In Burma, thousands of military troops have taken over downtown Rangoon as the military junta intensifies its effort to crush a wave of pro-democracy protests. Over the weekend, Burma’s military leaders locked down Buddhist monasteries, arrested dissidents and set up barricades across the country. The Wall Street Journal reports at least 700 monks and 500 other people have been arrested. Dissident groups say they fear hundreds of protesters have been killed over the past week. The military junta is attempting to control all information coming out of the country. The government has reportedly ordered the closure of several privately owned newspapers that refused to print government propaganda. Burma’s only Internet server has been shut down, and the government is blocking all text and picture messaging on mobile phones. British Ambassador Mark Canning is in Rangoon and says the military has for the moment squeezed the protests off the streets.