many of them may end up dead. They are clearing hospital wards in preparation for mass admissions. It’s unbelievable. There are hundreds of armed soldiers standing up against unarmed monks.

Will anybody step in to actively prevent mass bloodshed? This situation is approaching climax.

Agencies, Nation, Bangkok Post, photo from CBSNews.

I was looking around my room today when I noticed an unusual amount of plastic bags. I don’t know where they came from or how they got here, but they are just hanging out making a nuisance of themselves. It’s impossible to go a day in Thailand without acquiring at least half a dozen plastic bags. Even buying something as small as a popsicle or a pack of paracetomol warrants a plastic bag.

It’s no wonder we have such a problem with garbage down here. In Phuket, we currently produce about twice as much rubbish as the incinerator is able to deal with. I can believe that, because everywhere I turn there are plastic bags going about their business, just casually drifting with the wind. They are threatening to take over the whole island.

The problem with plastic bags in Thailand is that shop assistants are trigger-ready to dish out as many of the pesky things as they can. There seems to be a train of thought that if you buy more than three or four items, then as many plastic bags as possible need to be used.

Plastic bags, being non-biodegradable, pose a real threat to Thailand’s environment. The bags can make life difficult for plants and animal life, as well as spoiling otherwise pretty scenery. You only have to look at the beach at Patong to see this in effect.

Thailand’s army of refuse collectors, who make a small amount of income selling recyclable materials, aren’t enough in numbers to tackle the problem. Next time you’re at 7-Eleven, Tops or Big C, tell the shop assistant to go easy on the plastic bags.

Techno’ tags: Thailand, Phuket, Bangkok, Pollution

I got the new Ian Brown album, The World is Yours, today and was really excited to listen to it. It’s awful though. I don’t know why he bothers churning out these ludicrous albums any more. This is his fifth solo album since the split of The Stone Roses, and it’s just ugly. Too many orchestral pieces and some really poor lyrics. And there’s a duet with Sinead O’Connor, which is usually the kiss of death for any album.

What a let down.

Norwegian national Simen Sparra Knudsen was stabbed to death early Sunday morning in Phuket near the Kata-Karon lookout. The details of the attack are sketchy at the moment, but from what I’ve seen it doesn’t look like a grudge killing. There’s speculation that Simen had been in a fight prior to the stabbing, but this is unconfirmed.

The 47-year-old was found lying on the side of the road with stab wounds to his chest. It’s such a tragic waste of life. Even though Phuket has this image of being a tropical haven, there are some really dark things that go on here. Shootings, beatings and stabbings occur all too regularly.

Earlier this month, six youths in their late-teens and early-20s broke into a house and gang raped a 23-year-old student. The Thai newspapers are nothing but blood and death too. The thing is, looking at the police stats, the levels of crime don’t appear to be getting much better or worse. It’s like a steady stream of violence and robberies.

I’ve never felt particularly unsafe in Phuket, but I think it’s important to bear in mind how easy it can be for seemingly peaceful situations to turn volatile, particularly with the number of pen-guns knocking around.

Techno’ tags: Thailand, Phuket