Myanmar’s military junta issued its first warning today after a month of widening antigovernment demonstrations, saying it was prepared to crack down on the Buddhist monks who are at the heart of the protests. Speaking on state television, religious affairs minister Brig. Gen. Thura Myint Maung told senior Buddhist clerics to rein in the tens of thousands of monks who have marched through several cities in recent days or unspecified action would be taken against the monks “according to the law.” He said the protesting monks had been instigated by the junta’s domestic and foreign enemies, the same accusation that had been brought previously against members of the political opposition. Any action against the monks would be extremely risky for the government because of the reverence in which they are held in this devoutly Buddhist nation.

Seth Mydans, New York Times
Do you feel the military junta led Myanmar government will crackdown on demonstrating monks in order to preserve their grip on order despite the risk of a backlash that could arise due to extreme reverence held for the monks?