Burma on The Brink

Protesters get support from Laura Bush and Jim Carrey, but can the world help?

Christian Holst / Getty

Bus passengers waiting for buses August 15, 2007 in front of the City Hall in Yangon, Myanmar.

It was over in a matter of minutes, but the significance of the occasion vastly exceeded its brevity. On Aug. 28, 20 protesters gathered at a market in Burma's commercial capital, Rangoon, to demonstrate against the ruling junta's decision to raise prices of essential goods--in some cases 500%. Led by labor activist Su Su Nway, the group had just begun to chant slogans when thugs employed by the military regime swooped in and started dragging the demonstrators into waiting vehicles. The frail Su Su Nway, who emerged from prison only last year, after serving seven months for reporting cases of forced...

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