ASSIGNMENT: Read the following piece of a news story from www.cnn.com. Then, make a blog entry to give your opinion on this topic. Be sure that both the content and your style of writing is appropriate for school, and that you include only your first name and last initial.
Myanmar: The World is Watching
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Close the borders, shut down the media, expel dissidents and restrict visitors: The world's most oppressive regimes have developed watertight ways of shielding themselves from the eyes of the world.
Myanmar is no exception. Democracy has been repeatedly quashed; an uprising in 1988 left thousands of citizen protesters dead, while a democratically elected leader has not been allowed to govern and remains under house arrest.
The military junta rules and the press is government-controlled and heavily censored. Yet as images of the monks' protests are splashed around the world's media, it is apparent technology in the form of blogs, digital photos, and text messaging has become the chink in the regime's armor.
"The technology is making a huge difference. Now everyone in the world can know what is happening in Burma (Myanmar) via the Internet," said Sein Win, managing editor of Mizzima News, an India-based news group run by exiled dissidents, "It is a reality of globalization. Whether the junta likes it or not, the government cannot isolate itself from the international community," Sein Win said.
While the Myanmar government has reportedly moved to shut down the Internet, the events in the country in the last week show technology can transform the geo-political landscape and empower dissidents and activists. It has transformed the world into a witness; and that, activists hope, will be enough to subdue the military.
The rest of the article can be found at the address below if you want to read the whole thing.http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/09/28/ww.burma/index.html
103 comments:
I think that it's very bad that Myanmar won't let anyone document what's going on in their contry!!!!!
I that it is very unfair to the people of Myanmar to shut down the internet
i think all the Myanmar people should die for their country so the younger generations have a better life the government for that country are all dummie heads
Yeh. If they are not letting people post whats going on, on the internet they must be hiding something. Its a HUGE thing to close down the internet. There must be something big going on that they are afriad they will post something bad.
The people should have the freedom to talk about whats going on in their country
I think that it is bad that myanmar is shutting internet because other people could help solve the problem
i do not agree with zoe her comment is totally absurd
i agree w/Carly,ZOE
I think that it is bad for mayanmar is shutting down technology so people cant see what is going on with there country
the myanmar gov. needs to relax and chill out. the internet should be allowed there. the military needs to be overthrown. they are like a dictatorship. germany had a military government in WW2 when hitler was leader. they should have rights and a democricy.
I don't agree with Christian they should work out there problem and not die!!!
I think the people in Myanmar don't want to have anyone document their country because it might just give the wrong idea about what is happening in the country.
I also think that it's extremely brave for the monks to speak out against their military government. They know that they're risking their lives and they will do it for the right of their country
i agree with mckenzie.
Shutting down the internet may keep people from having the rest of the world from seeing what is going on in there country. But what about news reporters who are going into Myanmar? like cnn reporters? how are they getting in? It's weird to think about how they got in. Thats what bugs me.
i also agree with zoe.
why's it ABSURD christian?!?!?!!?!?! The government is taking away the people's right of free speach!
I think that there should be a different leader so the kaos hopefully stops
Or something bad is going on in there country and they don't want the USA to get involved, like they did in Iraq.
whats up w/ that country I think its very bad that Myanmar wont let anyone document
i dont agree with Zoes new comment either it is also absurd
The internet is for anyone who wishes to have access to it so Myanmar should not be able to shut it down.
I think that if they want there privacy then they should have it. But maybe it is better to not do that so that we can see what is going on there.
Why would they try to shut down the internet.Why do not they take off emal
The Myanmar people are being unfair to shut down the internet. We should be able to look up whats going on there, and them shutting it down makes it seem like a lot of things are going on there that their trying to keep us away from.
Mrs.Keith,
the war in Iraq is going well thats what i heard about on CNN student news so yeah thats all i have to say right know .
Audrey
I think that the government should be more understanding towards their country and bring the internet back! The people of Myanmar should have the freedom to talk about what is going on in their country!
I agree with nate because in WW2 the germans would kill the jewish if thet spoke out against Hitler and that's what the Myanmar gov. is doing to their people
I think that the Myanmar leader should set up every thing that has been taken down and that they should help the people so people so the people wont leave the country and make the leaders poor and not have any one to be around but themselves.
the Myanmar area should be controlled it shouldn't be able to run freely or be fought at by their own people, cause that is what will happen if it is not controlled
Every country lives a different way so some people may have more rights than others
Your right zoe the monks are extremly brave for protesting because they could die in the process
If everyone died then there would be no next generation in Mayanmar
I also agree with Spencer F
I think it is unfair
The Myanmar government should set up the internet again because the Myanmar people could see a war going on and they could help out with the war
I think that the gaverment in Myanmer do not have the right to blokout the internet in Myanmer.
YA, Christain, I agree with Sammie M. how is Myanmar sposed to have another generation if the one now all dies?
I think the goverment dosn't have a right to keep citizens from protetsting.
It is brave for the monks to protest you are right Zoe.
