OneWorld.net (U.S.)

Around 50,000 people took the streets today in the capital of Myanmar Yangon against the ruling military junta, as referred to MISNA by local sources under anonymity.

“The Buddhist monks are walking and praying, while the people are chanting slogans against the regime and the hike in the price of fuel”, said an eyewitness, adding that “in these hours checks on phones and all means of communication have doubled”.

Demonstrations against the increase in the cost of living were also held today in other parts of the country, where the 400,000 monks are widely revered by the population.

“The demonstrations last around two or three hours a day, to avoid concentrations of people on the streets for too long”, added the same sources.

For weeks the monks have been holding daily marches after the junta refused to apologise for a violent police crackdown on a protest on September 5 in Pakokku, in which monks were beaten. According to observers, the intervention of the monks, already in the past supporters of popular movements in a profoundly religious nation, represents a concrete threat to the stability of the military junta in power for over 60 years.

The police reaction has so far been contained, though international analysts fear that an armed reaction by government forces could result in similar consequences to 1988, when a popular uprising was dispersed with force, resulting in some 3,000 dead.