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              Burma's Spreading Protests Test Reformist Government

   BANGKOK - Authorities in Burma have detained at least 10 people for
   supporting or taking part in the street protests against electricity
   cuts that began Sunday in Mandalay, the country's second-largest city.
   Hundreds of protesters have marched every night, peacefully holding
   candles in a symbolic gesture against the recently announced cuts.
   VOA's Burmese Service confirmed most of those taken into custody were
   questioned for several hours and then released. They included local
   writers and a few members of Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition National
   League for Democracy party.
   Poet Okkar Kyaw was among those detained on suspicion of being an
   organizer, but later released.
   He said police wanted to know about the candle-light protests, asking
   him what leadership role he played and if he knew the organizers.
   Police also asked him if they plan to hold another protest. He said he
   told the authorities they do not.
   Burma's reformist government crafted a law allowing demonstrations, but
   only if organizers get permission.  It also allows for the arrest of
   protest organizers.
   The law needs to be changed to put it in line with international
   standards, said Soe Aung, spokesman for the Forum for Democracy in
   Burma.
   "If it is a peaceful protest and without disturbing the public, for
   example the transportation or the traffics, then there should not be
   any reason for authorities to make arrests or even without asking for
   permission," he said.
   The Mandalay demonstrators apparently organized somewhat spontaneously
   through the Internet, after authorities announced cutting electricity
   to only several hours a day.
   Burma is rich in oil, gas, and hydropower, but sells much of it to
   neighbors Thailand and China leading to frequent power shortages. Of 60
   million people, only one in four have access to electricity.
   Human Rights Watch senior researcher on Burma David Matthieson said the
   protests are a big test of how the new government responds to the needs
   of ordinary people.
   "That should be a wake up call to the government, to think, there has
   got to be a more equitable redistribution of this country's wealth to
   the people that really deserve it, which is the people of Burma,"
   Mathieson said.  "So, hopefully, these demonstrations and what the
   protesters are actually saying sparks a more lively, open debate about
   the basic services within the country and the government's
   responsibility to provide them to its people."
   Demonstrations are rare in Burma and were put down violently by the
   military in 1988 and 2007.
   There are parallels between this week's protests and the beginning of
   the 2007 Saffron Revolution, when authorities started arresting
   political dissenters, Matthieson said.
   "A lot of them were actually arrested in August before the big
   demonstrations involving Buddhist monks.  And, they were arrested for
   marching peacefully calling for better living standards, lower
   commodity prices, and access to electricity.  And so, given recent
   history I think people should be concerned about the possible
   ramifications of this," said Matthieson.
   Burma's state media issued a rare plea to the public to show
   understanding.  The New Light of Myanmar newspaper reports plans are
   underway to build more power plants in cooperation with companies from
   the United States, Japan and Korea.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/burma-spreading-protests-test-reformi
   st-government/918282.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/burma-spreading-protests-test-reformist-government/918282.html