Two dead as Burma protesters defy ban

At least two protesters have been killed as thousands of Buddhist monks and pro-democracy activists defy a ban by Burma's military rulers.The country's ruling junta has outlawed all public gatherings of more than five people and imposed a 60-day 9pm-5am curfew, following eight days of anti-government marches by thousands of monks.Police tried to disperse protesters with teargas and warning shots. Witnesses said several monks were beaten with batons while some activists were dragged away into waiting trucks on the streets of the former capital, Rangoon.The latest march by protesters towards the centre of Rangoon came after a tense confrontation at the city's famed Shwedagon Pagoda.About 3,000 monks and 4,000 students along with members of the party headed by detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi set off from Shwedagon to the Sule Pagoda in the heart of the city where dozens of riot police and soldiers are on patrol.About 100 monks stayed behind at the eastern gate of the Shwedagon, refusing to obey orders to disperse after riot police there failed to dislodge them despite using teargas, batons and warning shots.Soldiers with assault rifles had earlier blocked all four major entrances to the soaring pagoda, one of the most sacred in Burma and sealed other potential flashpoints of antigovernment protests.But the demonstrations are continuing and there are fears of a bloodbath if the authorities clash with the protesters.Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for a United Nations Security Council meeting to be held on Wednesday to discuss the crisis, adding that a UN envoy should be sent to the country.Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth, Mr Brown warned Burma's generals, saying: "The whole world is now watching."Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary David Miliband again urged restraint in the handling of the protesters, warning that Burmese officials will be held accountable for their behaviour.Speaking to reporters before flying to the UN in New York, Mr Miliband revealed that marching monks in Rangoon, turned to applaud as they passed the British Embassy.He said: "It is very important that we maintain this unanimous international call for restraint...restraint must remain the order of the day."He added that no contact has been made with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who remains under house arrest but was seen for the first time in four years during demonstrations at the weekend.In 1988 about 3,000 people were killed when a popular uprising was brutally put down by the regime.© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

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ITN | September 26, 2007

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