Injured Burmese activist released

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Burma's military leaders have freed an activist whose leg was broken when he was arrested during a demonstration, activists say.

Ye Thein Naing was detained last month at a protest against a fuel price hike.

The apparently conciliatory gesture comes a day after Buddhist monks briefly took about 20 state officials hostage, after clashes at a protest.

Burma's state media blamed the unrest on external groups and said it would not tolerate destabilising acts.

Dozens of people have been detained at small protests around the country since the government decided to double the price of fuel on 15 August.

'Destructive acts'

Ye Thein Naing was injured when the authorities broke up a demonstration in the main city, Rangoon, on 28 August.

Other detainees had been on hunger strike to demand medical attention for him, activists said.

"I welcome the release but demand that all those who have been detained during the past three weeks be released," Han Zaw, of the Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy, told the Associated Press news agency.

The release followed two days of protests in the central town of Pakokku.

On Wednesday, the security forces fired shots into the air and used force to disperse about 400 monks on a march.

The following day, the monks held officials who had come to apologise for the violence for several hours in their monastery before letting them go.

State media blamed the demonstrations on external anti-government groups.

"The people will not accept any acts to destabilise the nation and harm their interests and are willing to prevent such destructive acts," newspapers said.

The government crackdown has drawn international criticism.

US President George W Bush has repeatedly condemned the actions of the military leaders and called for those arrested to be released.

Burma's main ally, China, also showed signs of concern.

"We hope to see reconciliation and improvement in the situation in Burma," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said on Friday.