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Nine killed in Burmese crackdown Nine killed in Burmese crackdown
(about 1 hour later)
Nine people have been killed amid a crackdown on anti-government protesters in Burma's main city of Rangoon, state television has reported. Nine people have been killed amid a crackdown on anti-government protesters in Burma's main city of Rangoon, state television reports.
The dead included eight protesters and a Japanese man identified by Japan's APF News as a video journalist. It said the dead included eight protesters and a Japanese man, later identified by Japan's APF News as a video journalist.
Eleven demonstrators and 31 soldiers were injured, state media said.Eleven demonstrators and 31 soldiers were injured, state media said.
The clashes came on the 10th day of protests against Burma's military rulers led by the country's Buddhist monks. Hundreds have been arrested. The deaths came on the 10th day of protests, led by the country's Buddhist monks, against Burma's military rulers.
Security forces on Thursday had to fire warning shots as protesters tried to take their weapons, the state television report said. Apart from sporadic gunfire, the streets of Rangoon are now said to be quiet after six hours of clashes. A curfew is back in force.
Witnesses said it was unclear whether bullets were fired into the crowd or above heads. Hundreds of the traditionally revered monks were reportedly arrested overnight ahead of the latest protests.
We still think that because there is a very, very heavy guard presence on University Avenue that [Aung San Suu Kyi] must be in her house halfway down that street Mark CanningBritish Ambassador in Rangoon World leaders have renewed calls for an end to the violence amid debates over tightening sanctions against the military government.
The military had been broadcasting warnings that the protesters should go home or face "serious action". 'Warning shots'
World leaders have renewed their calls for an end to the violence. At about midday (0530 GMT), tens of thousands of people poured on to the streets in an apparently spontaneous show of defiance, singing nationalist songs and hurling abuse at soldiers driving by in trucks.
Japan's foreign ministry said it was working to identify a man found dead in Rangoon carrying a Japanese passport. We still think that because there is a very, very heavy guard presence on University Avenue that [Aung San Suu Kyi] must be in her house halfway down that street Mark CanningBritish ambassador in Rangoon class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7016238.stm">Burma rulers cut media flow
The Japanese news agency APF News named the dead man as Kenji Nagai, a video journalist who had been in Burma for the agency since Tuesday. Troops began firing warning shots when protesters tried to take their weapons from them, state television reported.
Gunfire Witnesses said it was unclear whether the bullets were fired into the crowd or above heads.
The fresh protests follow reports of overnight raids on six monasteries. The military had warned the protesters to go home or face "serious action".
According to witnesses, soldiers smashed windows and doors and beat the sleeping monks. Some escaped but hundreds of monks were taken away in military trucks. Japan's foreign ministry confirmed that a man found dead in Rangoon carrying a Japanese passport was Kenji Nagai, a video journalist who had been in Burma for Tokyo-based news agency APF News since Tuesday.
Japan would officially launch a protest with the Burmese government over Mr Nagai's death and demand an investigation into the incident, Japanese news agency Kyodo quoted Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura as saying.
Britain's ambassador to Burma, Mark Canning, told the BBC he believed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was still under house arrest, amid reports she had been sent to Rangoon's Insein prison.
Key flashpoints in RangoonEnlarge ImageKey flashpoints in RangoonEnlarge Image
Two members of the National League for Democracy, the party led by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, were also arrested overnight.
Britain's ambassador to Burma, Mark Canning, told the BBC he believed Ms Suu Kyi was still under house arrest, amid reports she had been sent to Rangoon's Insein prison.
"We still think that because there is a very, very heavy guard presence on University Avenue that she must be in her house halfway down that street," he said."We still think that because there is a very, very heavy guard presence on University Avenue that she must be in her house halfway down that street," he said.
Around midday, thousands of people poured onto the streets of Rangoon in an apparently spontaneous show of defiance. They began singing nationalist songs and hurling abuse at the soldiers driving by in trucks. The scale and growing momentum of the protests appears to have taken Burma's military rulers by surprise, says the BBC's regional correspondent Charles Scanlon.
The soldiers responded with gunfire. By ordering combat battalions into the streets, they are aiming to intimidate the population while rounding up the leaders of the protest movement, he adds.
"They have shot several times into the crowd," one witness told the BBC. Monastery raids
Fewer monks Thursday's protests followed reports of overnight raids on six monasteries.
There are fewer monks on the streets - since so many were arrested - and there are large numbers of civilians instead, reports the BBC's Chris Hogg in Bangkok. Witnesses say soldiers smashed windows and doors and beat sleeping monks. Some escaped but hundreds were taken away in military trucks.
The world should act, under the UN, forcefully and show the door to the dictatorship. China has to be told firmly to stop propping up the Burmese military Ganapathy, Ottawa, Canada Accounts from Burma Protests in pictures British money in Burma class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=7488&edition=1">Send us your comments The world should act, under the UN, forcefully and show the door to the dictatorship. China has to be told firmly to stop propping up the Burmese military Ganapathy, Ottawa, Canada Accounts from Burma Protests in pictures British money in Burma
The military may now have fewer qualms about firing on the crowd, our correspondent says, as monks are held in high esteem in Buddhist Burma. There were fewer monks on the streets on Thursday after so many were arrested. Large numbers of civilians joined the protests instead.
A hotel in which foreign journalists have been staying in Rangoon has been surrounded and ransacked, our correspondent reports. The military may have had fewer qualms about firing on Thursday's crowd, correspondents say, as monks are held in high esteem in Buddhist Burma.
Security forces have set up barbed wire barricades around Shwedagon Pagoda and Rangoon city hall, two of the focal points for the demonstrations. Two members of the National League for Democracy, the party led by Ms Suu Kyi, were also arrested overnight.
On Wednesday, five people were reported to have been killed when police broke up protests. The military government has confirmed one death. On Wednesday, five people were reported to have been killed when police broke up protests. The military government confirmed one death.
UN debateUN debate
There are no indications yet that the military government is ready to listen to the many calls for restraint being made around the world, says the BBC's South East Asia correspondent, Jonathan Head. The UN Security Council has called on the country's rulers to show restraint.
China's crucial role in crisis Burma's shadowy leaders Who are Burma's monks?China's crucial role in crisis Burma's shadowy leaders Who are Burma's monks?
On Wednesday, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting in New York and called on the military junta to show restraint - a call also made by China and Russia on Thursday. The US and the EU wanted the council to consider sanctions but these were vetoed by China and Russia, which say the situation is an internal Burmese matter.
The US and the European Union wanted the council to consider imposing sanctions - rejected by both China and Russia, who argue that the situation in Burma is a purely internal matter. Both vetoed a UN resolution critical of the country's rulers in January.
Instead, Council members "expressed their concern vis-a-vis the situation, and have urged restraint, especially from the government of Myanmar", said France's UN ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert.
They welcomed a plan to send UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari to the region and called on Burmese authorities to receive him "as soon as possible".
Analysts fear a repeat of the violence in 1988, when troops opened fire on unarmed protesters, killing thousands.Analysts fear a repeat of the violence in 1988, when troops opened fire on unarmed protesters, killing thousands.
The protests were triggered by the government's decision to double the price of fuel last month, hitting people hard in the impoverished nation.
Are you in the area? Are you affected by the events in Burma? Send us your comments using the form below. 		The current protests were triggered by the government's decision to double the price of fuel last month, hitting people hard in the impoverished nation.
Are you in the area? Are you affected by the events in Burma? Send us your comments using the form below.
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