Statue protest turns bloody

Tense face-off: Police blocking protesters during the demonstration in Loikaw. — AFP

YANGON: Police fired rubber bullets into a crowd of several thousand demonstrators in eastern Myanmar, activists said, as protests mount over a new and controversial statue.

The bronze structure depicts the father of de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi – Aung San – on horseback and was unveiled early this month in the capital of Kayah state despite strong opposition.