Burma’s military rulers have extended a state of emergency for another six months. Monday’s announcement came just ahead of the first anniversary of the February 1 coup that deposed democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Burmese military officials have threatened to bring charges of sedition and terrorism against businesses that join a “silent strike” today to protest against the military dictatorship. Meanwhile, there were reports of scattered protests in the capital Rangoon. U.N. human rights officials report at least 1,500 people are known to have been killed in the year of protests that followed the coup.