Yangon (AsiaNews) – After 2 weeks of popular protest against rising fuel costs, Myanmar’s militaries junta has intervened to point its finger against exiled dissidents. For the general’s leading former Burma they are fomenting demonstrations ongoing in the country since August 19th. And despite the International Community’s condemnation and their calls that Human Rights be respected, authorities are threatening a harsh response.
“The government has information that external anti-government groups are giving directives and providing various sorts of assistance to internal anti-government groups to stir up mass demonstrations and instability," state-run newspapers said. “The people – it reads - will not accept this”.
No reference was mad et o the criticism expressed by US President, George W. Bush, or by the European Commission towards the recent unrest, the most vociferous of the last 20 years. In 1988, animated protest by student democracy movements were bloodily repressed with over 3 thousand deaths.
The governments declarations come at a time of high tension in Myanmar: Buddhist monks have recently also joined the popular uprising. Yesterday the 20 soldiers taken hostage by the religious from the Aletaik monastery, in Pakokku were released. The soldiers have gone to the temple to excuse the violence with which the protests had been quelled a day before in the a city north west of Yangon, when some monks enclosed them for six hours burning their cars.
In Myanmar, a majority Buddhist nation, monks are considered the stewards of the religious and cultural traditions. Already in the past they have participated in battles for civil rights and joined the 1988 campaign. The junta is concerned that the discontent will spread to other Buddhist centres, above all Mandalay, the religious heart of the nation with over 300 thousand monks.