The Burmese military junta’s electoral laws and the elections in 2010 came under fire from Burmese activists residing in New Delhi at a rally in Jantar Mantar in the Indian capital today.
About 200 demonstrators shouted slogans against the junta’s 2010 election and the electoral laws published as of March 8 on the state run media the New Light of Myanmar newspaper.
“The electoral laws announced on 8 March 2010 are extremely undemocratic,” said the Indian Parliamentarians’ Forum for Democracy in Burma (IPFDB) in a statement released today.
“We don’t believe the election held under such a law meets any democratic norms. It will not resolve the problems of Burma,” said IPFDB, which was joined by 100 Indian Members of Parliament (MP).
The MPs said, the laws were designed to “deliberately bar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and key political prisoners from the elections process”
Dr. Tint Swe, India based Minister for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) in exile, condemned the junta’s electoral laws.
“We will not accept this and those do not support the junta should boycott the polls. Any involvement will make them a part of the regime,” said Tint Swe at the rally.
He said the junta’s elections will not solve the political, economic and social problems of Burmese people.
Burma’s neighbouring countries will be faced with an influx of Burmese refugees. Instability in the region will be created because of the conflict between Burmese troops and ethnic armed groups.
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The Indian MPs urged the junta to kick start a dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and all ethnic leaders. They asked the Indian government to work with the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon to pressure the regime to free Nobel Laureate Suu Kyi and start a national reconciliation process in Burma.
“We are worried about the continued instability in our neighbouring country,” the Indian MPs said.
The junta has been publishing the electoral laws in their mouthpiece daily newspaper for the general election in 2010, which is the fifth step of their so called seven step road map to disciplined democracy in Burma.
