The junta, in its mouthpiece, The New Light of Myanmar, said that the recent raids on monasteries had turned up guns, knives and ammunition, though it was not yet clear to whom they belonged.

“Monks must adhere to the laws of God and the government,” the paper wrote.

“If they violate those laws, action could be taken against them.”

Fresh crackdown
The crackdown on pro-democracy activists on Sunday showed no sign of easing with the junta announcing that 78 more people have been detained in spite of global outrage and new sanctions.

The latest arrests, reported by The New Light of Myanmar, brought to nearly 1,000 the number of people the military regime acknowledges holding in detention centres.

In addition, it says 135 Buddhist monks remain in custody. But dissident groups and foreign governments say more than 6,000 people have been locked up after last month’s protests, the biggest in nearly two decades against 45 years of brutal military rule.

Meanwhile, security eased Yangon more than a week after soldiers and police opened fire on demonstrators peacefully seeking an end to the dictatorship.

Some roadblocks were removed and visitors began trickling back to the heavily guarded Shwedagon and Sule pagodas.