It's the bloodiest day of clashes since military leaders ceased power four weeks ago.

Elections in November saw the ruling party, the National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi, win a comfortable victory that threatened the military's hold on power.

On February, the first generals carried out a military coup.

Since then, protests have built leading to an increasingly violent crackdown by security forces are Southeast Asia.

Correspondent Jonathan Head has sent this report and it contains some graphic images.

This was the day Myanmar's army set out to impose its will on a furious population, whatever the cost, not just tear gas but live rounds to or restraint now abandoned a month after the coup, public anger and defiance are still burning bright in Myanmar, fueled by the rising toll and dead and injured and by the many hundreds dragged from their homes at night.

Yeah, and still no sight of an San Souci.

The woman they voted for overwhelmingly in an election four months ago they prepared themselves with homemade shields and put up improvised barricades to try to stop the police.

It was pitifully inadequate for what they were about to face.

I understand.

In Yangon, the police pushed forward in clouds of tear gas, but they were shooting as well.

This was new neon tech nine, an engineer and a protester struck by a bullet and carried off through the gunshots for treatment.

He did not survive the southern town of Dawei, too.

Terrified women watched as police, commanded by an army officer, advanced on the protesters, calmly shooting directly into the crowd.

Yeah, At one barricade, a man shouts for people not to run.

There are three shots.

Some are clearly hit and then dragged away.

These were some of the worst clashes of the day.

The ambulance is kept up, a constant relay to and from the hospitals which were filled with the injured and the dead.

These are scenes from Myanmar's traumatic past that it's people had hoped were behind them.