Myanmar protesters clash with state forces

YANGON, MYANMAR:: Soldiers in Myanmar clubbed activists and fired tear gas Friday, decisively breaking up demonstrations before they could gain momentum. Troops occupied Buddhist monasteries and cut public Internet access, raising concerns a deadly crackdown was set to intensify.

The government claims 10 people have been killed since the violence began earlier this week, but diplomats say the toll is likely much higher. Dissident groups have put the number as high as 200. Witnesses said security forces aggressively broke up a rally of about 2,000 people in the largest city, Yangon, on Friday. Several people were seen being beaten and taken away in a truck. Elsewhere, riot police played cat-and-mouse with smaller groups of die-hard activists, sometimes shooting into the air.

Demonstrations involving tens of thousands of people demanding an end to 45 years of military dictatorship have grown into the stiffest challenge to Myanmar’s ruling junta in nearly two decades. The crisis began August 19 when people in the desperately poor nation started rallying against an overnight fuel price hike. It escalated dramatically after monks joined in, quickly spearheading the drive. The government seemed intent Friday on clearing the streets of the highly revered orange-robed clergymen, sealing off key monasteries and blocking nearby roads with barbed wire.