Is the Burmese crackdown working?

Last Modified: 28 Sep 2007
By: James Blake

There have been more gunfire and smaller crowds on the streets of Rangoon - has the Burma military crackdown quelled the protests?

It has been a morning of relative calm on the streets of Yangon this morning. There were reports of a thousand protesters on the march - but no more. Perhaps the army's violent crackdown - succeed its aim yesterday.

Burmese state TV this morning said the protesters had tried to steal guns from the security officers. They confirmed nine people were killed and ten injured. There was also a warning against listening to BBC or American radio.

This morning - one protest group released moving images of the moment a Japanese cameraman, Kenji Nagai, was shot dead yesterday. Channel 4 News won't broadcast it all. But there are a number of gun shot that can be heard, and two soldiers are seen close to the man.

This morning - there were ceremonies and protests in his name. Reports also coming in that - some Burmese army officers are now refusing to fire on the crowds. Overnight at the United Nations, the Foreign Secretary David Miliband asked world leaders to support the monks in Burma.

If the monks in Yangon have been largely silenced by the army, then around the world protests have intensified against the regime - and it's allies. In Malaysia - demonstrators faced riot police as they marched on the Chinese and Russian embassies.

In Australia - the crowds scuffled with the police. Now the world waits to see how the Burmese police react to their protests today.