"At that time, we saw our spark!"
U Gambira's account of the events leading up to the Saffron Revolution, shared in a recent podcast discussion, is a testament to the sacrifices made by the monks and activists who fought for freedom and democracy in Burma. The military's brutal treatment of monks and peaceful protesters is a clear violation of human rights and a betrayal of the principles of Buddhism, which emphasizes compassion and nonviolence.
The spark for the Saffron Revolution was the brutal treatment of the Pakokku monks, who were beaten and arrested for peacefully protesting against the government's decision to raise the price of petrol. This sparked a larger movement, with monks and activists coming together to demand political change in Burma. It is inspiring to see the unity and determination of the monks, who marched peacefully and chanted the Mettā Sutta, a Buddhist prayer for loving-kindness, in the face of violence and oppression.
U Gambira's account highlights the power of nonviolent resistance and the bravery of those who risked their lives to fight for their beliefs. It is a reminder that change is possible, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and that the human spirit cannot be crushed by even the most brutal regimes. The Saffron Revolution may have been suppressed, but its legacy lives on, inspiring future generations to continue the struggle for freedom and democracy in Burma.
“There was the army and the police; they arrested the monks. They hit the monks! They kicked the monks. The beat the monks with their rifles. So, it was a spark for us.”
“To make a revolution, we needed a spark, but we did not find a spark. For now, we were just learning and meeting underground. Sending each other underground journals, sending each other DVB CDs and stickers. Around 2007, the Myanmar political situation began to move a little bit. There was not stability at that time. Some political activists, for example, the famous political activists U Thin Kyaw and Moe Tun, they made strikes on the road. So, a little bit of movement. And then in August 2007, the military government in Burma upped the price of petrol. They upped the price a lot! So, for many people very difficult to live their lives in Burma. Very difficult. Small strikes began in Burma. In Yangon, a little strike. In Mandalay, a small strike. But the military government arrested them; so, those small strikes were finished, the protesters finished.
At that time, we saw our spark.
We saw that, ‘This is the spark; we have to do the big protest. The best protest, the best strikes. We should do that.’ The monks, we discussed with each other. Then, September 5th, 2007, in Pakokku, the Pakokku underground monks, they marched on the road. They were marching on the road, the monk group. There was the army and the police; they arrested the monks. They hit the monks! They kicked the monks. The beat the monks with their rifles. So, it was a spark for us. We did the patta nikkujjam kamma [overturning the alms bowl] all around Burma and all around the world.
I was in contact with the Pakokku monks before September, 2007. At that time, we didn’t have good Internet in Burma, just phone lines. And they agreed with me. They were marching. They would march and then they were beaten! It was a non-violent movement in Pakokku. They don’t have the stick; they don’t have the knife. The monks, the monk group, marching, they didn’t have weapons. They didn’t hold anything! Just marching. ‘We want lower prices of petrol’ was the slogan of the signs. And they chanted the Mettā Sutta.
In Pakokku, three monks were arrested from the main protest group. [The] other monks were released, [but the] three monks were beaten, kicked, and then arrested. I was in Yangon, and travelled to Mandalay quickly, in one night, to do a big meeting about the protest. We decided in that meeting about the Pakokku monks, we decided to do the patta nikkujjam kamma [overturning the alms bowl] to the Myanmar government.”