Hundreds protest against chronic power outages in Myanmar
Reuters
2012-05-22
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STORY: Hundreds demonstrated in Myanmar's former capital Yangon Tuesday against the power outages plaguing the country.
Protests are rare in Myanmar, where dissent was brutally suppressed during 49 years of military rule, which ended last March when a reformist, quasi-civilian government took office.
Demonstrations have since been legalized, although rights groups say the laws are accompanied by tight restrictions, such as the requirement to notify the authorities several days in advance of a rally.
Despite producing hydroelectric power, much of Myanmar's electricity output is exported to energy-hungry China in deals that have irked some residents. Chinese firms are expected to build and run 33 of the 45 planned hydropower plants in Myanmar.
About 75 percent of Myanmar's 60 million people are without regular electricity, according to the Asian Development Bank. Power cuts are a daily occurrence even in the biggest city Yangon.
STORY: Hundreds demonstrated in Myanmar's former capital Yangon Tuesday against the power outages plaguing the country.
Protests are rare in Myanmar, where dissent was brutally suppressed during 49 years of military rule, which ended last March when a reformist, quasi-civilian government took office.
Demonstrations have since been legalized, although rights groups say the laws are accompanied by tight restrictions, such as the requirement to notify the authorities several days in advance of a rally.
Despite producing hydroelectric power, much of Myanmar's electricity output is exported to energy-hungry China in deals that have irked some residents. Chinese firms are expected to build and run 33 of the 45 planned hydropower plants in Myanmar.
About 75 percent of Myanmar's 60 million people are without regular electricity, according to the Asian Development Bank. Power cuts are a daily occurrence even in the biggest city Yangon.
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