Thadingyut Fullmoon day in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Credit: zarny win, MoeMaKa News & Media.

Burmese migrant workers celebrated Thadingyut festival on October 04 at Wat Simon Burmese Monastery, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

According to Burmese calender, full-moon day for this year festival is on October 03, 2009. But it is on October 04 according to Thai calender. Most of the migrant people work at shops in Chiang Mai.

Many new migrants are arriving in Chiang Mai every day, searching for work. Burmese favourite food such as Samosa whichis seen in the photo is completely consumed before the dhamma-talk. Shops inside the monastery were seen very busy selling Shan noodle, fried Tofu and other Shan delicacies.

Burma VJ Trailer

Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country is a riveting documentary that follows a determined group of video journalists (VJs) who risk their lives to expose the repressive government ruling their country. Armed with pocket-sized video cameras, they go undercover to report on anti-government protests, smuggle material out of the country and broadcast back into Burma via satellite, or offer their stories for free usage to international media.

A winner at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and the Amsterdam Documentary Festival, Burma VJ follows these local VJs as they record the massive anti-government protests led by thousands of Buddhist monks in Sept. 2007, and exposes the military junta's brutal crackdown which began on Sept. 26, 2007.

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Remembering "Saffaron Solidarity"

Sept.24, 2007: Monks took to the streets in main cities in Burma, people joined forces and demonstrations grew to nearly 100,000 in Rangoon alone; the largest since 1988 nationwide protests.The junta imposes curfews and bans on gatherings. It later acknowledges arresting some 3,000 people.
Sept.26: The military's patience ran out. It launched a brutal crackdown, shooting and beating the protesters into submission.
Sept.27: At least 30 people were dead and thousands of monks were imprisoned or fled the country. But the Saffaron Revolution spirit never died.

Photos Credits: AltSean, Reuters, Getty Images, Flickr, Google

G-20 Summit: Burmese monks pray for human rights

Burmese monks pray for human rights
Friday, September 25, 2009
By Ann Rodgers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Photo Credit: Darrell Sapp/Post-Gazette

Buddhist monks robed in hues of saffron, cinnamon and curry led 80 supporters across the Roberto Clemente Bridge toward the G-20 summit, chanting the same prayer for loving kindness with which they led an uprising for human rights in Myanmar two years ago.

A 25-year-old Burmese monk among them was an organizer of that "saffron revolution," in which hundreds of monks died. He fled Myanmar for his life.

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Saffaron Revolution Remembered Two Years Later

"Saffron Revolution, 2007"

August 15: Junta Removes fuel subsidies. Diesel doubles in price while gas jumps 500 percent.
August 27: Five hundred people protest in Pegu.
August 28: Three hundre monks from Sittwe began a protest calling for the release of detained student leaders.
Sept. 5: Burmese military regime broke up peaceful demonstrations by monks in Pakokku, injuring three.
Sept. 6: The monks in Pakokku took officials hostage and demanded an apology from the regime by Sep 17.
Sept. 17: Burmese military refused to apologize. All Burma Monks association called for a boycott on alms from officials.
Sept.24: monks took to the streets in main cities, people joined forces and demonstrations grew to nearly 100,000 in Rangoon alone; the largest since 1988 nationwide protests.The junta imposes curfews and bans on gatherings. It later acknowledges arresting some 3,000 people.
Sept.26: The military's patience ran out. It launched a brutal crackdown, shooting and beating the protesters into submission.
Sept.27: At least 30 people were dead and thousands of monks were imprisoned or fled the country. But the Saffaron Revolution spirit never died.

Photos Credits: AltSean, Reuters, Getty Images, Flickr, Google