Buddhists March for Democracy

I have been sort of following this story out of Myanmar about the Buddhist monks who have been peacefully protesting for democracy in their country. Myanmar is led by a military junta. In 1990 the junta called elections but refused to recognize the landslide victory of the party led by a popular advocate for democracy Suu Kyi. Suu Kyi won the 1991 Nobel peace prize while under house arrest. She was freed for a time but is under house arrest again. The junta has a history of employing brutal tactics against protest but so far has taken no action against the monks. And the monks are carefully using non-violent methods:

As many as 100,000 protesters led by a phalanx of barefoot monks marched today through Yangon, the most powerful show of strength yet from a movement that has grown in a week from faltering demonstrations to one rivaling the failed 1988 pro-democracy uprising.

Marching for more than five hours and over at least 12 miles, a last hard-core group of more than 1,000 maroon-robed Buddhist monks and 400 sympathizers finished by walking up to an intersection where police blocked access to the street where democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is under house arrest.

Making no effort to push past, the marchers chanted a Buddhist prayer with the words "May there be peace," and then dispersed. About 500 onlookers cheered the act of defiance, as 100 riot police with helmets and shield stared stonily ahead.