Students' show of solidarity

College group turns out in support of Burmese monks

By Will Davies

FOLLOWING the brutal crackdown by Burmese authorities on protesting monks and their civilian supporters, dozens of students at the Henley College gathered on Tuesday to demonstrate against the repression.

Wearing saffron-red headbands to display solidarity with the red-robed Buddhist clergy, over 30 members of the college’s Amnesty International student group marched from their Deanfield campus in Deanfield Avenue to the college’s Rotherfield site, picking up protesters along the way.

Burma’s revered monks spearheaded ten days of street demonstrations against the ruling generals, until the army cleared the streets with tear gas, baton charges and gunfire. Although the regime has admitted to killing ten people, pro-democracy groups say the true death toll could be in the hundreds.

“Violence isn’t the answer,” said 17-year-old Amy Hough.

“They are in direct breech of Article 19 of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the right to freedom of speech and the right to protest peacefully.

“It’s disgusting how they are being treated. Everyone has the right to peaceful protest.”

It has been widely reported that around 3,000 monks have been detained by Burmese security forces and are being held in police and military camps. Displaying their disgust, the Henley students shrouded their college’s revered statue — the swan man — in robes similar to those worn by the monks.

“We are showing solidarity with the monks,” said fellow student Lizzie Hudson. “It is important to show people this is happening.”

In a brave turn, 17-year-old student Marcus Fletcher, from Western Road in Henley, volunteered to have his head shaved in the college’s reception, witnessed by hundreds of passing students. “This is an important issue and I want to help raise awareness,” he said. "We’ve had a very positive reaction from so many students.”

One of the most active members of the group, Kathy Mangion, 16, said: “The situation in Burma is getting worse, and action needs to be taken to free the monks.

“We have written to the junta demanding their release and for the brutality to stop.”

But the students are realistic, and admit that only international pressure will put an end to the repression. “Only when China, Russia and India put on the pressure will the generals back down,” added Miss Mangion.

The group’s tutor, Sue Bingham, said: “It’s great to see the students so fired up. It normally takes us months to organise a protest, but with such a pressing issue, we managed to set everything up in one lunchtime.

“I am so proud of them — they are not bothered about making a fool out of themselves. They know what they are doing is nothing compared to how the monks are being treated.”