50 arrested after new protest in Myanmar

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YANGON, Aug 27 (AFP): About 50 pro-democracy activists were briefly arrested Monday outside Yangon, as the Myanmar junta clamped down on dissent following a series of protests last week against a sharp hike in fuel prices.
The protest was the latest in a series of bold demonstrations against the military, which for 45 years has ruled this impoverished country with an iron fist and kept a tight lid on any dissent.
The activists marched in silence from a market in Bago, a town about 75 kilometres (45 miles) northeast of Yangon, witnesses told AFP by telephone.
They did not chant slogans or wave banners, but people on the sidewalks clapped as they walked by. After about 30 minutes, the entire group was arrested and taken to local authorities for questioning, witnesses said.