Satellites capture evidence of Burma crackdown

High-resolution satellites images may provide valuable evidence of the violent methods used by Burma’s ruling junta to crack down on pro-democracy demonstration in recent days. New Scientist reports.

“By obtaining photographic evidence of the authorities’ activities, human rights groups hope to hold the junta to account before the international community.

“You would not be able to see individual people,” says Lars Bromley , a senior researcher with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington DC., “but you would be able to see groups of people”. In particular, he says, it should be easy to spot groups of monks because of their distinctive maroon robes, and to gauge military numbers.

Bromley says this evidence will hopefully act as a deterrent to the government. “It will give the authorities a ense that the world is watching,” he told New Scientist.

Human rights organisations have long accused the Burmese regime of human rights abuses against civilians. Yet the authorities have denied these claims and sought to control the flow of information out of the country.

Cellphones and the internet have helped change this and have been used to transmit reports about the current clampdown. But both are still heavily controlled by the authorities. In fact, within the last 24 hours many internet cafes have been shut down in cities like Rangoon and Mandalay.

The US Campaign for Burma plans to take all the evidence to the UN to support their plea for intervention by the Security Council. “Even China and Russia can no longer argue that nothing is happening in Burma,” says Aung Din, policy director for the US Campaign for Burma.”

Picture from the BBC

Via:textually.org