Brightly-patterned hot air balloons and fireworks light up the night sky as the much-loved Tazaungdaing festival returns Myanmar's Taunggyi city after a three-year hiatus. But crowds are staying away from the military-backed event as violent clashes swell across the country. "Many more people should be here. This festival used to be very crowded in the past," says Nu Nu Sein, a Taunggyi resident. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES