YANGON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar people and monks kept on staging demonstrations in the country's biggest city of Yangon Thursday afternoon, the second day after the imposition of a curfew and a ban on demonstrations in the city since Tuesday night.

    The government's security forces and riot police continued to fire warning shots to disperse the demonstrators staging protest on some main roads in central downtown areas.

    According to eyewitnesses, at least three demonstrators were shot dead with some others injured.

    Hospital sources said a Japanese citizen visiting Myanmar was also shot and later died in hospital. In connection with the case, an official of the Japanese embassy told Xinhua that they are urgently following the case for confirmation.

    In Wednesday's clashes between protesters and the government's security forces during a 10,000-strong demonstration involving Buddhist monks, students and people in central downtown area of Yangon, one protester was killed and 11 others injured, the authorities claimed.

    The injured include eight police force members and three civilians during the clashes at a traffic point of Sule Pagoda road in the heart of the city, official media said.

    There were also demonstrations on Wednesday and Thursday in Myanmar's second largest city of Mandalay under curfew as reported.

    Meanwhile, according to the state-run Radio Myanmar's afternoon broadcast, the Myanmar authorities have detained four political party leading members for interrogation into their involvement in the last series of demonstrations by Buddhist monks and people. They include members from the National League for Democracy.

    The curfew and the ban against gathering of more than five people under a criminal law's section-144, which covers almost all townships in 6-million-population Yangon and was issued by the Yangon Division General Administrative Department, have come into force since Tuesday night from 9 p.m. (local time) to 5 a.m. for a period of 60 days.

    Since Sept. 18, Buddhist monks and people have taken to the streets to stage demonstrations in Yangon and other parts of the country.

Buddhist monks march through the streets of Yangon September 24, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

China urges restraint from all parties in Myanmar

    BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday asked relevant parties in Myanmar to show restraint and properly handle the current situation.

    "As a neighbor, China is greatly concerned about the situation in Myanmar, and we hope that all parties in Myanmar show restraint and properly handle the current situation," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular press conference. Full story

Radio: 9 killed, 42 injured in demonstrations in Myanmar's biggest city

    YANGON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Eight men protesters were killed and 42 others injured by shots fired by security forces against demonstrations in Myanmar's biggest city of Yangon Thursday afternoon, the state-run Radio Myanmar confirmed in a night broadcast.

    The 42 injured include 31 security forces and 11 protesters -- 10 men and one woman. Full story

Official: one Japanese shot dead in demonstration in Myanmar

    YANGON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- One Japanese man was shot to death among crowds during a demonstration in Myanmar's biggest city of Yangon when security forces fired shots on demonstrators Thursday afternoon, the state-run Radio Myanmar confirmed in a night broadcast.  Full story