Rangoon, Burma: Activists led by former student leaders involved in the 1988 pro-democracy uprising held mass prayers at the Shwedagon pagoda in Rangoon on October 29.

 

The activists, calling for the release of political prisoners, began a week-long prayer campaign to protest against the ruling junta.

 

An estimated 1,000 people, dressed in white, gathered at Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon for silent prayers against the military junta, which has ruled the country since 1962, said Mya Aye, a 1988 pro-democracy student leader.

 

The prayer campaign was the third in the series of protest campaigns which was launched by the '88 generation students.

 

Earlier, student groups launched the"White Expression Campaign," where people were requested to wear white clothes for peace in the country.

 

In the signature campaign that followed students group sought the release of six of their members who were arrested a month ago, the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest since May 2003 and nearly 1,400 political prisoners in Burmese prisons.

 

The campaign reportedly garnered more than half a million signatures nationwide. But the government has claimed that many of the signatures were forged.

 

The students group in its nationwide prayer campaign till November 4 has focused its attention on three goals, which includes - solving the crisis that the nation formerly known as Burma is facing, love and compassion; the safety and peace for all citizens who are suffering in the aftermath of recent floods and the relief for all citizens.

 

"Peace-loving people throughout Burma have joined the multi-religious prayer meeting campaign led by 88 Generation Students to pray for a solution to the problems of Burma, and for political prisoners and the victims of recent natural disasters," DVB said.

 

The student group has appealed: "If possible and convenient, we kindly request well- wishers to go to their respective religious places, wearing white and pray holding candles."

 

The Archbishop of Rangoon has offered a blessing to Burmese political prisoners at an ordination ceremony for five new priests before a large crowd in the nation's capital on Sunday, according to a report from democracy activists.

 

According to DVB, “More than 100,000 people also listened to a radio broadcast of Rangoon's Archbishop Charles Maung Bo's sermon.”

 

The Archbishop said that he was going to bless all the people and political prisoners ... and prayed for them. I felt so joyous.

 

"Since we don't have the freedom to organize peaceful demonstrations, we have to do alternative forms like prayer services or candlelight vigils to express our desires for peace," said Win Win, 35, a member of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party.

 

"The country's people lack trust and confidence in each other. We are praying at the pagoda as a peaceful gesture to spread the sense of loving kindness among the people," said one of the organizers, Kyaw Min Yuu, also known as Jimmy.

 

Plainclothes police asked people in white shirts arriving at the base of the temple to show their national registration cards, discomfiting some pilgrims who were not taking part in the vigil, according to people at the pagoda who declined to be named for fear of retribution. In some cases, the police did laborious searches though the handbags of women activists.