Over a Thousand in Protests in Burma Take to Streets Over Power Cuts and Corruption

Democracy, elections, and voting at Democracy Chronicles

Several members of Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition party have been detained by Myanmar authorities after protests against crippling power cuts, officials from her National League for Democracy (NLD) said Tuesday. Around 1,500 people joined a rally in the country’s second-largest city of Mandalay late

Protests in Burma from the BBC:

Look at what triggered the biggest protests in Burma since a popular uprising in 1988, and what it might mean for the future of the military-run country. On 15 August the government decided to increase the price of fuel. Both petrol and diesel doubled in price, while the cost of compressed gas – used to power buses – increased five-fold.

The hikes hit Burma’s people hard, forcing up the price of public transport and triggering a knock-on effect for staples such as rice and cooking oil.

Pro-democracy activists led the initial demonstrations in Burma’s main city, Rangoon. When about 400 people marched on 19 August, it was the largest demonstration in the military-ruled nation for several years. The authorities moved swiftly to quell the protests, rapidly arresting dozens of activists. Nonetheless, protests continued around the country. Numbers were small, but demonstrations were held in Rangoon, Sittwe and other towns.