Junta Cremates Protesters

(NEWSER) - The Burmese court trying Aung San Suu Kyi has postponed its verdict for two weeks, surprising her supporters and foreign observers who expected a finding of guilt today. Although the court said it needed more time to decide the case, one diplomat told the Times of London that the junta may be "trying to deflate the foreign reaction." Another possibility: numerologists may have told the extremely superstitious generals to wait for a more auspicious day. More»

Ban plans to press junta to release Suu Kyi and other political prisoners

(NEWSER) - Ban Ki-moon arrived in Burma today and is holding talks with the military junta to secure the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the BBC reports. The UN secretary general told the Burmese generals that he wants "to contribute, to work together, for peace and prosperity"—but that the regime must release Suu Kyi and thousands of other political prisoners, and move towards holding credible elections. More»

Ban to press for Aung San Suu Kyi release

(AP) - A UN special envoy began a secret trip to Burma today to pave the way for a possible visit by Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general, that would be politically delicate because of the continuing trial of imprisoned opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Human rights groups are urging Ban not to visit now, fearing that the junta could exploit his trip, but Suu Kyi's supporters want him to come while she is in court. More»

Buddhist movement gets bolder; some suggest stockpiling weapons

(NEWSER) - After seeing nonviolent protesters killed or detained in last year’s protests against the ruling junta, younger segments of Burma’s Buddhist monks are becoming more radical, embracing armed resistance and overt dissent, the Christian Science Monitor reports. "We need weapons,” one young monk said. “That is the only way we can bring down this regime." More»

Military admits full impact of storm

(NEWSER) - Nearly 78,000 are confirmed dead and another 56,000 missing in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, Reuters reports. Torrential rains continued to pound Burma today, complicating rescue efforts. The EU’s chief aid official met with military leaders to press for increasing foreign rescue workers' involvement, but he met with no more success than UN and US officials before him. More»