Historical Election in Myanmar Tarnished by Threats and Unfairness

By Joseph Juhn
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

YANGON, Myanmar – Myanmar’s first election in two decades is causing much controversy. On Sunday, people voted in about 40,000 polling stations opened across the country. However, the vote is widely expected to end in victory for the Union Solidary and Development Party (USDP), which is backed by the country’s military junta.

Some of the larger parties contesting in this election, such as the Democratic Party and National Democratic Force, have accused the government of unfairness, including illegal collection of advance ballots and voters being threatened by the government if they don’t back the ruling junta’s party.

Signs of voter intimidation were also reported by the Chin Human Rights Organization, which said that in a ward in Chin State, western part of country, one of the polling stations was at an army checkpoint.

”How can people feel free to vote for the party of their choice if soldiers are watching them?” said programme director Salai Za Uk Ling.

Another problem was allegedly related with advance voting. Local authorities are believed to have helped the USDP to force people to vote early and for the junta party.

”We have learned that the USDP, together with ward authorities, is trying to get advance votes by cheating, bribing or threatening people,” said a letter from the Democratic Party to the Union Election Commission in the capital Naypyidaw.

International communities were quick to criticize this election procedure, the one notably by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“You look at Burma holding flawed elections today that once again expose the abuses of the military junta,” she said.

“It’s heartbreaking because the people of Burma deserve so much better,” she told university students in Melbourne, Australia.

The military junta has banned foreign journalists and international monitors from scrutinizing the vote. Thirty-seven parties were on the ballot, but most of these parties not backed by the military junta suffered from severely restricted campaigns and high fees for candidacy. Most of these parties’ political statements were also censored.

The constitution of Myanmar reserves 25 per cent of the seats in parliament for military appointees, while opposition parties have suffered major barriers. As a result, hundreds of opposition politicians, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, are under house arrest or in prison. Aung San Suu Kyi, now 65, has been held under house arrest for most of the time since the past election in 1990.

According to the military junta, her latest term of detention is to end one week after the election. However, similar promises have been breached in the past and there is no way to know what restrictions might be imposed even if she is set free.

“These elections are going to be neither free, nor fair, or inclusive. There is nothing in these elections that could give us grounds for optimism,” British Ambassador to Burma Andrew Heyn said.

For more information, please see:

Bangkok Post – Junta faces threat claims – 6 November 2010

The New York Times – Myanmar Votes in Election Controlled by Military – 7 November 2010

CBC News – Burma holds 1st vote in 20 years – 6 November 2010

Bloomberg Business Week – Complaints mount on eve of Myanmar election – 6 November 2010

Author: Impunity Watch Archive