Outcry for Fair Referendum, Elections

By SAW YAN NAING

February 22, 2008 - Veteran Burmese politicians, opposition activists and ethnic ceasefire leaders have urged Burma’s military regime to hold a free and fair national referendum and general election.


An influential group of veteran politicians, pro-democracy activists and leaders of the Kachin Independence Organization all released statements on Thursday, each calling for a fair referendum and general election.

In early February, the Burmese government announced that a national referendum on the constitution will be held in May and a multi-party general election in 2010.

The veteran politicians—including Thakin Chan Htun and Thakin Thein Pe—urged the regime to widely distribute the draft constitution and to allow sufficient time for voters to study the constitution.

Thakin Chan Htun, a leader of the group, told The Irrawaddy on Friday, “The regime should release political prisoners and allow them to freely involve themselves in the referendum. They [the authorities] should also allow UN representatives, political analysts and journalists to observe the voting process.”

The politicians criticized the regime for ignoring the calls of the international community, the United Nations, prominent world leaders, Burmese opposition groups and citizens to promote real national reconciliation.

Economic and social problems can not be solved through a constitution and election if the regime does not allow sufficient time for the people to study the draft constitution, said the politicians.

Meanwhile, the central committee of the Kachin Independence Organization—a main ethnic ceasefire group based on the China-Burma border—released a statement on Thursday saying the referendum and election have a chance to promote political reform in Burma, but only if the referendum and election are free and fair.
The KIO took part in the junta-sponsored National Convention, which led to the referendum on the draft constitution.

The ceasefire group called for the regime to appoint a group to monitor the voting process to ensure fairness.

An ethnic Mon ceasefire group, the New Mon State Party based on the Thai-Burma border, announced that it will not support the draft constitution written by the Burmese government because it does not guarantee the rights of ethnic groups or create a federal union style government.

Nai ong Ma-Nge, a spokesperson for the party, said, “It is not a good sign because they [the regime] don’t negotiate with opposition groups and ethnic leaders. We don’t follow their strategy. What we believe is that tripartite talks are the best way to solve the political problems in Burma.”

The NMSP signed a ceasefire agreement with the regime in 1995. Representatives of the party also attended the National Convention as observers along with other ethnic ceasefire groups in 2004.

Meanwhile, many Rangoon-based activists called for fairness in the referendum and election.

An underground activist group, known as Generation Wave, released a statement on Thursday calling for all citizens to have the right of freedom of expression and the right to lobby for their political views.

The Generation Wave, believed to be made up of students, was founded in 2007 after the military crackdown on the pro-democracy movement.

At a regional meeting in Singapore, Burma’s Foreign Minister, Nyan Win, said Aung San Suu Kyi will not be allowed to take part in the 2010 election because of her marriage to a foreigner, Briton Michael Aris.

In an Associated Press story, Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, said, "That [banning Suu Kyi] is hardly the definition of free and fair elections. The junta needs to start from scratch with a real constitution that actually passes the laugh test."