Burma monks march again, defy military

Quietly at first, and now with the whole world watching, the Buddhist monks of Burma are nonviolently protesting one of the most vicious, thuggish governments on the planet.

They marched again today in an inspiring show of bravery and solidarity, and in defiance of government threats.

But this is the first time Burma’s 400,000-strong Buddhist monkhood has taken a lead in the protest movement, pitting rifles against their maroon-coloured robes in a looming confrontation that could easily spark an uprising.

In 1988, the pro-democracy movement there was crushed, at least temporarily, when the government slaughtered 3,000. The marchers are quite literally risking their lives and deserve our full support.