Marm Sart Khaing
------------------------
Sittwe: Students of the Government Technical College in Sittwe are still facing difficulties getting to school with the new school bus fares determined by Science and Technology Minister U Thaung on 7 July, report student sources.
Science and Technology Minister U Thaung came to Sittwe's Government Technical College on 7 July, two days after students demonstrated against an increase in the school bus fares. During his trip, U Thaung determined what the new bus fares would be.
One student said, "The minister determined it would be 200 kyats each way on the school bus but it is still expensive. We are having difficulty paying 200 kyats as bus fare each way. Students have to pay 400 kyats each day for school bus fares after the minister's decision. This is also expensive and impossible for us."
On 5 July, over 300 students from the college staged a demonstration by marching peacefully to the state government building in Sittwe to voice their concern with the increase in school bus fares from 150 kyats to 300 kyats each way.
"The government should provide the school buses owned by the state government to our college in order to overcome the problems. The students will always face this problem so long as private buses are running school transportation for students," he said.
The Government Technical College is located on the outskirts of Sittwe near Ray Chan Byint Village, 14 miles from downtown Sittwe. At the college there are no hostels for students to live near campus.
"We are from rural towns of Arakan State but we have no chance to stay in hostels at our college. So we have to live at private hostels at high prices. We have to spend nearly 100,000 kyats per month to attend our education," the student added.
The government abolished the hostel system at the university and colleges in Sittwe out of fear of student unrest when students led a nationwide democracy uprising in 1988. Since then, university and college students in Sittwe have been living in private hostels.
Another student from the college said, "We have to spend 40,000 kyats for food in a month and 12,000 kyats for school fares. We have to spend on many other things like hostel charges, tuition and stationary. Many students from rural areas are not rich but have joined the college as they need education for their livelihoods."
Many students are facing difficulties studying at colleges and universities due to the high cost under the current military government, leaving them vulnerable to inflation and easily angered over the increased transportation costs.
It was also learned that the students at the Government Technical College are likely to protest again in the near future if the government fails to find a long-term solution to the problem.
In Sittwe, at least three student protests have taken place in the last few years in response to bus owners increasing fares when the cost of fuel has risen.
Narinjara
------------------------
Sittwe: Students of the Government Technical College in Sittwe are still facing difficulties getting to school with the new school bus fares determined by Science and Technology Minister U Thaung on 7 July, report student sources. Science and Technology Minister U Thaung came to Sittwe's Government Technical College on 7 July, two days after students demonstrated against an increase in the school bus fares. During his trip, U Thaung determined what the new bus fares would be.
One student said, "The minister determined it would be 200 kyats each way on the school bus but it is still expensive. We are having difficulty paying 200 kyats as bus fare each way. Students have to pay 400 kyats each day for school bus fares after the minister's decision. This is also expensive and impossible for us."
On 5 July, over 300 students from the college staged a demonstration by marching peacefully to the state government building in Sittwe to voice their concern with the increase in school bus fares from 150 kyats to 300 kyats each way.
"The government should provide the school buses owned by the state government to our college in order to overcome the problems. The students will always face this problem so long as private buses are running school transportation for students," he said.
The Government Technical College is located on the outskirts of Sittwe near Ray Chan Byint Village, 14 miles from downtown Sittwe. At the college there are no hostels for students to live near campus.
"We are from rural towns of Arakan State but we have no chance to stay in hostels at our college. So we have to live at private hostels at high prices. We have to spend nearly 100,000 kyats per month to attend our education," the student added.
The government abolished the hostel system at the university and colleges in Sittwe out of fear of student unrest when students led a nationwide democracy uprising in 1988. Since then, university and college students in Sittwe have been living in private hostels.
Another student from the college said, "We have to spend 40,000 kyats for food in a month and 12,000 kyats for school fares. We have to spend on many other things like hostel charges, tuition and stationary. Many students from rural areas are not rich but have joined the college as they need education for their livelihoods."
Many students are facing difficulties studying at colleges and universities due to the high cost under the current military government, leaving them vulnerable to inflation and easily angered over the increased transportation costs.
It was also learned that the students at the Government Technical College are likely to protest again in the near future if the government fails to find a long-term solution to the problem.
In Sittwe, at least three student protests have taken place in the last few years in response to bus owners increasing fares when the cost of fuel has risen.
Narinjara
Comments