Solomon & Mungpi
Mizzima News
April 10, 2008
New Delhi – People in Burma have 'too little time' to comprehend the contents of the draft constitution, which the ruling military junta seeks to approve in a referendum in May, opposition groups said on Thursday.
The Burmese junta's official publishing house 'Sapay Beikman' on Wednesday began distributing the draft constitution for sale to retail book stalls, sources in Rangoon said.
"Since yesterday we have begun distributing copies of the draft constitution to retailers," a salesperson of the Sapay Beikman told Mizzima.
The salesperson added that copies of the new constitution are being sold to members of the public by retailers at a price of 1000 Kyat (USD1).
While the draft constitution is being made public a month before the referendum, opposition groups pointed out that it provides too little time to the people to understand the contents of the constitution, on which they will be voting.
"It is impossible for the people to understand the constitution and it cannot reach all the people," Nyan Win, spokesperson of Burma's main opposition party – the National League for Democracy said.
Nyan Win, who is a lawyer by profession, warned that approving the constitution would only cement and perpetuate military rule in Burma, and therefore the people need to thoroughly understand the contents of the constitution before voting on it.
Meanwhile, shopkeepers in Rangoon said copies of the draft constitution are being sold out fast.
"About 30 copies of the constitution are already sold out from our shop," a shopkeeper said. He added that retailers have been supplied with 50 copies of the draft constitution to be sold to the public.
But it is still not clear how many copies have been printed and whether it is being distributed in rural areas.
Thakin Chan Tun, a veteran Burmese politician, who has been waiting for the regime to release copies of the draft constitution, said he could not get hold of a copy despite rushing off to get one immediately after learning that it has been made available.
"I asked my people to get a copy of the draft immediately after I came to know that it has been published, but the shopkeepers said it had been sold out," Thakin Chan Tun told Mizzima.
However, the shopkeeper, who spoke to Mizzima on condition of anonymity, said he had not read the draft constitution as he was too busy with his daily work.
"I have bought one for myself but I still could not read it because I am too engaged in my work," he added.
Aye Thar Aung, a veteran politician in Rangoon and Secretary of the Committee Representing Peoples' Parliament, a group formed with parliamentarians elected in the 1990 election, said the junta is deliberately giving too little time to the people.
"The junta is giving too little time so that people will not guage the constitution fully," Aye Thar Aung said.
The junta's draft constitution, a copy of which is with Mizzima, reserves 25 percent of parliamentary seats for the military, and allows the army to declare a state of emergency anytime it deems fit.
In a bid to prevent any future amendments, the military has made the constitution amendment process rigid. The constitution states that any amendment to the constitution must be proposed by 75 percent of the legislative body and approved by all eligible voters in a referendum.
Friday, 11 April 2008
Irrawaddy Division Surveyed about Referendum
By THE IRRAWADDY
One month ahead of the Burmese constitutional referendum due to be held on May 10, The Irrawaddy has conducted an opinion poll in Irrawaddy Division, which is the country’s rice bowl and one of the most populated areas in Burma.
The Irrawaddy made 50 cold calls to local people, including farmers, businessmen, civil servants, students, business owners, doctors and lawyers in several major townships, including Bassein, Hinthada and Bogalay. None of the interviewees were politicians or activists.
We asked them if they would vote “Yes” or “No” in the upcoming referendum on supporting the draft constitution. Then we asked why.
In our opinion poll, 40 of the 50 respondents said “No” while 10 of them said they didn’t want to answer or that they didn’t know. No one said “Yes” to the question.
None of the respondents had read the draft constitution—it was only made public on Wednesday, going on sale at government bookstores for 1,000 kyat a copy.
A few defining factors emerged from our telephone survey—for example, most civil servants didn’t dare to say “Yes” or “No.”
One civil servant from Dedaye Township said she had not yet decided which way to vote. However, she said that the media should understand her answer as she was a civil servant and couldn’t say anything about the constitutional referendum. Burmese civil servants are notoriously tightlipped and fearful of repercussions.
A doctor form Bassein General Hospital said he would vote “No” if the authorities offered a free and fair environment. He added that if the authorities threatened him, he would vote “Yes.”
A grocer from Bogalay responded: “If the government doesn’t punish its civil servants for being against the draft constitution, they are likely to vote ‘No.’ I personally will vote ‘No.’”
“I am sure that the most people from Bassein will vote ‘No,’” said a businessman in Bassein Township. “The people from the villages will vote against the government in retaliation for the violence during last September's demonstrations,” he said.
“Even my brother, a policeman, will vote ‘No’” he added. “Unless they prevent him for doing so.”
A retired person from Bassein said that open debate on the referendum is not happening. “The military government has not allowed critical political debate in our country,” he said. “I am not interested in what they wrote into the constitution—I will vote ‘No’ anyway.”
Other respondents were unsure. A businessman from Lemyethna Township told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday: “I don’t know what they wrote in the constitution. I didn’t even read about it in Myanmar Alin (a state-run newspaper). I don’t have any idea which way to vote.”
Myo Zaw, a young man from Bogalay Township, said that he was not ready to cast a vote in the forthcoming referendum. “I haven’t made up my mind,” he said. “I don’t understand what the constitution is for.
“I am not even sure if I will go to the polling station,” he added.
A doctor from Hinthada Township said that he would give vote “No” in the constitutional referendum, but he wouldn’t say why.
“I can’t say anything about the constitutional referendum,” said another doctor from the same town, before hanging up.
“This is a business! Don’t call me again!” said the owner of a Chinese restaurant in Hinthada Township before hanging up the phone abruptly.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for democracy (NLD) and other pro-democracy groups are calling for a "No" vote, but have little time to campaign effectively.
Despite the calls from the NLD and other political dissidents to reject the constitution, Burma’s ruling junta announced that the referendum would go ahead on May 10.
* The Irrawaddy will report its findings from a continuing series of surveys on the referendum.
One month ahead of the Burmese constitutional referendum due to be held on May 10, The Irrawaddy has conducted an opinion poll in Irrawaddy Division, which is the country’s rice bowl and one of the most populated areas in Burma.
The Irrawaddy made 50 cold calls to local people, including farmers, businessmen, civil servants, students, business owners, doctors and lawyers in several major townships, including Bassein, Hinthada and Bogalay. None of the interviewees were politicians or activists.
We asked them if they would vote “Yes” or “No” in the upcoming referendum on supporting the draft constitution. Then we asked why.
In our opinion poll, 40 of the 50 respondents said “No” while 10 of them said they didn’t want to answer or that they didn’t know. No one said “Yes” to the question.
None of the respondents had read the draft constitution—it was only made public on Wednesday, going on sale at government bookstores for 1,000 kyat a copy.
A few defining factors emerged from our telephone survey—for example, most civil servants didn’t dare to say “Yes” or “No.”
One civil servant from Dedaye Township said she had not yet decided which way to vote. However, she said that the media should understand her answer as she was a civil servant and couldn’t say anything about the constitutional referendum. Burmese civil servants are notoriously tightlipped and fearful of repercussions.
A doctor form Bassein General Hospital said he would vote “No” if the authorities offered a free and fair environment. He added that if the authorities threatened him, he would vote “Yes.”
A grocer from Bogalay responded: “If the government doesn’t punish its civil servants for being against the draft constitution, they are likely to vote ‘No.’ I personally will vote ‘No.’”
“I am sure that the most people from Bassein will vote ‘No,’” said a businessman in Bassein Township. “The people from the villages will vote against the government in retaliation for the violence during last September's demonstrations,” he said.
“Even my brother, a policeman, will vote ‘No’” he added. “Unless they prevent him for doing so.”
A retired person from Bassein said that open debate on the referendum is not happening. “The military government has not allowed critical political debate in our country,” he said. “I am not interested in what they wrote into the constitution—I will vote ‘No’ anyway.”
Other respondents were unsure. A businessman from Lemyethna Township told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday: “I don’t know what they wrote in the constitution. I didn’t even read about it in Myanmar Alin (a state-run newspaper). I don’t have any idea which way to vote.”
Myo Zaw, a young man from Bogalay Township, said that he was not ready to cast a vote in the forthcoming referendum. “I haven’t made up my mind,” he said. “I don’t understand what the constitution is for.
“I am not even sure if I will go to the polling station,” he added.
A doctor from Hinthada Township said that he would give vote “No” in the constitutional referendum, but he wouldn’t say why.
“I can’t say anything about the constitutional referendum,” said another doctor from the same town, before hanging up.
“This is a business! Don’t call me again!” said the owner of a Chinese restaurant in Hinthada Township before hanging up the phone abruptly.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for democracy (NLD) and other pro-democracy groups are calling for a "No" vote, but have little time to campaign effectively.
Despite the calls from the NLD and other political dissidents to reject the constitution, Burma’s ruling junta announced that the referendum would go ahead on May 10.
* The Irrawaddy will report its findings from a continuing series of surveys on the referendum.
Security Council Presidential Statement on Burma ‘Not Easy’
By LALIT K JHA
The Irrawaddy News
The French Ambassador to the United Nations, Jean-Maurice Ripert, said Wednesday that France, Britain and the US would continue to work toward achieving a Security Council presidential statement on Burma, despite objections by the other two permanent members, Russia and China.
“We are working on it. [But] it is not easy,” Ripert told reporters outside the UN headquarters in New York. “There are some differences of views among member states in the Security Council.”
