out of office for a while’ish

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Fresh fuel protests held in Burma

Further protests have been held in Burma over fuel price rises, despite the arrest of more than 60 activists by the military since last week. The low-key demonstrations involved some 30 people in Rangoon and up to 200 monks in the western port of Sittwe.

But analysts say it is remarkable they are happening at all, given the army’s crackdown on last week’s protests.

The fuel price rise, in the case of cooking gas by 500%, has enraged a population already living in poverty.

In addition to deploying soldiers and armed police, the government has sent gangs of thugs, some allegedly recently released criminals, to attack the protestors and drag away their leaders.

The dozens of activists now thought to be in custody include some of Burma’s best known dissidents.

The mainly novice monks in Sittwe were not stopped from protesting, according to local residents.

Their involvement must worry the government, echoing the widespread involvement of monks in the 1988 uprising that came close to overthrowing military rule.

Some Burmese are speculating that the fuel price rise was a deliberate move to provoke a crisis, perhaps reflecting disagreements within the ruling military council.

But with such a heavy security presence now on the streets of all the main towns, it will be difficult for any activists to keep their protest movement going.

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Lost city of of Mu ‘found’

Japanese explorer claims to have uncovered the location of the ruins of the lost city of Mu.

The search for the mysterious city which is said to have sunk somewhere in the Pacific Ocean has captivated the popular imagination of adventurers for years.

Many scientists dismiss the existence of Mu (sometimes called Lemuria) as sheer fantasy on the lines of the lost continent of Atlantis.

But marine geologist Masaaki Kimura believes he has found its ruins in the waters off southern Japan.

Undaunted amid persistent scepticism, he has worked for decades on proving that a group of extraordinary rock formations off Japan’s southern-most island of Yonaguni is actually the foundations and evidence of an ancient culture that disappeared into the Pacific over 4,000 years ago.

Mr Kamura believes the city had a castle, a shrine, a triumphal arch, Moai-like statues found on Easter Island and even a coliseum once upon a time, when the city was above water.

He said: “Judging by the design and the disposition of the ruins, the city must have looked just like an ancient Roman city. I can envisage that a triumphal arch-like statue stood on the left side of the Coliseum and a shrine over the hill.”

Mr Kimura believes the city sunk in earthquake about 3,000 years ago.

However, his claim only has received a frosty reception from most other scientists who say the ruins can be accounted for by natural phenomena such as tidal and volcanic activity.

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The Zen Teaching of Mu

When discussing Zen Buddhism, one often encounters the character for emptiness, mu, in expressions such as “no self,” “no ego,” “no holiness,” and “no permanence.” It is through the actual experience of mu — which means transcending affirmation and negation, being and nonbeing — that satori or spiritual awakening occurs and one can finally come to realize the essential spirit of Zen. Gaining some intellectual understanding is merely a first step in knowing about Zen; to enter into and deepen that understanding, one must experience mu for oneself.

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