Suu Kyi ‘backs’ defiant monks

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Source: Associated Press

YANGON, Sept. 22: Myanmar police allowed a group of more than 500 Buddhist monks through a roadblock today to march past the house where Opposition leader Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi is detained, witnesses said.

A monk claimed in a speech later to anti-government protesters that Mrs Suu Kyi came to her gate to greet them. His account could not immediately be confirmed. Mrs Suu Kyi has been under detention continuously since May 2003 at her Yangon home.

The action came as thousands of monks held anti-government protest marches in Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, where Mrs Suu Kyi is under house arrest, and other cities in tightly controlled Myanmar. The part of University Avenue where Mrs Suu Kyi's house is located has been closed to traffic since 17 September. The monks stopped briefly in front of Mrs Suu Kyi's house and said some prayers before they leaving at the other end of the road, said a resident, who asked not to be named ...

Read more: http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=8&theme=&usrsess=1&id=171047

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1. On the run in Burma (BBC)

By Andrew Harding
BBC News, Rangoon

Buddhist monks may be able to protest in the streets of Burma, but other pro-democracy activists risk being labelled as "terrorists" and arrested by the authorities. Activist Nilar Thein has been on the run for one month ...

She has been hiding for a month now - moving every couple of days to a new house - hunted by a huge force of security officials, plain-clothed policemen, informers and hired thugs.

Nilar is number five on a long list of "terrorists" - the generals' title for almost anyone who dares to challenge them.

They have already arrested her husband, Jimmy, and more than 100 other pro-democracy activists. No-one knows where they are being held, or what will happen to them ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7006506.stm