The US, France and Britain earlier this week circulated a draft of the proposed Security Council presidential statement on Burma calling for a transition from military to democratic rule and urging the military junta to make its upcoming referendum on the draft constitution participative and inclusive.
China and Russia, the two other permanent members with Security Council veto powers, have opposed these two sections of the draft presidential statement. During its only meeting on the issue, officials of China and Russia are believed to have rejected the draft outrightly, prompting the French ambassador to comment.
“We still—France with a lot of other colleagues—think that we need to send a signal to the Burmese authorities that we have noticed a commitment and their declarations in principle favouring free and fair elections, a referendum and a stepping down of the military that would give the power back to civilian institutions,” said Ripert.
“We want to trust [the Burmese junta],” he added. “We want to take them by their words. We would like to send a signal by saying: OK, there are conditions which should be fulfilled so that the result of this process and of the elections can be validated by the international community.”
Observing that this was a very useful dialogue between the international community and the Burmese authorities, Ripert said this was exactly what they were requesting: less pressure and more dialogue.
“We want to engage this dialogue. We think that a new [presidential statement] could be part of this dialogue,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Security Council president for April, the South African ambassador, Dumisani Kumalo, refused to give a timeframe when the presidential statement could be ready.
Shielding behind the high technicalities and bureaucratic structure of the Security Council, Kumalo said the draft has not been tabled yet. Under the UN Security Council a draft is first discussed at an unofficial level and is tabled only when all members agree on it. While the expert committee level discussions on presidential statements very often takes days, the official transaction of business often takes a few minutes; as everything is discussed and agreed upon before it is officially tabled.
“I do not know; they have not circulated the statement on Myanmar [Burma] yet. I understand that it is the US which is still consulting on it, but they have not circulated it yet,” Kumalo said.
Meanwhile, US President George W Bush on Wednesday expressed his deep disappointment over the progress made by the military junta towards restoration of democracy in Burma.
“I am disappointed with the progress made to date there,” Bush told reporters at a joint press conference with visiting Singaporean Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong at the White House.
The statement came within hours of the Burmese military junta announcing that the referendum on the draft constitution would be held on May 10. Bush, however, made no direct reference to this announcement.
Both leaders discussed the current situation in Burma and the way forward during their meeting. “We spent time on Burma and the need for the military regime there to understand that they shouldn't fear the voices of the people,” said the US president.
Bush urged the military leadership to open up and respond to the will of the people.
Goh Chok Tong told President Bush that the military junta, though a problem in itself, needs to be taken into account on any solution for this troublesome country.
“I told the President that while the army is the problem, the army has to be part of the solution,” Goh said. “Without the army playing a part in solving problems in Myanmar [Burma], there will be no solution.”
The Irrawaddy News
The French Ambassador to the United Nations, Jean-Maurice Ripert, said Wednesday that France, Britain and the US would continue to work toward achieving a Security Council presidential statement on Burma, despite objections by the other two permanent members, Russia and China.
“We are working on it. [But] it is not easy,” Ripert told reporters outside the UN headquarters in New York. “There are some differences of views among member states in the Security Council.”
The US, France and Britain earlier this week circulated a draft of the proposed Security Council presidential statement on Burma calling for a transition from military to democratic rule and urging the military junta to make its upcoming referendum on the draft constitution participative and inclusive.
China and Russia, the two other permanent members with Security Council veto powers, have opposed these two sections of the draft presidential statement. During its only meeting on the issue, officials of China and Russia are believed to have rejected the draft outrightly, prompting the French ambassador to comment.
“We still—France with a lot of other colleagues—think that we need to send a signal to the Burmese authorities that we have noticed a commitment and their declarations in principle favouring free and fair elections, a referendum and a stepping down of the military that would give the power back to civilian institutions,” said Ripert.
“We want to trust [the Burmese junta],” he added. “We want to take them by their words. We would like to send a signal by saying: OK, there are conditions which should be fulfilled so that the result of this process and of the elections can be validated by the international community.”
Observing that this was a very useful dialogue between the international community and the Burmese authorities, Ripert said this was exactly what they were requesting: less pressure and more dialogue.
“We want to engage this dialogue. We think that a new [presidential statement] could be part of this dialogue,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Security Council president for April, the South African ambassador, Dumisani Kumalo, refused to give a timeframe when the presidential statement could be ready.
Shielding behind the high technicalities and bureaucratic structure of the Security Council, Kumalo said the draft has not been tabled yet. Under the UN Security Council a draft is first discussed at an unofficial level and is tabled only when all members agree on it. While the expert committee level discussions on presidential statements very often takes days, the official transaction of business often takes a few minutes; as everything is discussed and agreed upon before it is officially tabled.
“I do not know; they have not circulated the statement on Myanmar [Burma] yet. I understand that it is the US which is still consulting on it, but they have not circulated it yet,” Kumalo said.
Meanwhile, US President George W Bush on Wednesday expressed his deep disappointment over the progress made by the military junta towards restoration of democracy in Burma.
“I am disappointed with the progress made to date there,” Bush told reporters at a joint press conference with visiting Singaporean Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong at the White House.
The statement came within hours of the Burmese military junta announcing that the referendum on the draft constitution would be held on May 10. Bush, however, made no direct reference to this announcement.
Both leaders discussed the current situation in Burma and the way forward during their meeting. “We spent time on Burma and the need for the military regime there to understand that they shouldn't fear the voices of the people,” said the US president.
Bush urged the military leadership to open up and respond to the will of the people.
Goh Chok Tong told President Bush that the military junta, though a problem in itself, needs to be taken into account on any solution for this troublesome country.
“I told the President that while the army is the problem, the army has to be part of the solution,” Goh said. “Without the army playing a part in solving problems in Myanmar [Burma], there will be no solution.”
Defeat designs
Martial law blocks the progress of democracy.
Myanmar’s draft constitution cements the military’s role in the country’s power structure. It guarantees military officers a quarter of the seats in the upper and lower houses of parliament, as well as at the state and regional levels. It legitimises the takeover and exercise of all state power by the commander-in-chief of the armed forces in the event of a threat to the union, to national solidarity or sovereignty.
The constitution’s blatant attempt at consolidating and legitimising the military’s role in politics is not surprising.
The military rule for over four decades now is unwilling to cede power to democratic rule. The generals have always undermined democratic forces. The constitution was drafted by the generals, without inputs from opposition parties. A constitution that provided for real democracy in Myanmar was therefore not to be expected.
The draft constitution is an unabashed attempt at keeping out the one person the military fears the most – pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. The constitution bars anyone who has been married to a foreign national from holding political office. Suu Kyi was married to a British national. The constitution therefore disqualifies her from holding political office. Earlier this year, the junta promised elections in 2010. The draft constitution indicates that the election will not result in democracy in Myanmar.
The draft constitution will have to be endorsed in a national referendum. By subjecting the constitution to a referendum, the junta has sought to project an image of consulting the people but few expect the referendum to be free or fair. The odds are stacked against the pro-democracy movement. Many in the country are likely to feel that participating in a referendum will lead nowhere, given the junta’s poor record in heeding the people’s mandate or wishes.
While feeling pessimistic about the junta is understandable, the people of Myanmar cannot give up now. Voting “no” in the referendum is their last chance to defeat the junta’s designs. Amending the constitution at a later date will be very difficult because under the new rules it will require a three-fourths majority to amend the document. It is imperative therefore that activists campaign vigorously among the people to persuade them to participate in the referendum and reject the constitution.
Deccan Herald
Myanmar’s draft constitution cements the military’s role in the country’s power structure. It guarantees military officers a quarter of the seats in the upper and lower houses of parliament, as well as at the state and regional levels. It legitimises the takeover and exercise of all state power by the commander-in-chief of the armed forces in the event of a threat to the union, to national solidarity or sovereignty.
The constitution’s blatant attempt at consolidating and legitimising the military’s role in politics is not surprising.
The military rule for over four decades now is unwilling to cede power to democratic rule. The generals have always undermined democratic forces. The constitution was drafted by the generals, without inputs from opposition parties. A constitution that provided for real democracy in Myanmar was therefore not to be expected.
The draft constitution is an unabashed attempt at keeping out the one person the military fears the most – pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. The constitution bars anyone who has been married to a foreign national from holding political office. Suu Kyi was married to a British national. The constitution therefore disqualifies her from holding political office. Earlier this year, the junta promised elections in 2010. The draft constitution indicates that the election will not result in democracy in Myanmar.
The draft constitution will have to be endorsed in a national referendum. By subjecting the constitution to a referendum, the junta has sought to project an image of consulting the people but few expect the referendum to be free or fair. The odds are stacked against the pro-democracy movement. Many in the country are likely to feel that participating in a referendum will lead nowhere, given the junta’s poor record in heeding the people’s mandate or wishes.
While feeling pessimistic about the junta is understandable, the people of Myanmar cannot give up now. Voting “no” in the referendum is their last chance to defeat the junta’s designs. Amending the constitution at a later date will be very difficult because under the new rules it will require a three-fourths majority to amend the document. It is imperative therefore that activists campaign vigorously among the people to persuade them to participate in the referendum and reject the constitution.
Deccan Herald
Myanmar referendum will not be free: NLD
Junta warns embassies against supporting Suu Kyi
YANGON: Myanmar’s pro-democracy party said Thursday that next month’s constitutional referendum would not be free and fair as the junta was quashing any attempts to speak out against it.
