Burma Cyclone

On August 8, 1988, students in Rangoon led a wave of mass popular protest against the Burmese junta. The military government responded with a brutal crackdown– it was, roughly, the Burmese Tianamen Square.

The 20-year anniversary of the uprising is approaching, and August 8, 2008 also marks the start of the Olympics, hosted by the Chinese, who consistently defend the Burmese government in the international arena. The exile group 8-8-08 for Burma just launched a new site criticizing China and calling on readers to take action to draw attention to human rights abuses in Burma.

–Karen