Buddhist nuns have joined some 20-thousands Buddhist monks and anti-government demonstrators in Burma to protest against the country's military government.
Marching in the rain Sunday, the demonstrators tried to reach the house of detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a sixth consecutive day of protests, but police prevented them from doing so.
Monks reached her home Saturday, leading to the democracy leader's first public appearance since 2003.
Sunday's march was the largest anti-government protest since the 1988 military crackdown, in which hundreds of people were killed and thousands injured. Many others were forced to flee to jungle border areas near Thailand.
In New York, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice denounced Burma's military government as brutal and said Washington is closely monitoring the situation.
Opposition activists started the anti-government demonstrations in mid-August after military leaders doubled the price of fuel. After police arrested at least 50 activists, the monks took the lead in the demonstrations.
Monks are highly regarded in the devoutly Buddhist country and are credited with helping rally popular support for a 1988 mass protest against the government. Government security forces ended those demonstrations with deadly force.