The National League for Democracy (NLD), which has already called on the public to vote “No” in the May 10 charter poll, said any attempts to campaign against the constitution were being suppressed, sometimes violently. “An intimidating atmosphere for the people is created by physically assaulting some of the members of (the) NLD,” it said in a statement. “For these reasons, it is now obvious that the forthcoming referendum cannot be free and fair.
Hence this referendum is not transparent or free and is not reliable for the people to get justice.” The party, headed by imprisoned democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, said that while the military authorities were able to campaign freely for a “yes” vote, freedom of speech did not apply to anyone else. “Private media are not allowed to express freely their opinion and are being restricted or controlled,” it said, adding that official NLD documents were being confiscated by authorities.
Local NLD organisers had also been detained and interrogated, it said, and called for the government to allow UN and foreign election observers - a suggestion already rejected by the military last month.
Embassies warned: The junta on Thursday warned foreign embassies not to support Aung San Suu Kyi’s pro-democracy party. The warning carried in the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper came the morning after the regime announced that the referendum would be held on May 10. “Certain foreign powers, with the intention of interfering in the internal affairs of Myanmar, are now ... aiding and abetting some local political parties to destabilise the country,” the paper said.
“Some diplomats of certain foreign embassies in Yangon regularly visit NLD (headquarters), hold talks and give directives to harm the interests of the nation and the people,” the paper said. “The embassies should stop such activities,” the government mouthpiece said. The ruling junta says the new constitution will help create a “discipline-flourishing democracy,” with multiparty elections set for 2010.
Daily times afp
YANGON: Myanmar’s pro-democracy party said Thursday that next month’s constitutional referendum would not be free and fair as the junta was quashing any attempts to speak out against it.
The National League for Democracy (NLD), which has already called on the public to vote “No” in the May 10 charter poll, said any attempts to campaign against the constitution were being suppressed, sometimes violently. “An intimidating atmosphere for the people is created by physically assaulting some of the members of (the) NLD,” it said in a statement. “For these reasons, it is now obvious that the forthcoming referendum cannot be free and fair.
Hence this referendum is not transparent or free and is not reliable for the people to get justice.” The party, headed by imprisoned democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, said that while the military authorities were able to campaign freely for a “yes” vote, freedom of speech did not apply to anyone else. “Private media are not allowed to express freely their opinion and are being restricted or controlled,” it said, adding that official NLD documents were being confiscated by authorities.
Local NLD organisers had also been detained and interrogated, it said, and called for the government to allow UN and foreign election observers - a suggestion already rejected by the military last month.
Embassies warned: The junta on Thursday warned foreign embassies not to support Aung San Suu Kyi’s pro-democracy party. The warning carried in the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper came the morning after the regime announced that the referendum would be held on May 10. “Certain foreign powers, with the intention of interfering in the internal affairs of Myanmar, are now ... aiding and abetting some local political parties to destabilise the country,” the paper said.
“Some diplomats of certain foreign embassies in Yangon regularly visit NLD (headquarters), hold talks and give directives to harm the interests of the nation and the people,” the paper said. “The embassies should stop such activities,” the government mouthpiece said. The ruling junta says the new constitution will help create a “discipline-flourishing democracy,” with multiparty elections set for 2010.
Daily times afp
Burma Plans Its "Democracy"
By HANNAH BEECH
The announcer on Burmese state television only had two sentences to offer, but they were supposed to herald good news. On May 10th, he declared, Burma would hold a constitutional referendum, giving citizens a rare chance to participate in the political process. In the wake of global condemnation of crushed protests last year, Burma's secretive junta had apparently committed itself to a modicum of reform. Among the first steps would be a plebiscite on the army-drafted charter. (The previous constitution was torn up by the junta 18 years ago, and the country has operated without a basic law since then.) Then would come multi-party elections in 2010. The end result would be what Burma's generals refer to as "discipline-flourishing democracy."
But, as you might expect from one of the world's most repressive regimes, the Burmese junta's version of democracy comes with plenty of catches. First, Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning opposition leader who has spent more than a decade under house arrest, will be barred from the 2010 elections because of a peculiar clause in the constitutional draft that disqualifies candidates who have family members who are foreigners. (Suu Kyi's husband, who died in 1999, was English, and her two sons hold British passports.) Second, despite several mentions of the word "democracy" — albeit always attached to the strange phrase "discipline-flourishing" — the draft ensures that the military will continue to exert great control over the nation. A quarter of all parliamentary seats will be filled by military officers, while the president must have a military background. And just in case a true democracy manages to flourish despite all the clauses designed to hinder it, the junta grants its members an amnesty from future prosecution.
Few Burmese will have the opportunity to peruse the 194-page charter draft. Currently, official copies are available only at government-run bookstores — and they must be purchased. Samizdat versions are available, and some pro-democracy activists have been poring through the text to publicize what they contend are the myriad ways in which the constitution subverts true democratic principles. But even if the draft were widely available, the majority of Burma's 53 million mostly impoverished residents are hardly likely to sit down with a 15-chapter tome.
The country's main opposition party, the National League for Democracy, has called for Burmese voters to reject the draft. But given that Burma's generals (who prefer to call their country Myanmar) rejected a plea by the United Nations to allow international monitoring of the referendum, no outside observer will be able to indicate whether voting irregularities take place. Furthermore, a February law has made criticizing the referendum a crime punishable by imprisonment — hardly an ideal environment for open debate on the charter draft. Amnesty International estimates 700 political prisoners still crowd the country's jails as a result of last year's protest movement.
And politics aside, most Burmese are mainly focused on filling their bellies, as food prices keep climbing skyward. Hundreds of thousands of Burmese have already fled the country for economic reasons, sometimes with tragic consequences. On Wednesday, police in neighboring Thailand discovered a cold-storage container mounted on a truck that was crammed with 121 Burmese illegal immigrants who were hoping to find work as day laborers. At least 54 of the passengers had suffocated to death. Even though the incident highlights the dangers of illegal immigration, plenty more Burmese will likely flood over the border. And there's little chance that a constitutional referendum is going to stem that tide.
[NOTE: The junta that runs the country imposed a systematic name change several years ago, decreeing that Burma was to be called Myanmar and the capital Rangoon was to be Yangon. The opposition has never accepted these changes; neither has the U.S. government. TIME continues to use Burma and Rangoon.]
The announcer on Burmese state television only had two sentences to offer, but they were supposed to herald good news. On May 10th, he declared, Burma would hold a constitutional referendum, giving citizens a rare chance to participate in the political process. In the wake of global condemnation of crushed protests last year, Burma's secretive junta had apparently committed itself to a modicum of reform. Among the first steps would be a plebiscite on the army-drafted charter. (The previous constitution was torn up by the junta 18 years ago, and the country has operated without a basic law since then.) Then would come multi-party elections in 2010. The end result would be what Burma's generals refer to as "discipline-flourishing democracy."
But, as you might expect from one of the world's most repressive regimes, the Burmese junta's version of democracy comes with plenty of catches. First, Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning opposition leader who has spent more than a decade under house arrest, will be barred from the 2010 elections because of a peculiar clause in the constitutional draft that disqualifies candidates who have family members who are foreigners. (Suu Kyi's husband, who died in 1999, was English, and her two sons hold British passports.) Second, despite several mentions of the word "democracy" — albeit always attached to the strange phrase "discipline-flourishing" — the draft ensures that the military will continue to exert great control over the nation. A quarter of all parliamentary seats will be filled by military officers, while the president must have a military background. And just in case a true democracy manages to flourish despite all the clauses designed to hinder it, the junta grants its members an amnesty from future prosecution.
Few Burmese will have the opportunity to peruse the 194-page charter draft. Currently, official copies are available only at government-run bookstores — and they must be purchased. Samizdat versions are available, and some pro-democracy activists have been poring through the text to publicize what they contend are the myriad ways in which the constitution subverts true democratic principles. But even if the draft were widely available, the majority of Burma's 53 million mostly impoverished residents are hardly likely to sit down with a 15-chapter tome.
The country's main opposition party, the National League for Democracy, has called for Burmese voters to reject the draft. But given that Burma's generals (who prefer to call their country Myanmar) rejected a plea by the United Nations to allow international monitoring of the referendum, no outside observer will be able to indicate whether voting irregularities take place. Furthermore, a February law has made criticizing the referendum a crime punishable by imprisonment — hardly an ideal environment for open debate on the charter draft. Amnesty International estimates 700 political prisoners still crowd the country's jails as a result of last year's protest movement.
And politics aside, most Burmese are mainly focused on filling their bellies, as food prices keep climbing skyward. Hundreds of thousands of Burmese have already fled the country for economic reasons, sometimes with tragic consequences. On Wednesday, police in neighboring Thailand discovered a cold-storage container mounted on a truck that was crammed with 121 Burmese illegal immigrants who were hoping to find work as day laborers. At least 54 of the passengers had suffocated to death. Even though the incident highlights the dangers of illegal immigration, plenty more Burmese will likely flood over the border. And there's little chance that a constitutional referendum is going to stem that tide.
[NOTE: The junta that runs the country imposed a systematic name change several years ago, decreeing that Burma was to be called Myanmar and the capital Rangoon was to be Yangon. The opposition has never accepted these changes; neither has the U.S. government. TIME continues to use Burma and Rangoon.]
