Undercover Journalists in Burma: Burma VJ

One of my fellow librarians visited me from Florida and recommended Burma VJ to me. I couldn’t find a copy at our local libraries; thus I requested via our university library’s ILL service.

The 2007 movement was led by the monks with a massive crowd on the street, including students, general public. They chanted and they requested the democracy of Burma along the street of Rangoon. They even made their way to the house of the Burma’s political leader, Ang San Suu Kyi – who was under house arrest since 1988. The scenes are so “familiar” – the massive crowd protest, the soldiers fired to the running crowd, pool of blood covered the pavements, monks were arrested and disappeared, soldiers raid the monasteries.

The undercover journalists follow the anti-government protests in August 2007 and film the scene with hidden cameras. A few times the journalists were almost caught by the military government spies. The uncut incredible scenes were sent out of Burma through secret channels to the international networks and media such as CNN in September 2007. At the end, three uncover journalists were missing, probably were arrested. And the one and only one Internet server in Burma was shut down by the government. Things are gone back to what they were – it is still a military control country.

Nothing's changed.