Thursday, September 30, 2010

Burma's 2010 Elections

Not Free, Not Fair, Not Inclusive

Youtube video explaining elections:




Burma’s 2008 Constitution:

  • The military is above the law & military coups are legalized
  • Federalism is denied. The military has control over ethnic states.
  • The military occupies 25% of the seats in Parliament.
  • The military controls 3 key Ministries :
  1. defence (control over their budget and military justice)
  2. home affairs (domestic repression)
  3. border affairs (cross-border trade, access to illicit rackets such as drugs, logging and smuggling, and license to conduct ongoing offensives against ethnic minorities)
  • The military has effective veto power over constitutional amendments
  • The National Defence and Security Council further entrenches the military
  • Basic human rights are still threatened
  • Political activists are barred from office
  • The Presidency favours the military
  • Aung San Suu Kyi is barred from Presidency even if she is freed (under a clause denying spouses or children as foreign citizens).

2010 Election Laws
  • Excludes Buddhist monks, nuns and members of other religious orders.
  • Forbids those associated with armed opposition ethnic groups from taking part in elections. (Junta has been threatening ethnic ceasefire groups).
  • Excludes those convicted of a crime and serving a sentence from being a member of a political party (Aung San Suu Kyi and many other political prisoners would have to be expelled from their NLD party for it to be allowed to stand)