The Iraqi United States could be having trouble and could call for aid
Myanmar is in a very bad situation and someone should help them
I dont agree with Christian i dont think that all the people of myanmar should die! Plus idont think they are complete dummie heads!
thats dumb how so many people are dieing there
I agree Lydia
myanmar is a bad place..... i would be VERY scared to go..its unfair that they have that much control that they can shut down internet and all that stuff... and the rule that if there is more than 5 people on the street they can arrest them cause they think they can over throw the government!!!!! WEIRD!!!!
i agree with every body
myanmar is a bad place
i agree with christian
I don't agree with the Myanmar government. I think they should be able to tell the world what's happening there.
i agree with every body
i agree with brandon
i agree with brandon
i agree with brandon
I AGREE WITH ZOE. OTHER COUNTRIES SHOULD KNOW WHATS GOING ON AROUND THE WORD. EVEN MYANMAR.
i agree with brandon the government people are retards
i agree with 14 tino
i agree with everybody
i agree with you jesse
Technology is very important in all countries and should not be taken away from the people.
I AGREE WITH BRANDON TOO. PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THE INTERNET
i dont think that the government has the right to stop there people from protesting
I agree with Zoe because I think that the world needs to know what is going on in other parts of the world. I t will be very good to know that Myanmar is in a war.
i agree with ashlyn..technology is important
I agree with fortino
I agree with Brandon. It's stupid that they control that much of people's lives.
I think that the goverment in myanmar is crazy! I think that they should allow the internet because that is what their people want and a goverment is for the people of a country! Internet helps everyone stay connected and that is aa very good thing not a bad thing at all! The myanmar goverment is so stupid! I really defeats the purpose of a goverment! If the govermentt would just give the people what they want so many people wouldn't be dying because they are standing up for what they belive in!
I agree with austin
i agree with kelsie
i agree with fortino they are ........... other countries should know whats happening in myanmar so we could help..... we should also know cause ..... wait idk...... but the government in myanmar is bad i and i dont agree with anything thy are saying....
other people should know whats going on because people could be being killed for no reason or be suffering be
i think it is stupid that other country can't see what is happening in myanmar
because of the government
I think that it is stupd that myamyar goverment is trying to shout down the computer compuneys because If they punish every because they dont like it . some people arent doing enything rong.
i agree with anything that dallas said.... it is right and myanmar is CRAZY!!!
The Myanmar government should give the people more freedom then the have
I agree with Ashlyn and Hayleigh. Technology is VERY important. I mean think about it, how much electricity do we use everyday? And think about the Old Stone Age, all the tools they used were early technology. Where would we be with out it???
That,s just roung that that they could try to shut off someone from the rest of the would
i agree with dallas....the government is messed up because they should let people stay in touch and make use of the technology that they have,,..not take it away!
I agree with dallas
i agree with ashlyn about the technology
lenessa why do u think that it is unfair?
nick makes a good point
I AGREE WITH ASHLYN, TECHNOLOGY IS IMPORTANT.
I agree with Jesse!
I think that the government should allow freedom of speech. The protesters should be aloud to say what they want to say. The government should not be killing people just to stop the protest. I think that killing people will result in a war between the people and the government. I also think that more people will leave if more people die just because they are protesting for their rights.The government should allow only a certain amount of people to post different things that are happening in Myanmar.
It's really sad that the people of Myanmar are loosing their freedom to an unpleasent government. It just doesn't seem right...
I agree with fortino
yeah the mymanmar governt ment should give everyone in that countrie more freedom... it would make life much better towards the poeple in myanmar...... everything is wrong with the government of myanmar....they are wrong and they should be over thrown because the way they are ruling myanmar s terrible!!!!!!!!!!! its so stupid how they are limiting the accces to the poeple ... all it does is makes myanmar government look weak cause they have to cover it up..... the monks that are protesting are right.....i agree totally on what they say and what they mean.. the protest they are doing are awsome i think.... i would totally join......" but i cant"...... but if i had a choice i would because the government is bad.... they are making the internet compynies limit there acces to comuicate with surronding contires and even the countries around the world.... its HORRIBLE....... how many monks are even protesting? u would think there would be tons because they want to over throw the government
i agree with 14-0
I dont think that people should be punished for standikng up for their country!
the government is so messed up they are not fair
if we didnt have technology then we wouldnt be talking right now!! we wouldnt have much of anything
The Myanmar government is crazy. People should be aloud to use the internet because the internet is technology and people built it so it shouldn't be taken away!
We would be nothing with out technology we have today, I think they shouldn't take their right away
If I lived in Myanmar I would fight for my right like the protesters are doing for their freedom.
I agree with jesse
What would the people in Myanmar do in there spare time without internet?
its stuff like this that makes me really glad to live in the us
i agree what brandon said the people should have more freedom
I think that Myanmar is being a poor sport because it would be great for their country if they got some publicity. Maybe they shouldn't take away every thing that people have. All they would have to do is limit what people can do and what the can't do. If it is to the point where they don't want to share with us what is going on there is something huge going on and sonebody is going to get to the bottem of it wether they like it or not.
i don't like the idea that they are shutting down the internet then people don't now whats going on in their country.
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