Thousands of people protest, without monks, in Burma

An estimated 10,000 laymen congregated one block north of Sule Pagoda, a flashpoint for the past ten days of protests, where they shouted catcalls and clapped their hands in a show of contempt for  the government troops around the temple.

Although barricades had been taken down on Pagoda Road Thursday morning, there were fully-armed police and soldiers lined up on the sidewalks and posted in the pagoda, readying for a confrontation, eyewitnesses said.

"There are people willing to shoot and people willing to die," said one Western diplomat of the looming showdown.

Most monks stayed away from the protest Thursday, amid reports that authorities had raided several monasteries at around 2 am Thursday, arresting up to 100 monks. 

   Security personnel raided the Moe Kaung monastery in Yankin Township and Ngwe Kyar Yan Monastery in South Okkalapa township and took away monks in their trucks, covering them with tarpaulin canvas sheets.

Eye-witnesses said the monks were beaten and dragged out of their monasteries screaming. Bloodstains were visible in many of the monks' quarters. 

The ruling junta cracked down Wednesday on monk-led marches that started small on September 18 and peaked Monday with an estimated 100,000 participants.        

On Wednesday riot police and soldiers beat back monks and their laymen followers with batons and tear gas from the Shwedagon Pogada and fired warning shots at the mob around the Sule Pagoda.

The state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper claimed that the clash was sparked by protesters throwing stones at the security officers.

"On account of the unavoidable circumstances, the members of the security forces fired some shots employing the least force to disperse the mob," claimed the government mouthpiece.

It claimed one civilian was killed in the melee and two others wounded. Other sources said at least five people, including monks, died on Wednesday and more than 100 were injured.

Barricades and troops were in place Thursday morning at key sites in Yangon, including the Shwedagon Pagoda and Bogyoke Street, two of the main rallying spots for the past nine days of protests in the city.

Roadblocks had been removed from the Pagoda Road that leads to Sule Pagoda, but the temple was heavily guarded.

Burmese's monks, said to number 400,000, have a long history of political activism. The monkhood played a pivotal role in Myanmar's independence struggle from Great Britain in 1947 and the anti-military demonstrations of 1988 that ended in bloodshed.

Burmese military regime rounded up more than a hundred monks in raids of Rangoon temples after midnight and stationed hundreds of troops at key sites in the former capital in preparation for more protests Thursday.

Informed sources said authorities raided several temples early Thursday morning and rounded up an unknown number of monks in an effort to prevent more protest marches on Thursday.

Barricades and troops were in place Thursday morning at key sites in Rangoon, including the Shwedagon and Sule pagodas and Bogyoke Street, the main rallying spots for the past nine days of monk-led protests in the city.

The military finally cracked down on the monks' barefoot rebellion on Wednesday, beating back monks and their laymen followers from the Shwedagon and Sule pagoda and firing warning shots at the crowds, numbering in the thousands.

The government has claimed that only one person died in the melee and two were injured. Other sources said as many as five died, including monks, and more than 100 were injured.

It was still unclear Thursday morning whether the monks would take to the streets for a tenth day. Past protests have started about noon, after the monks have taken food and started their midday fast.

There have been reports of similar monk-led protests taking place in other Burmese cities such as Mandalay and Sittwe.

Burmese monks, said to number 400,000, have a long history of political activism. The monkhood played a pivotal role in Burmese independence struggle from Great Britain in 1947 and the anti-military demonstrations of 1988, that ended in bloodshed.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur