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| Southeast Asia |
| Activists Hold Little Hope for 2010 Elections in Burma |
| 2010-04-27 |
| Burma is now preparing for elections at the state, regional and national level. But the country's much-criticized election laws prompted the main opposition party to opt out, leaving many activists disheartened and disgruntled. This is how Burmese, pro-democracy advocates living in India reacted to new election rules in Burma. The rules essentially bar Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders from running. "Because General Than Shwe led by military government they are cheating the people," said one protester. Burma's ruling military junta says it will hold free and fair elections this year for the first time in two decades. Priscilla Clapp, the former mission chief at the U.S. Embassy in Burma, says that while elections are a step in the right direction, Burma's constitution finalized in 2008 ensures strong control by the military. "Many senior military leaders have resigned and they are already out campaigning," said Priscilla Clapp. Burma's constitution bars political prisoners from running for office. The iconic Aung San Suu Kyi heads the main opposition party, the National League for Democracy or NLD, but she has been under house arrest for 14 of the last 20 years. Her party has opted out. "How can the NLD in good conscience register themselves as a political party and participate in these elections when all of their leaders who have suffered so heavily for their engagement would be precluded from engaging with this new government," said Jared Genser. Washington attorney Jared Genser is Aung San Suu Kyi's international counsel. He has a lot to say about the junta's upcoming elections, none of it good. "I think they learned their lesson from 1990 when they actually allowed for a free and fair election and lost in a landslide and they are not going to allow that sort of thing to happen again," he said. |
| Posted by:Steve White |