Troops, Riot Police Patrol Outside Burmese Pagodas

Burmese soldiers and riot police are patrolling outside pagodas in Rangoon to prevent Buddhist monks from continuing pro-democracy protests. The monks and their sympathizers have demonstrated for the past week without military interference.

On Tuesday, the government imposed a 60-day dusk-to-dawn curfew in Rangoon and Mandalay.

The security forces are at key pagodas where tens of thousands of people have been gathering for non-violent protests against the military-led government.

Overnight, security forces also arrested a pro-democracy politician Win Naing and a popular comedian, Zaganar, who have been outspoken supporters of the protests.

Opposition activists began the protests last month over a steep increase in gas prices. After the monks joined last week, the demonstrations spread across the country, becoming the largest pro-democracy movement the country has seen since 1988.

The military crushed demonstrations in 1988 with force, killing an estimated three thousand people.

Burma has been ruled by a military government since 1962. The current military leaders have been widely criticized for human rights violations and the detention of more than one thousand political activists, including pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi.

In New York Tuesday, President Bush announced additional economic sanctions on Burma.

World leaders are urging the Burmese government to exercise restraint in the face of the protests.

ENDS

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