Danny Fisher has a good round-up of the sad / hopeful goings-on in Burma. And Tricycle’s own Jeff Wilson gives us a statement on Burma from the Buddhist Churches of America.

U.N. Envoy to Burma Ibrahim Gambari says the talks between opposition leader Aung Sann Suu Kyi and the Rangoon regime make him hopeful, but “much more is needed” to bring about real results. And meanwhile Burmese government forces are back out on the street in force and surrounding “holy sites” in order to forestall more action by Burma’s monks. China’s response to the historic meeting between the opposition and junta was to take a wait and see, or stall and do nothing approach. India agrees:

India has also made clear it is not prepared to act. “We have shared our views and we have commonality of the approach, and let the process which began in Myanmar for the political reforms and national reconciliation, let it be taken to its logical conclusion,” the Indian Foreign Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, said yesterday.

Gotcha!: Chevron’s role in Burma is coming under Congressional scrutiny. And a Free Burma rally to mark the one-month anniversary of the military crackdown is happening outside the State Department in D.C. at 1 PM today, according to By My Hand and Heart Alone.

Konchog of Dreaming of Danzan Ravjaa tells us a little bit about the bloke his blog is named after, and asks for our support in sending a group of Mongolian nuns to India.

Sri Lanka’s government has shut down a Colombo radio station that it says spread panic with false news of a rebel attack. Can they shut down Fox News in New York while they’re at it? Sri Lanka’s press freedom is in steep decline.

Booming Thailand, home of the mighty baht, signs up to get more electricity from (Communist) Laos, as opposed to troublesome Burma. The U.S. and the West, lest we forget, get just about everything from (Communist) China.

– Philip Ryan, Web Editor