Burmese Tell US Lawmakers About Brutal Crackdown
By Cindy Saine
Washington
10 April 2008 (VOA) - Three monks who helped organize protests in Burma last September, and eye-witnessesed the brutal crackdown by the military government, made their first public remarks in the United States Wednesday. The three monks spoke at a briefing of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in Washington, where they also expressed their opposition to a national referendum on the constitution, scheduled for May 10. VOA Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from Washington.
Six months ago, tens of thousands of students and monks demonstrated against the military government in the streets of Rangoon. The mainly peaceful protests, known as the "Saffron Revolution," were triggered by a dramatic spike in fuel prices, caused by the cancellation of fuel subsidies. Authorities responded by beating and jailing protesters and raiding monasteries.
Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich says Burma's government is threatening ordinary people's survival.
"In Burma, we saw in the last year a tremendous increase in the price of gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas, they are really trying to crush people's ability to even survive, financially, you know, economically," he said.
Three eyewitnesses to the events in Burma managed to flee the country and have been permitted to resettle in the United States. U Kovida was an organizer of the Monks Representative Group, which led the first demonstration by monks in Rangoon before the crackdown. He fled to Thailand, and became one of the first monks to tell the outside world of the violence.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the people of Burma are not only suffering from extreme poverty, hardship, substandard healthcare, education and social services, but also facing oppression by the military government on a daily basis," he said. "When monks in Burma understood, realized and felt the hardship the people had to go through, we decided to protest peacefully and everyone knows how we were dealt with."
Another monk, U Gawsita, was a member of the "All Burma Monk's Alliance", and a major leader of the protests by monks in Rangoon. He summed up the results of the brutality.
"Nearly 200 monks and people were killed and seven thousand, over seven thousand were arrested," he said. "I was also beaten on my head."
Estimates on the number of people killed vary widely. The three monks said security in Rangoon is still tight, and troops are patrolling the streets of the capital ahead of next month's planned referendum on the constitution. All three rejected it, calling it a "sham". The proposed constitution will guarantee 25 percent of parliamentary seats to the military, and ban opposition leader San Suu Kyi from holding office, because her late husband and sons are British.
The monks called on the U.S. Congress to ban the import of Burmese rubies and jade into the United States and to freeze the assets of Burmese political and military leaders.
Washington
10 April 2008 (VOA) - Three monks who helped organize protests in Burma last September, and eye-witnessesed the brutal crackdown by the military government, made their first public remarks in the United States Wednesday. The three monks spoke at a briefing of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in Washington, where they also expressed their opposition to a national referendum on the constitution, scheduled for May 10. VOA Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from Washington.
Six months ago, tens of thousands of students and monks demonstrated against the military government in the streets of Rangoon. The mainly peaceful protests, known as the "Saffron Revolution," were triggered by a dramatic spike in fuel prices, caused by the cancellation of fuel subsidies. Authorities responded by beating and jailing protesters and raiding monasteries.
Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich says Burma's government is threatening ordinary people's survival.
"In Burma, we saw in the last year a tremendous increase in the price of gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas, they are really trying to crush people's ability to even survive, financially, you know, economically," he said.
Three eyewitnesses to the events in Burma managed to flee the country and have been permitted to resettle in the United States. U Kovida was an organizer of the Monks Representative Group, which led the first demonstration by monks in Rangoon before the crackdown. He fled to Thailand, and became one of the first monks to tell the outside world of the violence.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the people of Burma are not only suffering from extreme poverty, hardship, substandard healthcare, education and social services, but also facing oppression by the military government on a daily basis," he said. "When monks in Burma understood, realized and felt the hardship the people had to go through, we decided to protest peacefully and everyone knows how we were dealt with."
Another monk, U Gawsita, was a member of the "All Burma Monk's Alliance", and a major leader of the protests by monks in Rangoon. He summed up the results of the brutality.
"Nearly 200 monks and people were killed and seven thousand, over seven thousand were arrested," he said. "I was also beaten on my head."
Estimates on the number of people killed vary widely. The three monks said security in Rangoon is still tight, and troops are patrolling the streets of the capital ahead of next month's planned referendum on the constitution. All three rejected it, calling it a "sham". The proposed constitution will guarantee 25 percent of parliamentary seats to the military, and ban opposition leader San Suu Kyi from holding office, because her late husband and sons are British.
The monks called on the U.S. Congress to ban the import of Burmese rubies and jade into the United States and to freeze the assets of Burmese political and military leaders.
US Finds Serious Flaws in Burma's Draft Constitution
By David Gollust
State Department
10 April 2008
Gollust report - Download (MP3) audio clip
Gollust report - Listen (MP3) audio clip
The U.S. State Department said Thursday Burma's new draft constitution provides little hope for real change in the military-ruled Southeast Asian country. To be voted on in a May 10 referendum, the draft would leave major power in the hands of the military. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
The United States was an harsh critic of the Burmese constitution-writing process because it largely excluded the political opposition.
Now, the State Department says the draft produced by the country's long-running national convention provides scant hopes for those looking for democratic change.
Published Wednesday, the nearly-200-page constitutional draft would reserve one-quarter of the seats in both houses of parliament for military officers, and give the country's military chief the right to suspend the constitution at any time.
Another clause bars anyone who has been married to a foreign national from holding political office, a provision that appears tailor-made to exclude opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, once married to a British national.
At a news briefing, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said U.S. officials have made only a preliminary analysis of the draft but said a first reading indicates some issues of serious concern.
"It, at first glance, would appear intended only to perpetuate the rule of the existing military junta in Burma," he said. "It does not provide for the kind of open, serious and sustained dialogue with the democratic opposition forces in Burma that we as well as other members of the international community have called for, and that for example Aung San Suu Kyi has called for."
"So at first glance this draft constitution that the regime intends to put to a vote does not give much hope to those who are looking for real democratic change in Burma," he added.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, the NLD, won national elections in 1990 but was barred from taking power. The Nobel Peace Laureate has been under detention most of the time since then.
In comments Wednesday, President Bush said he was disappointed with political progress made in Burma, and said the military authorities need to understand that they should not fear their own people.
The NLD walked out of the 14-year-long national convention in 1995 because of restrictive rules and was later expelled altogether. It has urged Burmese to vote against the draft on May 10.
The military government Thursday accused the NLD of taking directives from unnamed foreign embassies which it claimed were trying to destabilize the country.
Asked about the charge of foreign meddling, State Department Spokesman McCormack called it a "canard."
He said Aung San Suu Kyi and others pushing for democratic change are Burmese patriots who had been working for a better future for the country long before the international spotlight became focused on them.
Voice of America
State Department
10 April 2008
Gollust report - Download (MP3) audio clip
Gollust report - Listen (MP3) audio clip
The U.S. State Department said Thursday Burma's new draft constitution provides little hope for real change in the military-ruled Southeast Asian country. To be voted on in a May 10 referendum, the draft would leave major power in the hands of the military. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
The United States was an harsh critic of the Burmese constitution-writing process because it largely excluded the political opposition.
Now, the State Department says the draft produced by the country's long-running national convention provides scant hopes for those looking for democratic change.
Published Wednesday, the nearly-200-page constitutional draft would reserve one-quarter of the seats in both houses of parliament for military officers, and give the country's military chief the right to suspend the constitution at any time.
Another clause bars anyone who has been married to a foreign national from holding political office, a provision that appears tailor-made to exclude opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, once married to a British national.
At a news briefing, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said U.S. officials have made only a preliminary analysis of the draft but said a first reading indicates some issues of serious concern.
"It, at first glance, would appear intended only to perpetuate the rule of the existing military junta in Burma," he said. "It does not provide for the kind of open, serious and sustained dialogue with the democratic opposition forces in Burma that we as well as other members of the international community have called for, and that for example Aung San Suu Kyi has called for."
"So at first glance this draft constitution that the regime intends to put to a vote does not give much hope to those who are looking for real democratic change in Burma," he added.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, the NLD, won national elections in 1990 but was barred from taking power. The Nobel Peace Laureate has been under detention most of the time since then.
In comments Wednesday, President Bush said he was disappointed with political progress made in Burma, and said the military authorities need to understand that they should not fear their own people.
The NLD walked out of the 14-year-long national convention in 1995 because of restrictive rules and was later expelled altogether. It has urged Burmese to vote against the draft on May 10.
The military government Thursday accused the NLD of taking directives from unnamed foreign embassies which it claimed were trying to destabilize the country.
Asked about the charge of foreign meddling, State Department Spokesman McCormack called it a "canard."
He said Aung San Suu Kyi and others pushing for democratic change are Burmese patriots who had been working for a better future for the country long before the international spotlight became focused on them.
Voice of America
Cargo suffocation reveals Myanmar's plights
Villagers rescue survivors
It was only when nearby villagers heard screams and banging from the vehicle that they came to investigate and opened the doors, he said.
"When police got to the scene, they found that 54 of the workers were already dead in the packed container truck," said Col. Kraithong. Thirty-seven of the dead were women and 17 were men. The 67 survivors were split about evenly between men and women.
Read More at: MSN -
It was only when nearby villagers heard screams and banging from the vehicle that they came to investigate and opened the doors, he said.
"When police got to the scene, they found that 54 of the workers were already dead in the packed container truck," said Col. Kraithong. Thirty-seven of the dead were women and 17 were men. The 67 survivors were split about evenly between men and women.
