The Burmese military junta, which is trying to earn credibility from the international community after declaring the general election sometime in October this year, has received a brickbat from the Amnesty International.

The London based influential rights body has warned the military rulers of Burma (Myanmar) ‘halt its repression of ethnic minority activists before the forthcoming national and local elections'.

The Amnesty International, in a major report released on February 16, stated that ‘the repression of ethnic minority activists in Myanmar, draws on accounts from more than 700 activists from the seven largest ethnic minorities, including the Rakhine, Shan, Kachin, and Chin, covering a two-year period from August 2007’.

“The authorities have arrested, imprisoned, and in some cases tortured or even killed ethnic minority activists. Minority groups have also faced extensive surveillance, harassment and discrimination when trying to carry out their legitimate activities,” added in the 58 page report.

Speaking to this writer from London, Benjamin Zawacki, the Burma issue expert of Amnesty International, said, “Ethnic minorities play an important but seldom acknowledged role in Burma’s political opposition. The military regime has responded to this activism in a heavy-handed manner, raising fears that repression will intensify before the elections.”

“Activism in Burma is not confined to the central regions and urban centres. Any resolution of the country’s deeply troubling human rights record has to take into account the rights and aspirations of the country’s large population of ethnic minorities,” added Benjamin Zawacki.

It can be mentioned that the State Peace and Development Council ruled country is going to hold its general elections this year after 1990. In the last polls, the opposition force led by National League for Democracy had won most of the seats, but they were not handed over power. Rather the military dictators started oppressing activities towards the elected opposition leaders as well as their sympathizers. Even the NLD chief Aung San Suu Kyi was put under detention and the Nobel laureate is still under house arrest. Various opposition political party leaders had urged the Nay Pyi Taw to release the great lady before the proposed elections.

There are nearly 2,100 political prisoners, including many from ethnic minorities in Burma and the government has not committed their release before the polls, so that they can participate in the exercise.

Amnesty International has also urged the government to lift restrictions on freedom of association, assembly, and religion in the run-up to the elections; to release immediately and unconditionally all prisoners of conscience; and to remove restrictions on independent media to cover the campaigning and election process.

“The government of Myanmar should use the elections as an opportunity to improve its human rights record, not as a spur to increase repression of dissenting voices, especially those from the ethnic minorities,” asserted Benjamin Zawacki.

Finally the rights body had called on the neighbouring countries of Burma including the members of Association of South East Asian Nations, to push the government to ensure that the people in the Southeast Asian country would be able to freely express their opinions, gather peacefully, and participate openly in the political process.

In May 2008, a week after Cyclone Nargis devastated the country, the government insisted on holding a referendum on the draft constitution.

The official results were that 99 per cent of the electorate had gone to the polls, 92.4 per cent of whom had voted in favour. While the 2008 Constitution potentially allows for greater representation in local government, it ensures that the military will continue to dominate the national government.

Ethnic minorities constitute some 35-40 percent of the country’s population, and form the majority in the seven ethnic minority states. Each of the country’s largest seven ethnic minorities has engaged in armed insurgencies against the government, some of which continue to date.

Amnesty International has documented serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity by the government in the context of the Myanmar army’s campaigns against ethnic minority insurgent groups and civilians.