Witnesses reported a 60th person was shot and killed as soldiers halted looting at a market in the city. One witness reported an exchange of gunfire in downtown Rangoon on Tuesday evening, but details could not be confirmed because of the 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew imposed by Saw Maung. Sporadic clashes were reported in Mandalay in central Burma but no details were available. Telephone communications were out after the Communications Department's microwave dish was damaged by a rocket in the morning. One opposition leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said street protests had been called off to avoid further bloodshed. Three key opposition leaders issued a statement Tuesday condemning the military crackdown, saying: ``Such suppression by force of arms will not stop the people's just demand for democracy.'' The statement was issued by former Brig. Gen. Aung Gyi, former Defense Minister Tin Oo and Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of Burma's late independence leader. They demanded talks with Saw Maung ``to seek ways to correctly solve the current crisis.'' The statement also rebuffed offers from the country's myriad ethnic insurgents to support the pro-democracy uprising and told authorities to stop spreading rumors that the rebels had infiltrated the mass demonstrations, which have included millions of Buddhist monks, students and striking civil servants. The top Buddhist monks' group also issued a statement Tuesday seeking a dialogue between demonstrators and the new government. State-run radio announced that a deadline for striking workers to return to their jobs was extended from Sept. 26 to Oct. 3. Most government employees walked off their jobs Aug. 8 following a call for a nationwide general strike. That strike and bloody protests earlier forced a quick end to Sein Lwin's presidency, which lasted only 16 days until Aug. 12. He had replaced Ne Win, the strongman who came to power in a 1962 coup. Ne Win quit after mounting unrest over the country's moribound economy and one-party rule. Some observers believe Ne Win still controls the leadership from behind the scenes.