Read More at: MSN -
US says it has misgivings about Myanmar's new constitution draft
WASHINGTON (IHT): The United States says it has serious concerns about a new draft of Myanmar's constitution that the country's ruling generals intend to put to a vote next month.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack says it appears intended only to perpetuate the country's military rule and does not provide for a dialogue with opposition forces.
He told reporters Thursday that the constitution does not give much hope for democratic change.
Myanmar's main opposition party is urging international observers to monitor the country's referendum on a new constitution.
The main opposition party, the National League for Democracy, says the May 10 referendum cannot be free and fair because the rules are stacked against the military junta's opponents.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack says it appears intended only to perpetuate the country's military rule and does not provide for a dialogue with opposition forces.
He told reporters Thursday that the constitution does not give much hope for democratic change.
Myanmar's main opposition party is urging international observers to monitor the country's referendum on a new constitution.
The main opposition party, the National League for Democracy, says the May 10 referendum cannot be free and fair because the rules are stacked against the military junta's opponents.
Burma cracks down on 'no' campaign - opposition
Burma's main opposition party urged on Thursday that there be international observers of the May 10 constitutional referendum, saying its "No" campaigners were being assaulted and their materials seized in the run-up to the vote.
"Local authorities are committing acts of suppression by trying to seize documents of the NLD and detain or interrogate township organizers, the National League for Democracy said a day after the junta-drafted charter was made public.
NLD spokesman Nyan Win told Reuters at least three NLD members were attacked by unknown assailants as they campaigned against the constitution in Yangon, the former Burma's biggest city.
"For this reason, it is now obvious that the forthcoming referendum cannot be free and fair," the party's executive committee said in a statement demanding foreign observers, including from the United Nations.
In New York, the United Nations said what was important to the international community "is that the (Burma) government honors its stated commitment to a free and fair process."
"The United Nations once more strongly urges the authorities in Burma to ensure that conditions will be put in place that are conducive to making the referendum inclusive and credible," U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe told reporters.
Myanmar Information Minister Kyaw Hsaw promised last month the vote would be "free and fair," but he bluntly rejected offers of U.N. technical assistance and monitors.
The charter, dismissed by Western critics as a ploy to entrench 46 years of army rule, grants the military an automatic 25 percent of seats in parliament.
It also gives the commander in chief the right to suspend the constitution at will.
KEY STEP
The junta, which tightly controls the media in Burma, otherwise known as Myanmar, has urged the country's 53 million people to back the charter, an important step in the junta's seven-point "road map to democracy" meant to culminate in multiparty elections in 2010.
The official New Light of Myanmar newspaper accused unnamed foreign governments of aiding the opposition to "destabilize the country" before the referendum.
It said some foreign diplomats in Rangoon (Yangon) had visited NLD headquarters to "give directives to harm the interests of the nation and the people."
It did not name the embassies, but said their activities violated international law and should stop.
On the streets of Rangoon, Buddhist monks were among those who snapped up copies of the 194-page charter selling for $1 at private stalls and government bookstores.
"Fifty copies sold like hot cakes in less than an hour," a roadside bookstall owner said. "I never thought our people would be so keen on the constitution."
The junta, which sparked international outrage last September when troops crushed anti-junta protests, has ordered civil servants to vote "yes" next month and to persuade their family members to do so too.
"We have been told we will have to vote in our offices," a government employee said. The junta has not publicly explained how the referendum will be run.
Nyan Win said many people would not have enough time to study the constitution.
"Most people in Yangon will get their copies only today. What about those in provinces?" he said.
Christian Today
"Local authorities are committing acts of suppression by trying to seize documents of the NLD and detain or interrogate township organizers, the National League for Democracy said a day after the junta-drafted charter was made public.
NLD spokesman Nyan Win told Reuters at least three NLD members were attacked by unknown assailants as they campaigned against the constitution in Yangon, the former Burma's biggest city.
"For this reason, it is now obvious that the forthcoming referendum cannot be free and fair," the party's executive committee said in a statement demanding foreign observers, including from the United Nations.
In New York, the United Nations said what was important to the international community "is that the (Burma) government honors its stated commitment to a free and fair process."
"The United Nations once more strongly urges the authorities in Burma to ensure that conditions will be put in place that are conducive to making the referendum inclusive and credible," U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe told reporters.
Myanmar Information Minister Kyaw Hsaw promised last month the vote would be "free and fair," but he bluntly rejected offers of U.N. technical assistance and monitors.
The charter, dismissed by Western critics as a ploy to entrench 46 years of army rule, grants the military an automatic 25 percent of seats in parliament.
It also gives the commander in chief the right to suspend the constitution at will.
KEY STEP
The junta, which tightly controls the media in Burma, otherwise known as Myanmar, has urged the country's 53 million people to back the charter, an important step in the junta's seven-point "road map to democracy" meant to culminate in multiparty elections in 2010.
The official New Light of Myanmar newspaper accused unnamed foreign governments of aiding the opposition to "destabilize the country" before the referendum.
It said some foreign diplomats in Rangoon (Yangon) had visited NLD headquarters to "give directives to harm the interests of the nation and the people."
It did not name the embassies, but said their activities violated international law and should stop.
On the streets of Rangoon, Buddhist monks were among those who snapped up copies of the 194-page charter selling for $1 at private stalls and government bookstores.
"Fifty copies sold like hot cakes in less than an hour," a roadside bookstall owner said. "I never thought our people would be so keen on the constitution."
The junta, which sparked international outrage last September when troops crushed anti-junta protests, has ordered civil servants to vote "yes" next month and to persuade their family members to do so too.
"We have been told we will have to vote in our offices," a government employee said. The junta has not publicly explained how the referendum will be run.
Nyan Win said many people would not have enough time to study the constitution.
"Most people in Yangon will get their copies only today. What about those in provinces?" he said.
Christian Today
Myanmar pro-democracy party calls for international observers at constitution vote
YANGON (AP - IHT), Myanmar: Myanmar's main opposition party called Thursday on international observers to take part in the country's referendum on a new constitution that critics say would perpetuate military rule.
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party said the May 10 referendum "cannot be free and fair" because the rules are stacked against the military regime's opponents.
The United Nations, which has been trying to promote democratization in Myanmar, urged the country's ruling junta Thursday to make the referendum "inclusive and credible."
The NLD statement said the military government is allowed to campaign openly and without restriction in favor of the proposed constitution, while the party and pro-democracy activists are denied freedom of speech and face restrictions and harassment.
It charged that physical assaults on party members created an "intimidating atmosphere."
For people to cast their ballots without fear and to obtain credibility among the international community, "it is now urgently needed to permit international observers, including from the United Nations," it said.
Junta officials rejected the idea of international observers when it was proposed to them by United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari in a meeting last month. State media said it was decided there was no precedent for it and it infringed on Myanmar's sovereignty.
State media also reported that the junta turned down Gambari's offer to have the U.N. provide technical expertise for the vote, with the government saying it could hold the polls on its own.
The NLD has urged voters to reject the proposed charter because it was drafted under the junta's direct control, without any input from the country's pro-democracy movement.
The draft constitution will be adopted if more than half of eligible voters approve it.
The document bans anyone who enjoyed the rights and privileges of a foreign citizen from holding public office. This would keep Suu Kyi out of government because her late husband, Michael Aris, was a Briton and their two sons are British.
Suu Kyi, who is currently under house arrest, has been in detention without trial for more than 12 of the past 18 years.
The proposed charter allots 25 percent of the seats in both houses of Parliament to the military. It empowers the president to transfer legislative, executive and judicial powers to the military's commander in chief for a year if a state of emergency arises.
It also stipulates that no amendments to the charter can be made without the consent of more than 75 percent of lawmakers, making changes unlikely unless supported by military representatives in Parliament.
The constitutional referendum is supposed to be followed by a general election in 2010.
U.N. deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said Wednesday's announcement by Myanmar authorities that the referendum will be held on May 10 confirms the timeframe announced by the government in February.
"What is more important for the United Nations and the international community is that the government honors its stated commitment to a free and fair process," Okabe told reporters at U.N. headquarters.
"In this regard, the United Nations once more urges the authorities in Myanmar to ensure that conditions will be put in place that are conducive to making the referendum inclusive and credible," she said.
Myanmar has been without a constitution since 1988, when the current junta took power and scrapped the previous charter after violently quashing mass pro-democracy demonstrations.
Suu Kyi's party won the last general elections in 1990, but the military refused to hand over power, instead stepping up its repression of dissidents.
The junta has been under strong international pressure to make democratic reforms, especially since it violently quashed pro-democracy protests last September. The U.N. estimates at least 31 people were killed in the crackdown and thousands more were detained.
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party said the May 10 referendum "cannot be free and fair" because the rules are stacked against the military regime's opponents.
The United Nations, which has been trying to promote democratization in Myanmar, urged the country's ruling junta Thursday to make the referendum "inclusive and credible."
The NLD statement said the military government is allowed to campaign openly and without restriction in favor of the proposed constitution, while the party and pro-democracy activists are denied freedom of speech and face restrictions and harassment.
It charged that physical assaults on party members created an "intimidating atmosphere."
For people to cast their ballots without fear and to obtain credibility among the international community, "it is now urgently needed to permit international observers, including from the United Nations," it said.
