Mizzima News
February 14, 2008
A Bangkok-based pro-human rights and democracy group is the latest body to strip the junta's proposed referendum of any claim to legitimacy.
The Alternative ASEAN Network (Altsean) on Burma issued their opinion today in a media release, referring to the referendum as a "last-ditch attempt to stave off growing domestic and international pressure for genuine democratic reforms."
A true referendum, representing the desire of the people, cannot be held in an oppressive atmosphere of continuing rights violations, believes Altsean.
"The international community should not be conned into giving the regime
another two years to cause more suffering. The regime is notorious for its history of empty promises," says Debbie Stothard, Coordinator for Altsean-Burma.
"Anyone who believes the referendum will be free and fair probably believes in the tooth fairy," added Stothard.
The regime has announced that they plan to hold a constitutional referendum in May of this year, followed by a general election in 2010.
No comments:
Post a Comment