If the military dictatorship orders a crackdown on thousands of monks now leading the pro-democracy protests in Burma, then it will finally seal the tyrants’ fate. Monks are highly regarded in Burma and any violence unleashed against them will have grave repercussions, perhaps as drastic as causing the downfall of the dictatorship.

Its been 18 years since the the National League for Democracy won the Burmese parliamentary elections. But the NLD and its leader Aung San Suu Kyi were prevented and continue to be prevented from governing the nation by the military dictatorship.

The many moral, political, social and economic crises brought by the military dictatorship has resulted in monks being compelled to lead the pro-democracy protests.

Meanwhile, the so-called democrats across Asia and Asean don’t care about Burma and have given Myanmar (the country’s “new” name adopted by the military dictatorship) more breathing ground diplomatically.

The monks’ protests have gotten very strong that they have forced the junta to allow Aung San Suu Kyi to meet them briefly outside the house where she has been detained for 12 of the last 18 years.

Democrats across the world must support the Burmese people, inspired by their monks, until they overthrow the tyrants.