Sittwe: Arakan's  State capital Sittwe has become a major centre in the scheme of the Opposition's movement against the Burmese military junta due to government misrule in the state and discrimination against the Arakanese people, said a student from the government technical college on condition of anonymity.

"Our people are supporting the activities of the monks who are
trying to protest given the peoples' dissatisfaction with the military government's discrimination against the Arakanese people," he said.

In the last 45 days, there were three attempted protests by monks in Sittwe but all the plans were foiled by the authorities when they received information just before the demonstrations were scheduled to occur.

"Even though the protests were not successful, monks in Sittwe have vowed to stage anti-government protests in the near future once they get the chance, and the monks are looking for opportunities to stage a demonstration," he said.

Because of the unrest in Sittwe, the authorities have deployed many plainclothes informants in key places in the city, including monasteries and temples, to closely watch the monks' activities.

A monk from Sittwe said there are not only additional security
forces, but also many informers and spies seeking information from people.

The monk also added, "Many anti-government flyers have been spread for two months in Sittwe, and monks also tried to stage anti-government protests three times in Sittwe in the last month and-a-half, because people are unable to tolerate the authorities' behaviour towards the Arakanese people."

Most Arakanese are frustrated with the present military government because of its neglect of the state's development during the last 20 years.

"You can compare our state with Burma proper. There are many natural resources such as gas in our state, but our people neither have nor received electricity or other facilities to develop our land. I visited many places in Burma proper including towns of Pyay, Meikthila, Myin gyin, and Chauk, where people get at least 20 hours of electricity per day, while our people get only two hours a day," the monk said.

The monk added that all people in Burma are suffering under the military government, but Arakanese people are suffering more than other people. There are no factories and no business institutes for development of the state.

Many analysts believe that Arakan State has many opportunities for development, but the current military government has deprived it of these chances due to Burman chauvinism.