As the protests led by monks continue to grow, fears are growing amongst all watching that the junta will react violently, a situation which must not be allowed to happen.

Below is an article published by BBC News:

Thousands of monks and civilians are marching through Burma's former capital in what appears to be the biggest anti-government protest so far.

Eyewitnesses said the number of people demonstrating on Monday 24 September 2007 was as high as 30,000.

It follows Sunday's [23 September 2007] march in Rangoon by 20,000 monks and nuns, in what was the largest protest for almost 20 years.

Events are now moving unpredictably, analysts say. So far the ruling generals are showing unusual restraint.

Monks are revered in Burma and any action against them by the military government would spark an outcry.

But there are fears of a repeat of 1988, when the last democracy uprising was crushed by the military and some 3,000 people were killed, correspondents say.

The British ambassador in Rangoon, Mark Canning, said Burma's leaders were now in uncharted territory.

"Firstly, the demonstrations could subside - I mean, that's looking less and less likely by the day," he told the BBC.

"Secondly, that we could see some sort of counter-reaction, which I've said would be a disaster, although in terms of probability it, I'm afraid, ranks quite high."

Two well-known actors, comedian Zargana and film star Kyaw Thu, went to Rangoon's golden Shwedagon Pagoda early on Monday [24 September 2007] to offer food and water to the monks before they started their march.

Some of the monks were carrying placards calling for better living conditions and national reconciliation, witnesses said.

On Saturday [22 September 2007], monks marched to greet pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest, but access to her home was barred on Sunday [23 September 2007], and again on Monday [24 September 2007].

The organisation that has emerged to lead the protests, the Alliance of All Burmese Buddhist Monks, urged people in the country to join Monday's [24 September 2007] protests.

In a statement on Friday [21 September 2007], the monks' group vowed to continue the marches until they had "wiped the military dictatorship from the land".

This will be the eighth straight day of action by the monks. The protests were triggered by the government's decision to double the price of fuel last month [August 2007], hitting people hard in the impoverished nation.

Pro-democracy activists led the initial demonstrations against the move, but dozens of them have been arrested.

Monks then joined the movement after troops used force to break up a peaceful rally in the town of Pakokku on 5 September [2007].

Speaking on the sidelines of a UN meeting, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said America was watching the situation "very carefully" and denounced Burma's "brutal regime".

"The Burmese people deserve better. They deserve the right to be able to live in freedom, just as everyone does," she said.