Canberra and Melbounre, Australia

[maye@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

"9999 Action in Canberra and Melbourne"
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[ABC News.com, 9.9.99]

CANBERRA, Sept 9 (Reuters) - About 100 protesters broke into  the Myanmar
embassy in Australia on Thursday after smashing  fences and overpowering
police.
Australian Federal Police spokesman Daryl Webb told Reuters  the protesters
overwhelmed around 15 police officers and smashed  fences to get inside the
compound where they burned a Burmese  flag and tried to tear down the
embassy flagpole.

The protesters were later cleared from the embassy compound  but began a
sit-on outside the building.

The protest followed a worldwide call from exiled dissidents  for an
uprising against the military government in Yangon on  "four nines" day.
Similar protests were held in other  Australian cities.

September 9, 1999, was chosen for its numerical significance  after the
first uprising 11 years ago on August 8, 1988 in which  thousands of
pro-democracy demonstrators were killed.

A Myanmar government spokesman told Reuters that embassies  in any country
must be given protection against violent acts.

"Disciplined demonstrations are quite acceptable but  physical destruction
is a criminal offence," he said when  commenting on the storming of the
Myanmar embassy,

"I am certain that the Australian government will provide  the Myanmar
embassy in Canberra with all necessary protection,"  he added.

Webb said two protesters were arrested, one for breaching  the peace. He was
later released after agreeing not to return to  the protest. The second was
arrested for assaulting a police  officer.

"The most disturbing fact about it is that people tried to  target police.
They decided to vent their anger at police."

One police officer was injured when a clod of dirt was  thrown into his eye
and another was kicked in the groin. Several  police received minor cuts and
bruises in the skirmish, he said.

In Melbourne, about 90 people, mostly Burmese exiles with  red armbands,
chanted and sang on the steps of Victoria's state  parliament.

"We wanted to organise something public as a gesture to  express we oppose
military rule," said Lynn Shwe, one of the organisers.