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US strengthens sanctions on Burma UN envoy heading for Burma talks
(1 day later)
The US has banned dozens of members of Burma's military government from obtaining US travel visas because of ongoing violence against protesters. A UN special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, is due in Burma within hours for urgent talks on ending the military junta's crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
A state department spokesman said more officials would be added to the list if they were judged responsible for human rights abuses. The streets of Rangoon were quiet on Saturday following three days of violence against the protesters.
Reports from Burma say military may have succeeded in limiting the scale of the protests in the main city, Rangoon. Internet links, which the government cut to stem the flow of information about the protests, are reported to be working intermittently.
A UN special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, will arrive in Burma on Saturday. State newspapers declared peace and stability had been restored.
The White House said Mr Gambari should be allowed to meet "anyone he wants to meet", including military and religious leaders and opposition figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi. Mr Gambari is expected to urge a peaceful end to confrontation with pro-democracy activists.
News of the ongoing protests and government fightback in Burma slowed on Friday as the regime appeared to cut off internet and mobile phone communications into and out of the country. He will arrive in Rangoon at 1520 local time (0850 GMT) before flying straight on to Burma's new capital Naypyidaw, a diplomatic source told Reuters news agency. They don't want the UN envoy to see the truth of the demonstrations in Burma Rangoon resident class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7011884.stm">Accounts from Burma class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=7488&edition=1">Send us your comments class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7017546.stm">Global protests in pictures
The BBC's South East Asia correspondent, Jonathan Head, says Burma's rulers have turned their backs on the world and the torrent of outrage their actions have provoked. "He's the best hope we have. He is trusted on both sides," said Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo.
The first opportunity to communicate that outrage will be when Mr Gambari arrives in the country to persuade the generals to put a stop to the crackdown, he adds. It was not clear which members of the government he would be allowed to meet, though the White House said he should be allowed to meet "anyone he wants to meet", including opposition figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi.
Human rights abuses Streets quiet
In a statement, the US state department said more than three dozen military and government officials - and their families - would now be ineligible to receive US visas. The BBC's Chris Hogg, in Bangkok, says Burma's international internet links were restored on Saturday, indicating the junta was now satisfied it had the protests under control.
People seem to be determined to continue, despite the bullets, beatings and killings. I hear right now that shooting is still going on near our office Rangoon resident class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7011884.stm">Accounts from Burma class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=7488&edition=1">Send us your comments class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7017546.stm">Global protests in pictures Soldiers and police were stationed on almost every corner and shopping centres and parks were closed, with only a few people on the streets, the Associated Press reported.
On Thursday the US Treasury said would freeze any US assets belonging to 14 Burmese government and military officials. "I don't think that we have any more hope to win," one young woman said. "The monks are the ones who give us courage." href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/asia_pac_enl_1190988726/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/asia_pac_enl_1190988726/html/1.stm', '1190989184', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=416,height=578,left=312,top=100'); return false;">Religious sites sealed off by troops in Rangoon href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/asia_pac_enl_1190988726/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/asia_pac_enl_1190988726/html/1.stm', '1190989184', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=416,height=578,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >Enlarge Image
The new measures mark the latest tightening of a 10-year-old sanctions regime. Police surrounded five monasteries on Friday to prevent Buddhist monks - who have been spearheading the demonstrations - from taking to the streets.
Despite the lack of information due to the internet clampdown, eyewitnesses managed to contact the BBC on Friday to say that the government was sending bus-loads of vigilantes into the main city to attack the demonstrators.
They said a temporary prison had been set up at an old race course for the hundreds, possibly thousands, of people detained in recent days.
International response
Overnight, the US said it would ban dozens of members of Burma's military government from obtaining American travel visas.
That followed the US Treasury saying it would freeze any US assets belonging to 14 Burmese government and military officials.
What next for the regime? Junta tightens media screw Where world players stand The new measures mark the latest tightening of a 10-year-old sanctions regime, which analysts says has not worked.
Meanwhile, Japan has said it will review its aid programmes after a Japanese journalist was shot dead during the demonstrations in Rangoon.Meanwhile, Japan has said it will review its aid programmes after a Japanese journalist was shot dead during the demonstrations in Rangoon.
Video footage of Kenji Nagai apparently being shot by a Burmese soldier was broadcast around the world on Friday.Video footage of Kenji Nagai apparently being shot by a Burmese soldier was broadcast around the world on Friday.
Warning shots Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win apologised to his Japanese counterpart over the incident, according to Japan's news agency Kyodo.
The violent suppression of anti-government protesters continued for a third day on Friday, with soldiers and police baton-charging crowds who tried to stage marches. "Demonstrations are beginning to calm down, and we would also like to exercise restraint," he was quoted as saying.
The security presence in the main city was the heaviest yet seen, with all the main roads into central Rangoon blocked. On Saturday, the state-run New Light of Myanmar said "the security forces handled the situation with care using the least force".
class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7017162.stm">What next for the regime? class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7016238.stm">Junta tightens media screw class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7018285.stm">Where world players stand But a witness told the BBC that a number of people were killed in Friday's violence.
Troops sealed off the key religious sites in Rangoon, including the Shwedagon and Sule pagodas - the focal points of some of the larger protests earlier in the week. Burmese officials said nine people were killed on Thursday, but the UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said he believed the loss of life in Burma had been "far greater".
Police also surrounded five monasteries to prevent Buddhist monks - who have been spearheading the demonstrations - from taking to the streets.
A witness told the BBC that a number of people were killed in Friday's violence. Burmese officials said nine people were killed on Thursday.
Later, the UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said he believed the loss of life in Burma had been "far greater" than that reported by the authorities.
Mr Brown said he hoped the combined international pressure from the US, China, the EU and UN would "begin to make the regime see this cannot continue".
Internet severed
Information from Burma has become increasingly patchy. Internet access has been cut in Rangoon and is only partially available elsewhere.
Religious sites sealed off by troops in RangoonEnlarge Image
Burmese sources told the BBC that international mobile phone signals have been interrupted and soldiers are searching people for cameras and mobile phones.
Dissidents have been using the internet to get pictures and video of the protests and the military crackdown to international news outlets - who then fed them back into Burma via the internet and satellite TV.
But eyewitnesses managed to contact the BBC on Friday to say that the government was sending bus-loads of vigilantes into the main city to attack the demonstrators.
They said a temporary prison had been set up at an old race course for the hundreds, possibly thousands, of people detained in recent days.
The atmosphere was described as extremely tense, with a palpable sense of fear on the streets.
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