Irrawaddy reports "Maggin monastery in western Rangoon, where HIV patients are cared for was also raided. Witnesses said that soldiers and riot police stormed in, beating up and hauling away four monks, including the abbot and four people caring for HIV patients."
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=8779
The military government has no conscience but there will be one very soon ! just believe in them !
They came in the night, ready to kill
Shah Paung
Irrawaddy
27 September 2007
The military government has no conscience and it's cruel. It has no heart
or sympathy for its own people---not even respect for the monks.
The government's forces beat and shot peaceful demonstrators and monks,
killing and injuring many of them.
Soldiers look into the innocent faces of peaceful demonstrators and shoot
them in cold blood. During the night from Wednesday to Thursday, hundreds
of soldiers, riot police and members of the pro-junta paramilitary
organization Union Solidarity and Development Association raided several
monasteries in Rangoon and beat and arrested hundreds of monks, novices
and others.
One of the raided monasteries, Maggin, has become a refuge for HIV/AIDS
patients after the authorities launched a manhunt for those taking care of
them when they took part in the recent demonstrations against the sharp
rises in fuel prices and other commodities. The abbot and four senior
monks, two of them over 80, were arrested, along with four other people
found at the monastery.
The HIV/AIDS patients live in one of two buildings at the monastery. "We
and the novices now feel dejected," said one. "We have no one to taking
care of us. The novices share their alms with us."
A novice tries to console him. "Phone Phone [Senior Monks] will be back
tonight."
The patient is doubtful. "How can we know?"
The novice says: "I think if Phone Phone convince them [the authorities]
that they are innocent they will be released."
"We believe the monks are innocent," the patient replies. "But we do not
know how they [authorities] think, and why they arrested the monks."
This exchange was recounted to The Irrawaddy by telephone on Thursday.
The patient said he awoke at midnight to the sound of whistling and
movement outside. He went to the window and saw many uniformed soldiers in
the monastery compound, carrying guns and batons.
The soldiers walked through the monastery in their combat boots, kicking
novices awake. They poked the abbot awake with a baton.
The soldiers then entered the building housing the HIV/AIDS patients. The
patients were at first mishandled but were then released after showing
documents confirming they were receiving treatment.
"None of us dared to speak out," the patient said.
"They looked as if they would kill anyone who spoke out. I was afraid and
didn't dare to move. I am also very afraid of them and dare not to move.
They looked evil and ready to kill."
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=8775