Police trap student protesters in monastery for 'harming peace'

Myanmar riot police have 'trapped' hundreds of students inside a monastery as the government to end their months-long protests.

The students are protesting a new education reform law passed at the close of 2014 and had spent over a week at Aung Myae Baikman monastery in Letpadan town.

According to the VOA, the students held successful talks with the government in February.

Things took a new turn on Monday as policemen blocked them inside the monastery to prevent them from continuing their march to Yangon, Myanmar’s former capital present capital of the country's Yangon Region, which is about 130 kilometres away.

One of the activists who spoke to The News on condition of anonymity said all exits to the monastery have been closed.

“Our students are inside the monastery and all the exits and entrances have been closed. The tension has grown since this morning,” he said.

A student leader who spoke to VOA's Burmese service, , confirmed the blockade.

"Now, they have surrounded the monastery with police trucks, fire trucks and so on. And they do not allow [us] to leave anymore,” he said."

More than 1000 students began marching from Mandalay in January.

Different student organisations have held rallies in order to force a rethink of the controversial education bill.

The students say the bill is undemocratic, calling for a number of changes, including the decentralisation of the education system, enabling students to form unions and teaching in ethnic minority languages.

The government released a statement in which it said the students' march can harm the country's peace but added that it will only take lawful actions against the students.

"According to the announcement of the Ministry of Home Affairs, if the students head towards Yangon and protest, it would not be like an effort to amend the education law but be like harming the peace and stability of the country.

"Moreover, it is said that action against the students will be taken in accordance to the law.”

gathered that the government had earlier to make changes to the education law and asked the students to stop their march while the parliament considers the changes.