Hundreds of thousands of Burmese monks and civilians have spent the past week marching in cities across the country, demanding change. They want an end to the repressive, tyrannical rule of the junta. They want free and fair elections.

These are the biggest protests in Burma (renamed Myanmar by the junta) since 1988, when the army gunned down and killed 3,000 protesters.

The major difference between now and then is that the world is watching this time. Burma— an isolated country that rarely makes the news— was a headline story across the world today. People inside the country are breaking their usual habit of silence and risking their lives to share glimpses of what is happening. They are posting photographs, videoclips and written updates every minute.

I lived in Burma for a year in 2003/2004. The military regime oppressed the country so well that there was almost no political dissent. Anyone who spoke out against the government was quickly detained and usually tortured. An activist was arrested while I was there for passing out the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

And now— thousands of people are marching down Sule Pagoda Road— the street I lived on. It’s beyond amazing. I only hope that this time the junta does not fire back. If you want to help support the democracy activists, you can donate money to US Campaign for Burma.

Photo credit: King