Myanmar New Year celebrations dampened by protests, boycotts

(Reuters) - Opponents of military rule in Myanmar have urged residents to boycott the country's traditional New Year celebrations, as activists and Buddhist monks defied security forces by staging small protests against last year's coup in some areas.

The country's most important holiday, known as Thingyan, runs to Saturday and is usually celebrated with prayers, ritual cleaning of Buddha images in temples and high-spirited water fights on the streets.