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BURMA IN TURMOIL: MY OPINON

While it’s normally not within people’s rights to say how matters should be handled by foreign governments, what is happening in Myanmar is very alarming that it is now incumbent upon every citizen of the world to call for an end to the wholesale shooting of protesters. Video feeds that leaked into the global media showed helpless protesters (led by Buddhist monks) being mowed down with automatic rifles.


THE FLESH

vs.

THE FAL


I have not had the chance to closely check the type of rifle being used but the width of the magazines make me speculate that it fires 7.62mm caliber bullets. The soldiers are probably using the Belgian FAL rifles that chambers 51 rounds per magazine (the US M-16 use a smaller 5.56mm ammunition with 30 rounds/ magazine ). The FAL is arguably one of the deadliest rifles in the world. I dwelt a bit on this detail to illustrate the damage that it can cause on the delicate human flesh.

The photo is close to the actual size and the leftmost bullet is the 7.62mm. Imagine the damage that it can cause to the human flesh)

I know that the press can create an otherwise nasty impression out of a good institution. However, the fact that the protests are being led by the Buddhist monks who are known to be very peaceful (remember their non violent protests during the Vietnam war?), the country’s internet has been shut down and that their titular figurehead is the Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung Suu Kyi, I am inclined to believe claims that the protesters are mainly armed with boos and insults and yet are being stopped with bone shattering FAL rifles.

Stop the killings in Burma now. Bring the country under UN supervision until things have normalized.

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