If there had been any doubt about the despotic nature of the military regime that has misruled Burma since 1988, these were erased last week with the killing of peaceful demonstrators, including venerated monks, and the arrest of thousands. The official death toll stands at an implausible 10, including Kenji Nagai, 50, a Japanese freelance photo-journalist who was gunned down while doing his job. Diplomatic sources place the death toll closer to 200, but the generals have erected a bamboo curtain around their gulag, cutting internet and telephone links in an effort to conceal their sins.

Video clips run repeatedly on Japanese television show Nagai being shot at point-blank range by a soldier. This was not a random shot – the soldier was only a metre or so away. This is a shot that was heard and felt around the world. The repercussions for Burma’s military junta are potentially severe, as the Japanese government ponders its options and awaits results of an investigation into the shooting.