Hondurass de facto government sent troops on Monday to shut down two media stations loyal to ousted President Manuel Zelaya,drawing fresh condemnation of its increasingly heavy-handed rule. The early morning raids on Radio Globo and the Cholusat Sur television station both critical of the government headed by Roberto Micheletti followed a decree late on Sunday suspending some civil rights and media freedoms. The US government told Michelettis government to immediately reverse the measures. The freedoms inherent in the suspended rights are inalienable and cannot be limited or restricted without seriously damaging the democratic aspirations of the Honduran people, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said. Zelaya was forced into exile by a June 28 military coup but he returned last week and was given refuge in Brazils embassy,fueling a standoff with the civilian government that has vowed to arrest him. Soldiers and riot police have surrounded the embassy for the past week,while Zelaya urges his followers to take to the streets.
