More people reportedly died Friday, on the third day of Myanmar military junta’s brutal crackdown of anti-government protesters.

The junta -- apparently ignoring appeals from around the world to end the violence against Buddhist monks and others protesting their rule -- sent its soldiers and police onto the streets in the capital Yangon Friday to quell the protests. The junta also has cut off Internet access and other forms communication in the city to prevent reports of its crackdown from reaching outside world.

The BBC quoted a witness as saying a number of people were killed in Friday's violence, in addition to the official count of nine killed, announced after Thursday’s crackdown.

Friday’s security presence in Yangon, formerly called Rangoon, was the heaviest seen so far, the BBC report said. The soldiers also have barricaded the main religious sites in Yangon, from where the monks have been leading the protests.

The latest violence in Yangon comes as the junta prepared for the Saturday visit of Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari, dispatched by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.  // Copyright 2007 by United Press International



Publication date: 03 October 2007   

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