Defiant Monks Continue Peaceful Protest Against Myanmar's Military Despite Deaths

Burma's military government seems to have cut public internet access as troops locked up Buddhist monasteries on Friday in an effort to crush demonstrations against the ruling junta, witnesses and diplomats said.

Thousands of Buddhist monks and protesters in Myanmar marched towards the center of the country's largest city in defiance of an order by the government that outlawed all public gatherings of more than five people. (Sept. 26)

Myanmar's military rulers outlawed assemblies of more than five people and imposed curfews in the southeast Asian country's two major cities on Tuesday after Buddhist monks, students and other activists staged another round of anti-government protests.

For the first time in a week of pro-democracy demonstrations, soldiers have appeared outside the Shwedagon Pagoda shrine which has become the symbolic heart of the campaign against 45 years of unbroken military rule.

More than 100,000 people flooded the streets of Myanmar's biggest city Monday, joining Buddhist monks in the strongest show of dissent against the ruling generals in nearly two decades. The enormous show of strength drew a swift rebuke from the military government.