Monks made a three hour march in central Rangoon.

Large numbers of monks have also held protests in at least five other towns and cities across the country, including the former capital Rangoon.

They are demanding a government apology for the violent break-up of a recent rally against a sudden fuel price rise.

Rangoon march

	Hundreds of people gathered around the monks at Bo-ta-htaung pagoda, Rangoon.

Monks made three hour march in central Rangoon. It was the first of its kind in nearly two decades in Burma.

They went to Shwedagon pagoda but it was sealed off by authorities. Then they carried on to Sule pagoda but they were barred by authorities.

Finally, the monks marched to Bo-ta-htaung pagoda where they chanted religious rites which allow them to boycottt the military government and its supporters.

Unlike earlier protests, the authorities and military supporters did not intervene.

Young monks led the protests

A new group that draws on militant youth elements in the clergy, the Alliance of All Burmese Buddhist Monks, appears to be co-ordinating the monks' protests.

It has asked its followers across the country to refuse alms and offerings from anyone connected to the military.

The monks' actions are deeply embarrassing to Burma's military rulers but present them with a difficult dilemma, according to the BBC's South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head.

Monks are highly respected figures in Burmese society, and treating protesting monks in the same way they might treat dissidents and ordinary citizens risks provoking huge public anger, he adds.

The monks had given the government a deadline of Monday night to apologise for its actions during an earlier rally in the city of Pakokku, when soldiers and state-backed militia reportedly beat up several monks.