Activist jailed for electricity protest
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A Yangon protester was sentenced to three months in prison for a protest that took place last year against the nationwide electricity price hike.
He was charged with violating Section 18 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law, which is used to take action on demonstrators who protest without permission.
"We demanded the electricity price per unit be Ks35 (3.5 US cents) for the whole country. In other areas, the price per exceeds Ks100. We took to the streets because our country sells electricity to other countries but its people have to pay so much," said protest leader Tin Htut Paing.
Two protests took place against the hike in March last year in Yangon, with one of them led by Tin Htut Paing and joined by about 100 protesters, including members of the Generation Youth Association and university students. They marched from Lawkanat teashop in Myaynigone to the offices of the Yangon Electricity Service Board in Ahlon.
According to April 2014 rates, households using fewer than 100 units pay Ks35 per unit, while those using between 101 and 200 units pay Ks40 and those using 201 units and above pay Ks50.
For industrial use, the businesses using fewer than 500 units pay Ks75 per unit; those using between 501 and 10,000 units pay Ks100; between 10,001 and 50,000 units costs Ks125; between 50,001 and 200,000 units costs Ks150; between 200,001 and 300,000 units costs Ks125 and those using more will pay Ks100.
