YANGON, Myanmar — A year ago today, Myanmar’s police and military began a deadly crackdown on thousands of Buddhist monks protesting sharp rises in the price of food and fuel.
Now, the country’s ruling generals are steeling themselves for a reprise. Police erected checkpoints on the outskirts of Yangon, formerly Rangoon, and conducted nightly house-to-house searches for dissidents or critics of their rule — anyone who might want to commemorate the protests.
After an explosion Thursday near Sule Pagoda and city hall, the focal point of demonstrations last year, heavily armed police officers cordoned off the area, and men in green uniforms patrolled the streets carrying crowbars. A local shopkeeper said four people had been wounded in the blast.
