Three more activists were arrested in Burma Wednesday, even as the country hosts a UN human rights envoy during his five-day investigation into the suppression of September's uprising.
The UN's Paulo Sergio Pinheiro met with cabinet ministers in the junta's remote administrative jungle capital Naypyitaw.
Those arrested were handing out pamphlets at a popular produce market, according to shoppers who spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared reprisals from the government of Burma, also known as Myanmar.
"I saw at least three young men in white shirts being arrested by market security officials," a market worker told the Associated Press. The leaflets included a statement from the UN and one saying that forcing people to take part in pro-junta rallies violated the Geneva Conventions.
The incident followed earlier arrests of two prominent dissidents. Female activist Su Su Nway was arrested Tuesday as she tried to post a protest leaflet near Pinheiro's hotel. She had been on the run for more than two months.
U Gambira, leader of the All-Burma Monks Alliance, was also taken into custody.
Diplomats have said the detentions raise questions over the regime's assurances to UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari days earlier that political arrests would stop.
Gambari said that if the arrests were confirmed, "it would be extremely worrisome because what we want to do is move forward, not back."
Nevertheless, Gambari, who visited Burma last week for the second time since the September turmoil, told the UN Security Council he was making progress in nudging the junta toward meaningful dialogue with the pro-democracy opposition. He urged the Security Council to give his diplomatic effort time to succeed.
"The situation is qualitatively different from what it was a few weeks ago," he said.
Meanwhile on Wednesday, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Bernier announced a new round of sanctions against Burma.
The measures are far-reaching and include a ban on all Burmese exports and imports, and a ban on new Canadian investment in Burmese-based industry. The sanctions do not include Canadian money sent to Burma by charitable organizations.
"In Burma, there is no more room for compromise," Bernier told CBC News.
Protests crushed in September
Protesters gathered in the streets in Burma by the tens of thousands in September to demand more democratic freedom, the release of political activists and economic reforms. The impoverished country has been ruled by a military junta in one form or another since 1962.
On Sept. 24, heavily armed Burmese troops moved in on thousands of monks, students and others who had been staging daily protests in the city of Rangoon. Other soldiers raided monasteries across the country, making sweeping arrests.
The Burmese government has acknowledged 12 people were killed and nearly 2,100 arrested, with 700 later released.
But diplomats and dissident groups have said the death toll is likely much higher and up to 6,000 people were seized, including hundreds of monks who led the protests and were allegedly tortured following their detention.
With files from the Associated PressRelated
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