Burmese security forces cracked down on protesters occupying a copper mine early today, using water cannons and other devices to break up the rally hours before opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was expected to hear their grievances.

Buddhist monks spearheading Burma's biggest anti-government marches in nearly two decades defied orders from the military junta to stay out of politics and relaunched their protests in the country's two biggest cities today.

Buddhist nuns swelled the forces of anti-government protesters in Burma as up to 20,000 people took to the streets.