Perhaps the only people in the country formerly known as Burma that can get away with public protest are standing up to to the military junta with public protests. They are not completely untouchable - they have had issues with the security forces - but they are about as untouchable as it gets in the country. I recall being horrified a few years back when I saw photos of the Buddhist monks together with the junta leaders in the annual festival on Inle Lake, raising the question of their coziness with the brutal regime though that relationship appears to be frayed and deteriorating.
The Yangon march and rallies in other cities Wednesday were to protest hardship brought on by the government's economic policies, especially a sudden, major hike in fuel prices last month that first sparked the persistent demonstrations — first by pro-democracy activists and now primarily by monks.
In the central city of Mandalay, more than 1,000 monks marched, while about 100 others in dark saffron robes staged a peaceful march in the western Yangon suburb of Ahlone.
More than 100 Buddhist monks from some monasteries in South Okkalapa township in Yangon's northern suburbs also marched early Wednesday, later returning to their monasteries without incident.
"The monks are telling the public not to take part in the protests. They told onlookers that this is the monks' affair and that they would handle it themselves," a witness contacted by phone in Ahlone told The Associated Press. The person asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals.
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