Myanmar Junta Says 78 More Arrested as Crackdown Shows No Sign of easing

A relentless crackdown on Myanmar's pro-democracy activists showed no sign of easing with the junta announcing Sunday that 78 more people have been detained in spite of global outrage and new sanctions.

The latest arrests, reported by the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper, brought to nearly 1,000 the number of people the military regime acknowledges holding in detention centers. In addition, it says 135 Buddhist monks remain in custody.

But dissident groups and foreign governments say more than 6,000 people have been locked up after last month's protests, the biggest in nearly two decades against 45 years of brutal military rule.

Soldiers opened fire on demonstrators, who were led by monks, on Sept. 26 and 27, bringing to an abrupt end all resistance. The government says 10 people, including a Japanese photographer, were killed in the violence.

However, other independent sources including foreign governments say the toll is likely to run into the hundreds. (***)
Sumber: The Jakarta Post, October 07, 2007