The pro-democracy protests in Myanmar have taken on an the air of a cat and mouse game. They appear out of nowhere, explode into chanting and banner waving then, as the troops move in, they vanish.
The demonstration began on a street corner just south of Yangon's main Sule Paya Road. Pedestrians gathered, pretending to wait for buses, or just to sit and smoke and chat. Then, suddenly, when the troops are out of sight for a moment, it begins.
A skinny male student, no more than 20 years old, dressed in a red longyi, white shirt and scarlet headband, steps into the empty road, raises his arms and begins screaming: 'Free Burma! Bring in the UN! Free Aung San Suu Kyi.'
Two or three more students join him. And suddenly, everyone steps into the middle of the road. Many are wearing blue surgical masks to hide their identities and protect against tear gas.
In a less then a minute, where there had been a dozy, empty street, there are now almost 200 people shouting and chanting.
We begin to march down the street and are joined by another group of protesters. Soon our number has trebled.