Junta officials rejected the idea of international observers when it was proposed to them by United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari in a meeting last month. State media said it was decided there was no precedent for it and it infringed on Myanmar's sovereignty.
State media also reported that the junta turned down Gambari's offer to have the U.N. provide technical expertise for the vote, with the government saying it could hold the polls on its own.
The NLD has urged voters to reject the proposed charter because it was drafted under the junta's direct control, without any input from the country's pro-democracy movement.
The draft constitution will be adopted if more than half of eligible voters approve it.
The document bans anyone who enjoyed the rights and privileges of a foreign citizen from holding public office. This would keep Suu Kyi out of government because her late husband, Michael Aris, was a Briton and their two sons are British.
Suu Kyi, who is currently under house arrest, has been in detention without trial for more than 12 of the past 18 years.
The proposed charter allots 25 percent of the seats in both houses of Parliament to the military. It empowers the president to transfer legislative, executive and judicial powers to the military's commander in chief for a year if a state of emergency arises.
It also stipulates that no amendments to the charter can be made without the consent of more than 75 percent of lawmakers, making changes unlikely unless supported by military representatives in Parliament.
The constitutional referendum is supposed to be followed by a general election in 2010.
U.N. deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said Wednesday's announcement by Myanmar authorities that the referendum will be held on May 10 confirms the timeframe announced by the government in February.
"What is more important for the United Nations and the international community is that the government honors its stated commitment to a free and fair process," Okabe told reporters at U.N. headquarters.
"In this regard, the United Nations once more urges the authorities in Myanmar to ensure that conditions will be put in place that are conducive to making the referendum inclusive and credible," she said.
Myanmar has been without a constitution since 1988, when the current junta took power and scrapped the previous charter after violently quashing mass pro-democracy demonstrations.
Suu Kyi's party won the last general elections in 1990, but the military refused to hand over power, instead stepping up its repression of dissidents.
The junta has been under strong international pressure to make democratic reforms, especially since it violently quashed pro-democracy protests last September. The U.N. estimates at least 31 people were killed in the crackdown and thousands more were detained.
Thursday, 10 April 2008
Rudd comments blacked out
April 10, 2008
* Rudd Tibet comments ignored by Chinese press
* Rudd's manadarin skills widely reported
* Rudd attending state welcoming ceremony today
CHINA'S state-run press has all but ignored Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's comments about human rights problems in Tibet, while lavishing praise on his knowledge of China.
"Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd enthralled his audience at Peking University with an intimate grasp of China affairs and a thorough understanding of global politics yesterday," the China Daily wrote today.
The English-language newspaper highlighted a quote from Mr Rudd expressing his opposition to a boycott of the Olympic Games, without mentioning Tibet.
The People's Daily, the Communist Party's main mouthpiece, also reported on Mr Rudd's support for the Olympics, while the Beijing Youth Daily highlighted his humourous quips.
Most papers also reported on Mr Rudd's fluent Mandarin skills and the fact he delivered his speech in Chinese.
But none of the major newspapers mentioned his more controversial comments on Tibet.
"Australia, like most other countries, recognises China's sovereignty over Tibet but we also believe it is necessary to recognise there are significant human rights problems in Tibet," he said in his speech yesterday.
"The current situation in Tibet is of concern to Australians."
The Global Times newspaper, which belongs to the People's Daily and reports mainly on foreign affairs issues, appeared to be the only mainstream media outlet to report his Tibet comments.
China's media, which is under the strict control of the ruling Communist Party, has over recent weeks severely criticised the Western press for supposed bias in covering the past of month of Tibetan unrest.
Today Mr Rud was attending a lavish welcoming ceremony with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Violence erupted in Tibet on March 14, after four days of peaceful protests to mark the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule in the Himalayan region.
Tibetan exiles leaders say more than 150 people have been killed in a Chinese crackdown on the unrest, claims China's press has ignored or sought to discredit.
Instead it has highlighted the Chinese Government's statements that Tibetan "rioters" killed 20 people.
* Rudd Tibet comments ignored by Chinese press
* Rudd's manadarin skills widely reported
* Rudd attending state welcoming ceremony today
CHINA'S state-run press has all but ignored Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's comments about human rights problems in Tibet, while lavishing praise on his knowledge of China.
"Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd enthralled his audience at Peking University with an intimate grasp of China affairs and a thorough understanding of global politics yesterday," the China Daily wrote today.
The English-language newspaper highlighted a quote from Mr Rudd expressing his opposition to a boycott of the Olympic Games, without mentioning Tibet.
The People's Daily, the Communist Party's main mouthpiece, also reported on Mr Rudd's support for the Olympics, while the Beijing Youth Daily highlighted his humourous quips.
Most papers also reported on Mr Rudd's fluent Mandarin skills and the fact he delivered his speech in Chinese.
But none of the major newspapers mentioned his more controversial comments on Tibet.
"Australia, like most other countries, recognises China's sovereignty over Tibet but we also believe it is necessary to recognise there are significant human rights problems in Tibet," he said in his speech yesterday.
"The current situation in Tibet is of concern to Australians."
The Global Times newspaper, which belongs to the People's Daily and reports mainly on foreign affairs issues, appeared to be the only mainstream media outlet to report his Tibet comments.
China's media, which is under the strict control of the ruling Communist Party, has over recent weeks severely criticised the Western press for supposed bias in covering the past of month of Tibetan unrest.
Today Mr Rud was attending a lavish welcoming ceremony with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Violence erupted in Tibet on March 14, after four days of peaceful protests to mark the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule in the Himalayan region.
Tibetan exiles leaders say more than 150 people have been killed in a Chinese crackdown on the unrest, claims China's press has ignored or sought to discredit.
Instead it has highlighted the Chinese Government's statements that Tibetan "rioters" killed 20 people.
Bush condemns Myanmar after meeting with Singapore minister
(AP) WASHINGTON: U.S. President George W. Bush and Singapore Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong on Wednesday urged Myanmar's ruling military junta on Wednesday to begin talks with opposition forces.
Bush said he and Goh talked about how Myanmar's military "shouldn't fear the voices of people. And yet they do. I'm disappointed with the progress made to date there and would urge the military leadership there to open up and respond to the will of the people."
Myanmar's junta has received worldwide criticism since soldiers killed and arrested protesters, including Buddhist monks, last year. Rights groups have reported continued arrests and abuse, despite claims by the junta that the crackdown has stopped. Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962.
Goh said, "The army has to be part of the solution. Without the army playing a part in solving problems in Myanmar, there will be no solution."
Bush said he and Goh also discussed a recent Chinese crackdown on anti-government protesters in Tibet. He said that "it would stand the Chinese government in good stead if they would begin a dialogue with the representatives of the Dalai Lama," Tibet's exiled Buddhist leader.
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Goh added that China talking with the Dalai Lama is "the only way for them to contain this problem."
Bush said he and Goh talked about how Myanmar's military "shouldn't fear the voices of people. And yet they do. I'm disappointed with the progress made to date there and would urge the military leadership there to open up and respond to the will of the people."
Myanmar's junta has received worldwide criticism since soldiers killed and arrested protesters, including Buddhist monks, last year. Rights groups have reported continued arrests and abuse, despite claims by the junta that the crackdown has stopped. Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962.
Goh said, "The army has to be part of the solution. Without the army playing a part in solving problems in Myanmar, there will be no solution."
Bush said he and Goh also discussed a recent Chinese crackdown on anti-government protesters in Tibet. He said that "it would stand the Chinese government in good stead if they would begin a dialogue with the representatives of the Dalai Lama," Tibet's exiled Buddhist leader.
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More doubt in congressional hearing on Iraq
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Goh added that China talking with the Dalai Lama is "the only way for them to contain this problem."
Junta releases handbook for referendum officials
Reporting by Khin Maung Soe Min
Apr 9, 2008 (DVB)–The Burmese referendum commission has released a handbook for ballot station officers which gives guidelines and practical details on how voting will be conducted in the May referendum.
Under the guidelines, seven officials will be assigned to polling stations designed for 1000 voters, with more officials sent to supervise larger stations.
The officials will include a station supervisor, vote examiners, security officers and vote handlers.
The handbook states that each polling booth should contain a pen attached with a chain to prevent it being stolen, and instructs ballot stations to keep spare blank votes for an additional 10 percent of the number of expected voters in case they are needed.
U Aung Htoo of the Burma Lawyers Council said the guidelines were inadequate and would not ensure a fair vote.
“The weak point of the handbook is that it doesn’t say how many people are allowed to vote in the referendum,” he said.
“The book also points out that votes should be counted in the ballot stations but the results should not be made public. This makes it obvious the government is plotting to rig the results of the voting.”
Copies of the handbook have not yet been made available to the public.
Apr 9, 2008 (DVB)–The Burmese referendum commission has released a handbook for ballot station officers which gives guidelines and practical details on how voting will be conducted in the May referendum.
Under the guidelines, seven officials will be assigned to polling stations designed for 1000 voters, with more officials sent to supervise larger stations.
The officials will include a station supervisor, vote examiners, security officers and vote handlers.
The handbook states that each polling booth should contain a pen attached with a chain to prevent it being stolen, and instructs ballot stations to keep spare blank votes for an additional 10 percent of the number of expected voters in case they are needed.
U Aung Htoo of the Burma Lawyers Council said the guidelines were inadequate and would not ensure a fair vote.
“The weak point of the handbook is that it doesn’t say how many people are allowed to vote in the referendum,” he said.
