Burma's universities and colleges were closed indefinitely following the detention by military authorities of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi two days ago, university sources said today.
The move has not been officially announced, but one senior faculty member said that lecturers had been told by authorities at a meeting today to close universities for an indefinite period.
No reason was given for the closures, the faculty member said.
"It will not be announced officially, but university authorities will verbally inform students tomorrow," a lecturer said.
Burma's universities and colleges had been scheduled to begin a new semester tomorrow.
It was not immediately known whether the closures were related to an ongoing crackdown on opposition leader Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party.
The junta said yesterday that it had placed Suu Kyi and 19 members of her party into "protective custody" after a clash between her supporters and thousands of pro-government protesters in northern Burma. Four people were killed and 50 injured in the violence.
Since the current military regime took power in 1988, universities and colleges have been closed intermittently.
All universities and colleges were reopened in mid-2000 after nearly 3-and-a-half years of closure following student demonstrations in December 1996.
Britain today called for the immediate release of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of her party who are being detained under "protective custody" by the Rangoon regime.
Foreign Office minister Mike O'Brien said: "I am disturbed by the reports of violence between supporters of the National League for Democracy and opposing groups and extend my deepest sympathies to those injured and the families of those killed.
"Over the past few weeks I have been alarmed by persistent, credible reports that the Union Solidarity Development Association (USDA), and other groups supported by the military regime, have been inciting local people into protests against the NLD. It is not the first time such pseudo-protesters have threatened violence against Daw Suu Kyi's party.
AP / PA