YANGON, Aug 27: About 50 pro-democracy activists were arrested on Monday outside Yangon, as the Myanmar junta clamped down on dissent following a series of protests last week against a sharp hike in fuel prices.

The protest was the latest in a series of bold demonstrations against the military, which for 45 years has ruled this impoverished country with an iron fist and kept a tight lid on dissent.

The activists marched in silence from a market in Bago, a town about 75 kilometres northeast of Yangon, as people on the sidewalks applauded, witnesses told newsmen by telephone.

After about 30 minutes, the entire group was arrested and taken to local authorities for questioning, witnesses said.

The activists were all released after two hours, partly because a crowd of about 100 bystanders had followed them to make sure the authorities would not mistreat them, according to Kyaw Win, one of the protest leaders.—AFP