Riot police officers and junta supporters in towns and cities throughout the country

On 8 August 2008 Burma's (Myanmar) military junta deployed riot police officers and junta supporters in towns and cities throughout the country to discourage protests on the 20th anniversary of the "8-8-88" pro-democracy uprising. In Yangon, the government deployed security forces near the Shwedagon pagoda, the former campus of Rangoon University and dissident Aung San Suu Kyi's home. So far, there have been few reports of protests. In the northwest town of Taunggok, police officers arrested 48 activists during a protest march. Meanwhile, the anniversary prompted anti-junta protests elsewhere in Asia. In Japan, approximately 800 protesters marched to the Myanmar Embassy in downtown Tokyo to demand the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. Demonstrations also occurred at the Chinese and Myanmar embassies in Bangkok and Manila.