"With an indoctrination program like that, how would you ever get them to come around to deal with reality?"

Being a buddhist is about addressing reality at it's most fundamental level of perception - Tibetan and Zen monks undergo a far longer training period. You have to remember buddhism is a religion where you are encouraged to rigorously question down to the very basic levels their religious doctrines. The idea is you take no-one's word for anything but find out for yourself.

In this context it's not so difficult to understand the reason the monks lead the protests. There is not some religious agenda motivating them, but a compassion for all the beings that are cause suffering - in this case by by the Junta - they are simply trying to improve the lot of everyone in Burma. The genuinely care for all the people without exception regardless of their own religious convictions. The Jewish-Christian-Muslim religions could learn a lot from their buddhist contemporaries about tolerance, understanding and peaceful protest.

Of course, the Junta's biggest buddies the Chinese hate with a passion anyone who thinks for themselves hence their ongoing persecution of innocent Tibetan buddhist monks and institutions elsewhere on the continent - they even kidnap their Lamas and replace them with their own puppet leaders.