Buddhist monks defied the harsh weather and Myanmar’s military junta on Friday and staged another protest march on the streets of Yangon.

Approximately 500 saffron-robed monks marched through the former capital of Myanmar for the fourth consecutive day. The barefooted monks protest against the military dictatorship since Tuesday and not even the torrential rains weren’t able to break up their demonstration, as they continued their peaceful march and chanted prayers.

Few people joined their protest, mostly because of the unfriendly weather and fear of reprisals. The government is known for cracking down on protest actions and using excessive violence to crush demonstrators into submission.

The protests emerged last month after the government decided to double fuel prices, sparking a rarely-seen public discontent. The economy is ailing and inflation skyrocketed over the past two years, most people struggling to purchase bare necessities.

Inflation and public anger rose hand in hand and political activists were the first to express their discontent publicly, initiating protest marches on August 19. Slowly, their outburst was quelled and the monks took center stage on September 5 in Pakokku.

More than 100 protesters were initially arrested in Yangon, but the repeated abuses did not prevent the monks from protesting against the fuel price hikes and abusive arrests.

Government gangs attacked the monks, but those reprehensible actions triggered a huge wave of demonstrations across the country. Monks staged marches in several other major cities last week and the protests continued in Yangon since Tuesday.

The monks are highly respected in Myanmar and that is why authorities refrain from cracking down on them, but the repeated protests are likely to spread and snowball into another uprising.

Nearly two decades ago monks joined students in demonstrations against the regime, which quickly turned into riots after government troops tried to quell the uprising. The protests ended in a bloodbath, army troops killing nearly 3,000 people on September 8, 1988.

Like now, the 1988 protests were sparked by low living standards and plummeting economy, along with the tight rules imposed by the military. The international community heavily criticized the junta for refusing to make the step towards democracy and continues to violate human rights.

Several opponents of the regime have been arrested and imprisoned, while others are under house arrest. Prominent pro-democracy activist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest since May 2003, despite criticism coming from Myanmar’s neighbours and Western nations.