Monks have been protesting in Burma, adding to the rare public defiance seen in recent weeks. The BBC's Andrew Harding has just returned from the country and explains why the monks' involvement will make the military government nervous.
...What no-one knows yet is how much of a threat the monks now pose to a military government which has held power in Burma since 1962.
Could this be the start of what a United Nations official here, speaking on condition of anonymity, described as "a perfect storm" or will it simply fizzle out in the months ahead?
"The monks have the potential to add an exponential factor," said the UN official.
Burma's military rulers want to avoid confrontation with the clergy"We are looking at the emergence of trends that could make this impossible for [the generals] to handle. It's got the makings of a major disaster."
"It is an unstable time," agreed the veteran democracy activist U Win Naing.
"Unless the government is willing to compromise... then there could be chaos. So far the government has done nothing to ease the situation. All they do is try to oppress protests... rather than come up with solutions to solve problems for the poor."
Much now depends on how the military handles these protests - how much tact the generals can muster.
"Are we seeing just a blip," asked the UN official, "or will this force the authorities to define a hardline stance?"
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