The Burmese military regime has prohibited the distribution of electricity from private generators in Maungdaw, a western border town of Burma, since the government-owned Electric Power Corporation, EPC, increased its hours of electricity distribution in the town, said a teacher from Maungdaw.

"EPC last week increased power distribution from two hours to four hours at night in Maungdaw. Since then, the authorities have not allowed private generators to distribute power in our town. Because of this, many students are suffering as there is no light in their homes for studies," he said.

"The reason the authorities prohibited power distribution from private generators is to sell power from EPC. The authorities are worried about loss of profits after increasing their distribution of power to the town. So they ordered private generators to close down in the town. It is intended to make people to buy power from EPC," he added.

Maungdaw District Chairman Aung Swe Nyunt recently issued an order to close down all private generators in Maungdaw. After which, many students from poor families began facing problems because of lack of power in their homes.

Naing Kyaw, a student from Wimala Ward said, "The examinations are very close but there is no electricity in our houses because the authorities have stopped distribution of power from private generators. We now have to study at home by candle light."

In February and March this year, the government examinations will be held for students from primary school to high school in Burma.

Poor families in Maungdaw were getting electricity from private generators by paying 3,500 Kyat per month for one light. Private generators supplied power to the houses for at least three hours a day.

"We want to get power from EPC but it is very expensive, so we cannot get electricity in our homes. If we get power from EPC, we will have to pay 80,000 Kyats to EPC for a meter box and at least 150,000 Kyats to get power from them," the teacher explained.

The authorities sell meter boxes to the public at a cost of 80,000 Kyats each, but officials from EPC also take bribes of at least 50,000 Kyats from each household for installing the box. People end up paying at least 150,000 Kyats just to buy power from EPC.

The Maungdaw authorities closed down private generators in order to increase the number of households receiving power from EPC, but two-thirds of the families in the area are unable to buy the electricity at the high cost of setting up the required meter box.