The blame for the economic deterioration in Burma has been laid squarely on the military junta’s door by the main opposition political party in the country. The National League for Democracy pointed out today that the economic downslide has tested the peoples’ patience who have been forced to take to the streets in protest.

The National League for Democracy, the party which swept the 1990 elections led by detained Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, in a statement on Friday said the junta is responsible for the peoples’ desperation and the consequent protests. It urged the regime to find a solution through political dialogue which would kick-start the process of national reconciliation.

The NLD said, in view of a long term political solution the party has several times proposed to the ruling State Peace and Development Council to start a dialogue to find a genuine political solution that will mark the beginning of social and economic reforms in the country.

“We [NLD] even agreed to announce the SPDC as Burma’s de jure government if the SPDC was willing to convene the peoples’ parliament,” NLD spokesperson Nyan Win said.

However, with the junta failing to accept the offer it has pushed the country into a deep economic abyss which has doubled the sufferings of the general people and finally triggered protests on the streets, Nyan Win added.

Meanwhile, the junta in its mouthpiece, the New Light of Myanmar newspaper, has accused the NLD and 88 generation students, most of whose leaders were arrested and detained last month, of instigating unrest and riots in Rangoon and parts of Burma.

Following the junta’s unannounced decision on August 15 to raise prices of diesel, petrol and compressed natural gas – transport fares and food prices skyrocketed.

Following the impact of the price rise, Burmese people led by former student leaders, including Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi took to the streets on August 19. The public protests, which the authorities allowed initially, paved the way for further protests in former capital Rangoon and parts of Burma.

The NLD statement, released this afternoon, said the peaceful demonstrations are the outcome of the peoples’ desperation and the party, though it stands with the people, is not involved in masterminding the protests.

The NLD, condemning the junta for its heavy-handed crackdown on peaceful protesters, further said peaceful demonstrations are the basic rights of citizens that have been guaranteed in the universal declaration of human rights. It called on the junta to find an alternative to solve the problem rather than by suppression of protests through violence.

“By cracking down on dissidents and activists, the problems of Burma cannot be solved. But if the SPDC genuinely wants to solve the problem, it should come to the negotiating table and begin a dialogue that will start a national reconciliation process,” Nyan Win said.

The junta has, however, said that the increase in fuel prices is in keeping with global fuel price rise and Burma’s oil prices are much lower compared to its immediate neighbours Thailand and China.

The junta in its mouth piece, the New Light of Myanmar, has repeatedly said that in order to earn more revenue, which Burma needs for its various development projects, the government had no other choice but to scrap subsidies on oil.

But critics and economic experts, including a Burmese economist from the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chamber of Commerce said, Burma’s economic problems cannot be merely described as the problems of fuel price rise but is a reflection of the overall economic deterioration that has sapped peoples’ patience.