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YANGON: Myanmar's military government Tuesday accused pro-democracy protesters of derailing the economy of the impoverished nation, saying their mass rallies "made the people poorer".
"Stalls, restaurants and shops had to be closed" during the protests, said the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper, a government mouthpiece.
"Day wage earners became jobless," it added, in a country that the United Nations ranks as among the 20 poorest in the world.
"Consequently the monks and civilian protesters who took to the streets on the pretext of fuel and commodity price hikes were regarded by the people as the ones who made the people poorer."
The protests began in mid-August over outrage at an overnight hike in fuel prices that left many commuters unable even to afford the bus fare to work.
But the movement took off in late September when Buddhist monks led up to 100,000 supporters onto the streets in peaceful marches that became the most potent threat to the regime in almost two decades.
The military government responded with a bloody crackdown that left at least 13 dead and more than 2,100 arrested, triggering an international outcry that has brought the nation before the UN Security Council.
The New Light of Myanmar warned that nearly 1,000 people still being held over the protests could face prison convictions.
"Anyone who is detained for his violation of law must be charged and serve prison terms if he is found guilty," it said.
Despite the harsh tone, the military government has made series of conciliatory gestures, notably naming a deputy labour minister to maintain relations with detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. - AFP/ac
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