Photo Gallery Myanmar Tensions on the Rise
A group of monks sit in protest after being stopped by riot police on their way to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon on Wednesday.
Buddhist monks marched once again on Wednesday, in defiance of police warnings that they should stay out of politics.
Police finally had enough on Wednesday and moved in to crack down on the demonstrators. There were reports of them firing their weapons into the air in warning.
The monks have led protests that have erupted into a nationwide demand for democratic reform. The marches are the largest seen in the country since 1988 when government forces killed 3,000 protestors to end nationwide demonstrations.
Troops on Wednesday fired over the heads of gathered protestors and used tear gas as well. Many demonstrators were beaten.
More and more people have been joining the monks, with up to 100,000 people taking to the streets of the former capital Yangon on Monday.
Myanmar's military dictatorship isn't generally shy about using violence against the Burmese population. Many are calling on the country to exercise restraint.
With the increased willingness of the government to crack down on the protests, the numbers of those on the streets has dropped sharply on Wednesday.
Reports indicate that up to 200 monks have been arrested on Wednesday outside Yangon's most important shrine. Others have suffered from tear gas.
Monday's march was the biggest in Myanmar in almost 20 years.
The government has been careful about how they handle the monks' protest. Too much violence against the religious representatives could create an even greater backlash among the Burmese.