“The book also points out that votes should be counted in the ballot stations but the results should not be made public. This makes it obvious the government is plotting to rig the results of the voting.”
Copies of the handbook have not yet been made available to the public.
Detained monks to be given lay identity cards
Reporting by Aye Nai
Apr 9, 2008 (DVB)–Monks detained in Insein prison are being issued with lay identity cards in preparation for the May referendum, high-profile monk U Gambira told his sister during a recent prison visit.
Ma Khin Thu Htay, U Gambira’s sister, said prison authorities had asked the monk for his views on the upcoming referendum.
"U Gambira told me he was asked to discuss the referendum with government officials in Insein prison, but he apparently told them there was nothing to discuss as he does not recognize the draft constitution they have prepared," Khin Thu Htay said.
"He said they then asked him to at least say if he would vote 'Yes' or 'No' to the referendum and he told them he would choose to say 'No'."
U Gambira denounced Insein prison officials for forcing monk detainees to go back to their lay status and preparing to issue them with lay identity cards for the upcoming referendum.
"The prison authorities are preparing to issue lay ID cards for monks in detention. U Gambira told them he didn't need to get one as he already has a monk identification document," Khin Thu Htay said.
"U Gambira told prison officials he would report the matter to international organisations if the authorities continued to force monks to accept lay ID cards."
Under the junta’s referendum law introduced in February, monks and other members of religious orders are not eligible to vote.
People serving prison terms for any offence will also be excluded from the poll.
A family member of another Insein prison inmate told DVB earlier this month that prison authorities had been offering detainees a sentence reduction if they agreed to vote in favour of the constitution after their release.
Khin Thu Htay said the metta chanting campaign among Insein prison inmates, instigated by U Gambira, is continuing.
U Gambira has recently faced further interrogation sessions, but Khin Thu Htay said his remand for one of the charges against him has not been extended.
U Gambira, leader of the All-Burmese Monks Alliance, was arrested on 4 November 2007 in Sintgaing township, Magwe division, for his role in instigating public protests in September.
Apr 9, 2008 (DVB)–Monks detained in Insein prison are being issued with lay identity cards in preparation for the May referendum, high-profile monk U Gambira told his sister during a recent prison visit.
Ma Khin Thu Htay, U Gambira’s sister, said prison authorities had asked the monk for his views on the upcoming referendum.
"U Gambira told me he was asked to discuss the referendum with government officials in Insein prison, but he apparently told them there was nothing to discuss as he does not recognize the draft constitution they have prepared," Khin Thu Htay said.
"He said they then asked him to at least say if he would vote 'Yes' or 'No' to the referendum and he told them he would choose to say 'No'."
U Gambira denounced Insein prison officials for forcing monk detainees to go back to their lay status and preparing to issue them with lay identity cards for the upcoming referendum.
"The prison authorities are preparing to issue lay ID cards for monks in detention. U Gambira told them he didn't need to get one as he already has a monk identification document," Khin Thu Htay said.
"U Gambira told prison officials he would report the matter to international organisations if the authorities continued to force monks to accept lay ID cards."
Under the junta’s referendum law introduced in February, monks and other members of religious orders are not eligible to vote.
People serving prison terms for any offence will also be excluded from the poll.
A family member of another Insein prison inmate told DVB earlier this month that prison authorities had been offering detainees a sentence reduction if they agreed to vote in favour of the constitution after their release.
Khin Thu Htay said the metta chanting campaign among Insein prison inmates, instigated by U Gambira, is continuing.
U Gambira has recently faced further interrogation sessions, but Khin Thu Htay said his remand for one of the charges against him has not been extended.
U Gambira, leader of the All-Burmese Monks Alliance, was arrested on 4 November 2007 in Sintgaing township, Magwe division, for his role in instigating public protests in September.
Referendum Commission circular to ensure secret vote
Nay Thwin
Mizzima News
April 9, 2008
Chiang Mai – The Burmese military junta authorities wants the voting during the ensuing referendum in May to be secret. The National constitutional referendum commission has sent a circular to that effect to all its subordinate commissions at different levels.
The circular directs all subordinate commissions at ward and village levels in detail to make sure the vote is secret.
The 27-page circular instructs in detail how to build the polling station, the functions of poll booths officials and heads, detailed procedure before, during and after the voting.
"It's detailed and complete. As far as I have read the circular, if they strictly follow it, the referendum will certainly be free and fair. Only they need to follow it", Ko Kyaw Lin Oo, Thai based monitoring group member, said.
Ko Kyaw Lin Oo is the Director of 'Burma Democratic Concern' Thailand branch, which is advocating the casting of a 'No' vote in the referendum. The organization has branches in Thailand, UK and US, and is advocating not to recognize the constitution drafted by the regime and to monitor the regime's referendum to make sure there is no rigging and the referendum is free and fair.
According to the circular, there must be one polling booth if there are under 3,000 voters and 5 to 10 polling officials including a polling station head who will supervise the referendum.
There will be one ballot box if the voters are under 1,000, two for over 1,000 voters and three ballot boxes for voters under 3,000.
For the security of the polling booths, there will be police personnel or two to three poll booth assistants assigned by the concerned Ward and Village Tract Commission.
These security personnel will be responsible for smooth and systematic voting in the polling booths.
The voters shall tick their choice at the designated place in the polling booth and then cast their vote in the ballot box in person. The voters must use a ball pen placed on the table in the polling booth to tick on the ballot paper.
The voters must write 'X' for 'NO' vote and 'tick' the 'YES' vote on ballot papers.
The poll booth official will check the voter's ID against the voters list and then will issue the ballot paper if satisfied.
The voters must sign against their name in the voters' list 'remark' column when they receive the ballot paper or press the left thumb impression if the voter is illiterate.
The ballot papers will be invalid if there is no signature of the poll booth head, unclear marking on the ballot paper, no marking on the ballot paper, torn ballot paper, forged ballot paper as believed by the poll booth official.
The ward and village tract poll booth head must keep extra ballot papers equivalent to 10 per cent of voters in the poll booth concerned which is to be replaced with the ballot paper issued to the voters if they demand it.
The polling stations will be opened from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the poll date and voters who reach polling stations before 4 p.m. will be allowed to cast their votes even after 4 p.m.
The polling station head must count 'YES' vote, 'NO' vote, invalid vote and extra ballot papers before the public when the polling stations close. Then wrap and pack all these ballot papers properly and send it to the higher commission offices.
Making loud noises which will hamper the voting within 500 yards of the polling stations is strictly prohibited.
The regime has not yet fixed the exact date of referendum though they have announced they would hold the referendum in May this year.
Mizzima News
April 9, 2008
Chiang Mai – The Burmese military junta authorities wants the voting during the ensuing referendum in May to be secret. The National constitutional referendum commission has sent a circular to that effect to all its subordinate commissions at different levels.
The circular directs all subordinate commissions at ward and village levels in detail to make sure the vote is secret.
The 27-page circular instructs in detail how to build the polling station, the functions of poll booths officials and heads, detailed procedure before, during and after the voting.
"It's detailed and complete. As far as I have read the circular, if they strictly follow it, the referendum will certainly be free and fair. Only they need to follow it", Ko Kyaw Lin Oo, Thai based monitoring group member, said.
Ko Kyaw Lin Oo is the Director of 'Burma Democratic Concern' Thailand branch, which is advocating the casting of a 'No' vote in the referendum. The organization has branches in Thailand, UK and US, and is advocating not to recognize the constitution drafted by the regime and to monitor the regime's referendum to make sure there is no rigging and the referendum is free and fair.
According to the circular, there must be one polling booth if there are under 3,000 voters and 5 to 10 polling officials including a polling station head who will supervise the referendum.
There will be one ballot box if the voters are under 1,000, two for over 1,000 voters and three ballot boxes for voters under 3,000.
For the security of the polling booths, there will be police personnel or two to three poll booth assistants assigned by the concerned Ward and Village Tract Commission.
These security personnel will be responsible for smooth and systematic voting in the polling booths.
The voters shall tick their choice at the designated place in the polling booth and then cast their vote in the ballot box in person. The voters must use a ball pen placed on the table in the polling booth to tick on the ballot paper.
The voters must write 'X' for 'NO' vote and 'tick' the 'YES' vote on ballot papers.
The poll booth official will check the voter's ID against the voters list and then will issue the ballot paper if satisfied.
The voters must sign against their name in the voters' list 'remark' column when they receive the ballot paper or press the left thumb impression if the voter is illiterate.
The ballot papers will be invalid if there is no signature of the poll booth head, unclear marking on the ballot paper, no marking on the ballot paper, torn ballot paper, forged ballot paper as believed by the poll booth official.
The ward and village tract poll booth head must keep extra ballot papers equivalent to 10 per cent of voters in the poll booth concerned which is to be replaced with the ballot paper issued to the voters if they demand it.
The polling stations will be opened from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the poll date and voters who reach polling stations before 4 p.m. will be allowed to cast their votes even after 4 p.m.
The polling station head must count 'YES' vote, 'NO' vote, invalid vote and extra ballot papers before the public when the polling stations close. Then wrap and pack all these ballot papers properly and send it to the higher commission offices.
Making loud noises which will hamper the voting within 500 yards of the polling stations is strictly prohibited.
The regime has not yet fixed the exact date of referendum though they have announced they would hold the referendum in May this year.
