Update: Myanmar Dissidents Claim 6,000 Arrests; Military Says 500

October 5, 2007 5:17 p.m. EST

Yangon, Myanmar (AHN) - The military regime in Myanmar admitted Friday to detaining over 500 Buddhist monks during last weeks crackdown on a series of pro-democracy demonstrations, adding that they are still on the hunt for an additional four who they believe to have led the massive protests.

The Associated press quoted a government spokesperson as claiming that state forces searched 18 monasteries and detained 500 monks, along with nearly 200 lay disciples.

While it is significant that the government has acknowledged arrests, their figures differ greatly from other sources. On Thursday, state media announced approximately 2,100 arrests overall, saying that 700 of those detainees were already released.

Dissident groups, however, report an estimated 6,000 arrests, with many of those being monks.

It is still unclear how many casualties the anti-government movement suffered. State authorities report ten people killed during the clampdown, while organizers say the number was closer to 200.