BURMA: Fresh protests in wake of fuel price rises
Updated
In Burma, there have been a series of anti-government protests in the past week. On Monday more than 50 people were detained for questioning at a small protest in the town of Bago outside the capital Rangoon. More than a dozen high-profile activists, including Min Kon Naing and Htin Kyaw are already in prison, and could face charges of treason and inciting violence. The unrest began after sharp rise in the price of petrol.
Presenter: Bo Hill
Speakers: Burmese journalist Aung Zaw, editor of the Thailand-based Irrawaddy News
ZAW: It was very brave, and it was unimaginable that people would take to the streets, but it's not about the fuel prices. I think it's more to do with the politics, it's more to do with the fight for democracy, the fight for freedom, the fight for justice. If you look at the protester, and they were holding the detained democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi pictures and Aung San, her father, and they have nothing to do with the fuel price increases. Also protested, gave a political speech and complained about repression. It was not about fuel price. It is about people are looking for spark, people are looking for political reason to take to the streets.
HILL: So who is protesting and if it is pro-democracy people, is that the way somebody like Htin Kyaw has been able to organise this? Is it through an established network that is already able to speak to each other quite easily?
ZAW: Well, it's not easy. It is very difficult to establish contact with each other, but at the same time, if movement is trying to connect to each other and communicate and come out to the streets, that is quite amazing to a lot of people, because before last week people would not think of such a large demonstration would take place in military-ruled Burma.
HILL: So what has changed? The banking sector collapsed a couple of years ago, but nobody came out on the streets then. What has changed that people are a little less fearless about openly protesting?
ZAW: They have been looking for the opportunity to show that their defiance and taking the risk, a very high risk. It's reached a boiling point and Burma remains as a political time bomb that could easily ignite. As far as I understand, I spoke to a lot of people in Burma since last week. They were saying that a lot of people, onlooker, bystander, they are looking at it, but they were very, very, very angry, they were very agitated. They were really frustrated and they know that it reaching a boiling point.
HILL: Do you think the protest may continue?
ZAW: Well, it's likely to continue if say a more brutal nature was seen on the streets and I think a lot of bystander will become participants. They just looking for a bit more of a spark. So despite the leaders being apprehended and disappear from public. I think a lot of Buddhist monks and students are still willing to take to the streets.