China, Russia Oppose UN Security Council’s Draft Presidential Statement
By LALIT K JHA
The Irrawaddy News
China and Russia objected to a draft UN Security Council presidential statement on Burma on Monday that called for an early end to military rule and full participation of all political opposition groups.
Drafted by three permanent members of the Security Council—the US, Britain and France—the proposed presidential statement was circulated among the 15-members of the Security Council.
The draft statement was then discussed by Council members at what is called the “expert level.” It was during that meeting that China strongly objected to the contents of the draft statement. Russia followed, but with a less stringent objection, according to observers.
The Chinese objection, it is understood, was based on two major points— elections and the end the military rule. The draft statement is believed to have called for the government to bring an early end to military rule and to begin a transition to democracy.
Nothing the Burmese government’s planned constitutional referendum in May, and multi-party general elections in 2010, the draft statement emphasized the need for the process to be inclusive and credible, said sources.
The statement also called on the military government to allow the full participation of all political groups and individuals, including Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of a major opposition group.
“The Security Council further notes the commitment by the Government of Myanmar [Burma] to ensure that the referendum will be free and fair and that all will be allowed to participate on equal terms, and stresses that this commitment must be followed by action, including the guarantee of freedoms of expression, association and assembly in the political process leading to the referendum, as well as independent monitoring of the referendum,” it said.
No presidential statement could be approved without the consent of China and Russia, which wield veto power. The last presidential statement on Burma was issued on October 11, 2007, after negotiations between members.
The Irrawaddy News
China and Russia objected to a draft UN Security Council presidential statement on Burma on Monday that called for an early end to military rule and full participation of all political opposition groups.
Drafted by three permanent members of the Security Council—the US, Britain and France—the proposed presidential statement was circulated among the 15-members of the Security Council.
The draft statement was then discussed by Council members at what is called the “expert level.” It was during that meeting that China strongly objected to the contents of the draft statement. Russia followed, but with a less stringent objection, according to observers.
The Chinese objection, it is understood, was based on two major points— elections and the end the military rule. The draft statement is believed to have called for the government to bring an early end to military rule and to begin a transition to democracy.
Nothing the Burmese government’s planned constitutional referendum in May, and multi-party general elections in 2010, the draft statement emphasized the need for the process to be inclusive and credible, said sources.
The statement also called on the military government to allow the full participation of all political groups and individuals, including Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of a major opposition group.
“The Security Council further notes the commitment by the Government of Myanmar [Burma] to ensure that the referendum will be free and fair and that all will be allowed to participate on equal terms, and stresses that this commitment must be followed by action, including the guarantee of freedoms of expression, association and assembly in the political process leading to the referendum, as well as independent monitoring of the referendum,” it said.
No presidential statement could be approved without the consent of China and Russia, which wield veto power. The last presidential statement on Burma was issued on October 11, 2007, after negotiations between members.
How Can the Constitutional Referendum be Monitored?
By KYAW ZWA MOE
The Irrawaddy News
It’s now clear that many people in Burma will cast a “No” vote against the military government’s constitutional referendum in May.
On April 4, the words “No” appeared on the walls of several locations in Mandalay, Burma’s second largest city.
“We have spray-painted ‘No’ on walls,” a campaign organizer told The Irrawaddy. The “Vote No” campaign will proceed, he said, in spite of the junta’s new law that prohibits any opposition to the referendum.
The National League for Democracy, the main opposition group, has called on the electorate “to clearly and bravely vote ‘No’” in the referendum. The NLD took nearly two months to make its official announcement.
A “No” vote is required, said the NLD, because the draft constitution was written by “hand-picked puppets” of the military government and lacks basic principles of democracy and human rights. The NLD was the major winner in the 1990 general elections.
Meanwhile, a small group of people inside and outside Burma have expressed support for the draft. However, there is little likelihood of a real debate between “No” and “Yes” groups at this stage.
If the “Vote No” campaign gained significant momentum, there’s always the possibility that the junta might cancel the referendum, or, if the referendum proceeds, that the election results will be rigged by the junta’s so-called poll-watchers, including the Union Solidarity and Development Association.
Because the junta has banned outside poll-watchers, it’s up to the NLD and other groups to try to monitor the referendum as well as they can.
A proposal to allow international observers to monitor the referendum by UN Special Envoy to Burma Ibrahim Gambari in March was rejected outright by the military authorities.
“We are a sovereign country,” they said. “We have done these things before without international help.”
Gambari told The Irrawaddy in a recent exclusive interview: “Our position is that their situation has been the subject of international concern, so [there is a need] to enhance the credibility of the process, to meet the exercise of their sovereign right to ask for help. Technical assistance or even independent monitors need not come from the UN—it could be from international monitors or neighboring countries or from friendly countries.”
There is no chance the junta will change its mind and accept the UN’s proposal.
Therefore, the NLD and other activist groups have the impossible task of trying to monitor the election. They risk sever penalties if they are seen to be obstructing the referendum process because of the junta’s new law, enacted in February and signed by junta Snr-Gen Than Shwe, provides for up to three years imprisonment and a fine for anyone who distributes statements or posters or who makes a speech against the referendum.
An NLD member was arrested on Sunday for possessing a NLD party statement calling for a “No” vote, according to party spokesperson Nyan Win.
The junta has created a situation that prohibits any effective monitoring of the referendum. To do so, risks imprisonment. Opposition groups have again been out maneuvered by the wily generals.
The “Vote No” campaign is likely to produce the desired results, but the question is will the referendum’s official outcome reflect the people’s vote, or—more likely—what the generals want?
The Irrawaddy News
It’s now clear that many people in Burma will cast a “No” vote against the military government’s constitutional referendum in May.
On April 4, the words “No” appeared on the walls of several locations in Mandalay, Burma’s second largest city.
“We have spray-painted ‘No’ on walls,” a campaign organizer told The Irrawaddy. The “Vote No” campaign will proceed, he said, in spite of the junta’s new law that prohibits any opposition to the referendum.
The National League for Democracy, the main opposition group, has called on the electorate “to clearly and bravely vote ‘No’” in the referendum. The NLD took nearly two months to make its official announcement.
A “No” vote is required, said the NLD, because the draft constitution was written by “hand-picked puppets” of the military government and lacks basic principles of democracy and human rights. The NLD was the major winner in the 1990 general elections.
Meanwhile, a small group of people inside and outside Burma have expressed support for the draft. However, there is little likelihood of a real debate between “No” and “Yes” groups at this stage.
If the “Vote No” campaign gained significant momentum, there’s always the possibility that the junta might cancel the referendum, or, if the referendum proceeds, that the election results will be rigged by the junta’s so-called poll-watchers, including the Union Solidarity and Development Association.
Because the junta has banned outside poll-watchers, it’s up to the NLD and other groups to try to monitor the referendum as well as they can.
A proposal to allow international observers to monitor the referendum by UN Special Envoy to Burma Ibrahim Gambari in March was rejected outright by the military authorities.
“We are a sovereign country,” they said. “We have done these things before without international help.”
Gambari told The Irrawaddy in a recent exclusive interview: “Our position is that their situation has been the subject of international concern, so [there is a need] to enhance the credibility of the process, to meet the exercise of their sovereign right to ask for help. Technical assistance or even independent monitors need not come from the UN—it could be from international monitors or neighboring countries or from friendly countries.”
There is no chance the junta will change its mind and accept the UN’s proposal.
Therefore, the NLD and other activist groups have the impossible task of trying to monitor the election. They risk sever penalties if they are seen to be obstructing the referendum process because of the junta’s new law, enacted in February and signed by junta Snr-Gen Than Shwe, provides for up to three years imprisonment and a fine for anyone who distributes statements or posters or who makes a speech against the referendum.
An NLD member was arrested on Sunday for possessing a NLD party statement calling for a “No” vote, according to party spokesperson Nyan Win.
The junta has created a situation that prohibits any effective monitoring of the referendum. To do so, risks imprisonment. Opposition groups have again been out maneuvered by the wily generals.
The “Vote No” campaign is likely to produce the desired results, but the question is will the referendum’s official outcome reflect the people’s vote, or—more likely—what the generals want?
Myanmar junta schedules constitutional referendum for May 10
10th April 2008
YANGON — Myanmar’s military government announced Wednesday it will hold a nationwide referendum on the proposed constitution on May 10. The government’s 45-member Referendum Holding Commission scheduled the referendum at a meeting held at the administrative capital Naypyitaw, according to official media reports. The government in February had said the vote would be held in May, but had not given an exact date.
Earlier in the day, the junta made the text of its proposed constitution available to the public. The draft constitution would guarantee the military’s continued role in government and ban Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from holding public office. Pro-democracy groups including Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, have already urged voters to reject the draft charter, saying it is designed to legitimize the military rule.
Japan Today
YANGON — Myanmar’s military government announced Wednesday it will hold a nationwide referendum on the proposed constitution on May 10. The government’s 45-member Referendum Holding Commission scheduled the referendum at a meeting held at the administrative capital Naypyitaw, according to official media reports. The government in February had said the vote would be held in May, but had not given an exact date.
Earlier in the day, the junta made the text of its proposed constitution available to the public. The draft constitution would guarantee the military’s continued role in government and ban Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from holding public office. Pro-democracy groups including Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, have already urged voters to reject the draft charter, saying it is designed to legitimize the military rule.
Japan Today
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