Activists threaten unrest over gas prices

A group of activists, including Ko Htin Kyaw, released a formal statement today warning the government to reduce gas prices by August 22 or face widespread public protests.

The group’s statement said that the gas price rises would push thousands of people over the poverty threshold, leaving them nothing to lose in the fight against the military’s policies.

“The State Peace and Development Council know that the people of Burma are already struggling to feed themselves on a daily basis. The gas price hikes are going to cause many people to starve,” the statement said.

“Rather than sitting in our houses waiting to die from starvation, we will go out and face death on the street. The government has treated us inhumanely and we will express our bitterness by staging peaceful, nonviolent protests and sacrificing our lives,” the activists said.

Ko Htin Kyaw and a number of other activists were arrested on April 22 after staging a protest against high commodity prices outside Thingangyun township’s San Pya market. They were held in police detention without charge for more than two months before being released in late July.

“We are going back out onto the street to protest in a non-violent way and show the world that Burmese people are polite, honest and starving,” the group’s statement said.

“We will stop the protests as soon as the government withdraws their decision to increase the gas prices.”