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3 000 protest Myanmar regime
21/09/2007 16:31 - (SA)
Yangon - About 3 000 people including 1 500 Buddhist monks marched through the flooded streets of Myanmar's main city Yangon on Friday, in the latest protest against the ruling junta, witnesses said.
The protest began with about 500 saffron-robed monks walking barefoot, sometimes through knee-deep water, from a neighbourhood temple on the eastern side of the city to the famous Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar's most important landmark, witnesses said.
They stopped to pray for about 20 minutes at the pagoda and then continued to march towards downtown Yangon, where the number of monks swelled to 1 500 with another 1 500 supporters joining them.
At the head of the march, about 100 women formed a human chain to protect the monks, who carried multi-coloured religious flags.
They stopped outside the Yangon city hall, where they chanted prayers, reciting: "Peace and security will prevail. The people will not be harmed."
Senior government officials could be seen at the city hall, but there was little visible security around the march.
The monks then headed to the nearby Sule pagoda, following a similar path to that of a march on Thursday.
The march was the second protest by Buddhist monks on Friday, after about 200 clergy held a prayer vigil earlier in the day on the northern side of the city, witnesses said.
Buddhist monks have protested against the regime all week, revitalising a series of anti-government rallies that erupted a month ago amid public anger over skyrocketing fuel prices.
- AFP
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