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Again it is during a crisis that new technology is used at its best...

Like the use of blogs during the Tsunami disaster in Asia in 2004, today protesters in Myanmar/Burma are using mobile phones to get the story out and their supporters are using social networks like Facebook to gather support.

Look at these incredible numbers of this support group on Facebook;

• 29/09/2007 150,000 Members

• 28/09/2007 60,000 Members

• 27/09/2007 30,000 Members

• 26/09/2007 12,000 Members

• 25/09/2007 6000 Members

• 24/09/2007 3,500 Members

Not only support groups are using web based tools such as petitions, social network and blogs. Also the local protesters are blogging away to get the real story out as reported recently by the Middle East Times.

The government blocks almost every Web site that carries news or information about the Southeast Asian country, and even bars access to Web-based e-mail. But an army of young techies in Yangon works around the clock to circumvent the censors, posting pictures and videos on blogs almost as soon as the protests happen.

It are the local citizen reporters who are sending us the real pictures & stories of what is happening there while privately owned media in Myanmar are refusing to print pro-government propaganda in an act of protest.

Also a wiki has been started to collect all protest actions and a call to bloggers has been launched for October 4, 2007.

On that day, bloggers who condemn the actions of the Burmanese junta will post a protest banner and a single line of text: "Free Burma".

Other online ways to support this action is by Digging it, promoting it on your Facebook profile and Blurb it on Technorati.

And finally, there's a list of bloggers who just changed their blog template to red in protest.

But then again, technology is not always used for the best causes... Some people think it is the best time now to use the online support for Burma to spread malware.... Sad.

Update: how fast things go... I just updated my Facebook profile, indicating I was writing this blogpost and just seconds later, Des Walsh, editor of Thinking Home Business pointed me to his coverage of the Burma protests and media coverage...

Technorati : Burma, Myanmar, advocacy, digg, facebook, free burma, mobile phone, monks, protest, social media, videoblogging

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