Chiang Mai - Underground organizations of monks and students in Burma have objected to the general elections to be held in 2010 and have rejected the result of the constitutional referendum held in May this year.
'All Burma Monks' Association' (ABMA), 'All Burma Federation of Students' Union' (ABFSU) and '88 Generation Students' echoed elected MPs in the 1990 general elections and hinted that they would boycott the fresh general election which is the most important step of junta's roadmap.
"We support the contention of MPs not to recognize the 2010 elections. We call on the UN for adopting a resolution in accordance with the human rights norms as the unilateral steps taken by the junta will not provide any benefits to the Burmese people," Awbartha, a leader of ABMA, told Mizzima.
The student and monk associations played a leading role in the saffron revolution which took place in September 2007 which was the biggest anti-government protests in two decades.
Some leading monks from these organizations had to flee to the border and foreign countries and some were arrested by the junta.
The five elected MPs in the 1990 general election including ethnic MPs sent a letter on July 21 to the UN appealing to it not to recognize the junta's roadmap.
Despite the widespread criticism by the opposition relating to vote rigging and other irregularities in approving the draft constitution in the national referendum, the junta claimed that their draft constitution was approved by over 92.4% 'YES' votes. Moreover the junta said that they would hold fresh elections as the next step of its roadmap.
"The steps taken by the junta cannot bring any benefits to the people and we do hope UN would declare the recent unlawfully held referendum void and urge the junta to seriously consider our request made in this appeal and look into the sufferings of the people," Khin Myo Set, spokesperson of ABFSU, said.
In their appeal, these three coalition partners said that they believe the position of China and Russia would change if and when UNSG makes an explicit demand and takes concrete action on the Burma issue.
"The UN should intervene for a dialogue to materialize and needs to say strongly that the fresh election is meaningless," Tun Myint Aung, leader of the 88 Generation Student, said.
The people who talked to Mizzima are from Burma and they usually convey their messages to the people through media in exile.
In the meantime, the junta has invited UN special envoy Mr. Ibrahim Gambari to visit to Burma in mid-August.
But pro-democracy opposition forces do not expect any tangible and concrete results from the forthcoming visit of Mr. Gambari.
