When your country is ruled by corrupt oppressors, how do you get rid of them? One way is to answer them in the language which they understand: violence. But bloodshed leads to more bloodshed, bitterness, and grievances which live on for years. Another way is through a non-violent civilian uprising. After a while there is usually a limit to the number of unarmed civilians that the oppressors can murder in cold blood.
The classic example of a successful non-violent civilian uprising was the struggle for the liberation of India from British rule, led by Mohandas Gandhi. Another example was the peaceful Philippines uprising led by Corazon Aquino in 1986, forcing President Marcos into exile. Another example was the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004/2005, in which the corrupt government was ousted.
Now, over the past few days, we have had massive anti-government protests in the streets of Rangoon. Only time will tell whether these protests will be successful in ousting the unlawful military dictatorship. In the past the Burmese government has shown little compunction in slaughtering peaceful protesters, but perhaps there comes a time when no government can withstand the onslaught of a massive non-violent movement.