Inside the Protests - Burma

October 2007
EXCLUSIVE: The first journalist's report from on the ground in Burma.
What prompted the largest pro-democracy protests for nearly 20 years? In this exclusive report, protestors describe how difficult life under the Generals has become. Oblivious to the danger, thousands of pro-democracy campaigners march through the streets. Suddenly, shots are fired. In the rush to escape, some protestors are trampled. "General Aung San did not create a military to kill the citizens", laments one man. Burma is one of the poorest nations in the world. While the Generals lavish millions on their families, 26% of the population survives on less than $1 a day. For many, the military's decision in August to double the price of oil and quadruple the price of gas was the final straw. "Prices have gone up and it's hard to feed my family", laments one woman. The fuel increase was meant to pay for moving the capital from Rangoon to Naypidaw. But it forced the price up of basic goods. "Chicken has risen from $1 to $4.60", complains one woman. "It's horrible". It also led to some bus routes being cancelled, preventing employees from travelling to work. And, while prices keep increasing, salaries remain the same. People took to the streets, calling for fuel cuts. But when monks joined in, the demonstrations morphed into a wider protest.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• journeyman
• pictures
• burma
• energy
• prices
• news
• documentary
• current affairs
• journeyman pictures

[supergalunk]

...we need economists not fucking generals...

[TibetKanagawa]

CHANGE IS COMING!

[ackiemays11j]

This video went viral on Burundi

[MeesterCrumpet]

50 Million on his filthy bitch daughter's wedding? they should turn her over to the burmese people and let them have their 50 million back

[jjjooommm222]

These people need food, water, clothing, and guns to feed their familys and kick the bums out of power.

[LuvlyTheBest]

please just say out BURMA not MYANMAR

[gintunshan]

@TibetKanagawa

Hi,friend,fucking change only come,So we need GUN& MONEY 

[gintunshan]

Fucking change only come, So,We need Gun&Money.

[mishac23]

ps what a stupid commercial before the video loaded. "dont let congress put the us into more debt & raise more taxes"...... ohhhhh poor US, life is just so hard isnt it with high taxes. Such a horrible life the US has......... now lets watch this doc about a country with REAL problems!!!!

[thaidozy]

@xxxdieselyyy

I've lived inside and that is a very common outlook. China is a problem, as is India. India support the SPDC coz they need resources that Burma sell to the highest bidder. America arms SPDC with surplus munitions and stand back saying they can't do anything. China want hydro power so sell SPDC pseudoephydrine to make yabba. Thailand don't care. Burmese refugees that relocate through UNHCR and TBBC programs don't look back, so no support from outside. You should go and learn more.

[xxxdieselyyy]

@HenryRights87 ----------they don't care how many people die of poverty thanks to their bloody sanctions----------->But Myanmar / Burma more than gets good trade deals from ASEAN and mainly from China and India. I know still resources are hard 2 come by, but on the local Burma / Myanmar side....in the midst of all these crisis what was the need to build a brand new capital city (Naypyidaw) from scratch? Couldn't they have moved the capital to say- Mandalay?

Does Junta spend money wisely 2?