The difficulty is the immense competition between the two Asian giants for energy, while Burma has ample reserves of the coveted gas which determines 'national interests' in today's world.

Beijing provides economic assistance to Yangon on a large scale. China has built essential infrastructure, which in turn serve Beijing's own strategic interests. Recently the generals allowed the Chinese to construct a gas pipeline from Arakan in Burma to China's Yunnan province which is crucial to Beijing's development plans.

The present protests have been triggered by a drastic increase in the price of petroleum products announced by the generals on August 15. It seriously aggravated the already precarious life of the ordinary folks in this 53-million strong, predominantly Buddhist nation.

One can understand the common man's anger when the fuel rates (petrol, diesel, cooking gas) were, in one go, multiplied by five. It further put into motion a snowball effect with other prices increasing, particularly the cost of public transport, but also meat (15%), rice (10%) and eggs (50%).

The first demonstrations in August were thinly attended for the simple reason that the man on the street was still too afraid to join in any kind of mass protests. One former student who participated in the 1988 movement and spent four years in jail told The Telegraph, London: 'In 1988, people put their faith in the students, there was much bloodshed, people sacrificed lives, but nothing happened.' He added: 'This time, people are watching cautiously. There's a lot of risk involved, they're thinking, 'Will our sacrifices go to waste this time as well?''

Image: Heavily armed police block off a street leading to Sule Pagoda Road in downtown Yangon, on September 26, as Myanmar police crack down on protesting monks.

Photograph: AFP/Getty Images