Myanmar junta extends curfew in north Yangon

YANGON, Sep 28 (Reuters) Myanmar's military junta extended a night-time curfew today in a restive district of north Yangon where eight people were reported killed by soldiers in protests a day earlier.

Witnesses said crowds of protesters were gathering in South Okkalapa district despite the presence of troops and riot police and broadcasts from loudspeaker trucks announced a curfew from 6 pm to 6 am.

The whole of Yangon and Mandalay, the former Burma's second city, were placed under a 9 pm to 5 am curfews on Tuesday in a bid to quell the biggest anti-junta protests in nearly 20 years.

The Asia Human Rights Commission said eight people were shot dead in the Okkalapa area during a crackdown yesterday on thousands of people protesting against 45 years of military and intensifying economic hardship. Citing a source in the city, the Hong Kong-based group said bodies of the victims were taken to houses in the neighbourhood but security forces searched the area and took them away.

REUTERS SS AS1515