More than 150 people demonstrate in Mogok - Shah Paung

More than 150 people in Mogok in Mandalay Division held a peaceful protest on Saturday against rising commodity and fuel prices without arrests or interference by authorities, according to a leading protester.

Min Thu, a committee member of the Mogok Township National League for Democracy, told The Irrawaddy by phone the demonstration started around 11: 30 am and ended around 2 pm. The group started marching from Mogok’s Central Market with about 25 people. Later, more than 150 people joined the protest, he said.

During the demonstration, marchers shouted, “We march in peaceful protest on behalf of the people to reduce the fuel and commodity prices.”

The protest group stopped at a state-owned gas station to give a letter to the manger to send to the Ministry of Energy. Authorities from the Township State Peace and Development Council accepted the letter and asked the demonstrators to break up.

Min Thu said the letter said people are facing difficult times because of the high price of fuel and rising commodity prices. The letter called on the Ministry of Energy to reduce fuel prices to previous levels.

Min Thu urged other cities and townships to hold peaceful demonstrations. He said the authorities inspected still and video cameras which were used to make a record of the protest but later returned them.

Meanwhile, authorities in Rangoon arrested four protesters at 1 pm on Saturday at Theingyi Market in Latha Township, including Htin Kyaw, a member of the Myanmar Development Committee who earlier had announced the group would hold a demonstration at Rangoon City Hall on August 23.

According to a state-run newspaper report on Saturday, since the demonstrations started on August 19, at least 63 people have been arrested including 13 prominent 88 student leaders.

In Yenanchaung in Magwe Division there was tension between pro-democracy demonstrators and Burmese authorities, according to Khin Saw Htay, the head of the NLD Magwe Division women’s group. Security was tight and authorities blocked demonstrator’s efforts to stage a protest.