Burma Partnership
Burmese protesting
Representatives of the Ten Alliances of Burma’s democracy and ethnic rights movement held hearings in both the Lower and Upper houses of Parliament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 7 and 8 July, respectively. Based on the undemocratic flaws in the 2008 Constitution and the military regime’s unjust election laws, the delegation called for the government of Malaysia to denounce this year’s elections unless the military regime changes course.
The Ten Alliances of Burma’s democracy and ethnic rights movement represent the most broad-based and multi-ethnic cooperation of political and civil society organizations from inside and in exile working for national reconciliation, peace, and freedom in Burma.
“Elections in Burma cannot be free, fair or inclusive as long as political prisoners such as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi are kept behind bars, ethnic communities are being attacked by the military, and the regime refuses to engage in dialogue with key stakeholders in the country. If the regime refuses to meet these benchmarks, Malaysia and countries around the world
must denounce these elections as the sham they are,” said Ma Khin Ohmar, Foreign Affairs Secretary of Forum for Democracy in Burma, and member of the Foreign Affairs Coordinating Team (FACT) of the Ten Alliances.
In the Lower House of Parliament, the delegation met with Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Dato’ Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz, Opposition Parliamentary Leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and Senior Opposition Leader and ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) Malaysia Chapter Chairperson YB Lim Kit Siang.
Members of AIPMC expressed their support for the NLD and other democratic parties who decided not to run in the election, and endorsed the democracy movement’s call for inclusive dialogue and national reconciliation. The MPs
also called on ASEAN to suspend Burma’s membership in the bloc if the military regime does not uphold the principles of democracy, abide by the ASEAN Charter, and release all political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
“These elections will not be a step forward for Burma or the region. The new government will be built on the broken foundation of a deeply flawed constitution—written by the military, for the military. It won’t take long for this unsteady house to break apart and for the effects of another autocratic regime to be felt throughout the region.So we will boycott this elections,” said Hkun Okker, Joint General Secretary of the National Council of Union of Burma (NCUB).
Khin Ohmar and Hkun Okker were joined by U Win Hlaing, MP-Elect, National League for Democracy, Ma Khin San Htwe, representative from the Women’s League of Burma, and Ko Moe Zaw Oo, Coordinator of FACT.
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Photo Courtesy of the New York Times.
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