Many Buddhist monks participated, particularly those of the All Burma Monks’ Alliance (ABMA). These monks were persecuted by Burmese military during their crackdown on the protesters, many monks were killed. During the chaos that ensued during the protests, Buddhist monks were at the forefront of the attempt to establish some sort of order in the towns and cities of Burma (before the military re-established control in 1989). Many organized day to day affairs like trash collecting, directing traffic and even policing.