Myanmar cuts Internet, troops fire at crowds

Military also occupies monasteries in bid to crush mass protests

YANGON, Myanmar - Soldiers clubbed and dragged away activists while firing tear gas and warning shots to break up demonstrations Friday before they could grow, and the government cut Internet access, raising fears that a deadly crackdown was set to intensify.

Troops also occupied Buddhist monasteries in a bid to clear the streets of Myanmar’s revered monks, who have spearheaded the demonstrations.

The government suspended the services of the two Internet service providers, BaganNet and Myanmar Post and Telecom, but big companies and embassies hooked up to the Web by satellite remained online. The Internet has played a crucial role in getting news and images of the pro-democracy protests to the outside world in the past month.

FULL STORY:
www.msnbc.msn.com...

Ongoing discussions here and here


please add to the preceding threads, thanks

closing

[edit on 28/9/07 by masqua]