Myanmar's ruling military junta [AFP]

The Burmese military junta's brutal suppression of widespread protests raises the question of how effective power can be that comes from the barrel of a gun. 

Beatings, tear gas and bullets have all too effectively quashed several days of protests led by monks across Burma which swelled to 100,000 demonstrators in Yangon during the protests' peak.

101 East guests Dr Naing Aung and Ohmar Khim are particularly saddened by the crackdown since they were among the class of 1988 students whose attempts to defy military rule and uphold an overturned election result were similarly smashed.

The Thailand-based Burmese activists say, however, that there is still hope for democracy in Myanmar since unprecedented images of the violent crackdown have captured the world's attention.

101 East travelled to Mae Sot on Thailand's border with Myanmar to discuss the country's future with Naing and Ohmar, along with Australian journalist and Myanmar watcher Phil Thornton.

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