Human rights groups harshly criticised the Burmese government for not releasing the protesters arrested for peacefully demonstrating against increasing prices and deteriorating economic conditions immediately.
“The government’s strategy of arbitrarily arresting its critics re-establishes the severe hardship the people of Burma are going through,” said Arvind Ganesan, director of the Business and Human Rights Program at Human Rights Watch.
On August 15, the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) hiked the price of fuel by as much as 500 percent. In response, several hundred people took part in peaceful demonstrations in Rangoon against the move.
The government arrested several organizers and participants of the August 19 protests, including some of the government’s most prominent enemies.
According to the Human rights groups, under Burma’s authoritarian rule the exercise of basic rights like those, that the right to protest regularly deny and large protests rarely occur. On August 19, an estimated 500 people gathered for a silent march to protest the fuel price increase in Rangoon.
Also on August 21, three members of Myanmar Development Committee (MDC), a group that called for nationwide protest the next day, arrested, including MDC leader Ko Htin Kyaw. On February 22, the government arrested nine protesters who participated in a peaceful demonstration against poor economic conditions and worsening living standards. More protests and arrests took place between late February and April.
The August 15 price hike was sudden and unannounced. Vehicle owners caught off-guard when prices for diesel fuel doubled and gasoline prices increased by 67 percent overnight. A previous major fuel price increase in October 2005 also led to skyrocketing prices.
“Burma’s military rulers run the country – and the economy – without any regard for human rights,” said Ganesan.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that he is following events in Myanmar closely and with concern following reports of arrests of student leaders and others by the authorities in the South-East Asian nation.
The Secretary-General also called for positive discussions, which would lead towards national settlement at this important time in Myanmar’s history.
Asian Human Rights Commission urged the Secretary-General to do something serious to solve this problem other than following events closely. They requested the Secretary-General to organize a special meeting immediately with his special envoy on Myanmar to assess the current situation and propose specific responses and strategies.
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