Activists say at least 50 people were injured in protest which has become test of Burma’s commitment to democratic reforms Riot police in Burma used incendiary phosphorus shells along with teargas and water cannon in an overnight operation to disperse thousands of villagers protesting against a vast copper mining project in the northwest of the country, activists claimed on Thursday. After decades of repressive military rule, the demonstrations at the Monywa mine, run by the military and a subsidiary of a Chinese arms manufacturer, have become a test of the country’s commitment to reform, as protesters explore new-found freedoms, including a relaxation of laws on protests that took effect in July.

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