NGOs raise concerns over Burma elections at Human Rights Council
17 March 2010 4:37 am

FORUM-ASIA and its partners, CONECTAS Direitos Humanos and Worldview
International, have issued a joint oral statement at the 13th session of
the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The statement is entitled "
Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of
Human Rights in Burma/Myanmar".
FORUM-ASIA and its partners, CONECTAS Direitos Humanos and Worldview International, have issued a joint oral statement at the 13th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The statement is entitled " Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma/Myanmar".
 
Mr. President, at the 10th session of this Council, we put on record our serious doubts that the SPDC road map to democracy is only to legitimize its military rule through the election scheduled to take place this year. The election laws announced by the SPDC last Monday on 8 March 2010 regarding an election commission, political parties registration and the rules for the members of parliament and local legislatures, only sustain our doubts as legitimate. These election laws are designed to exclude Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other prisoners of conscience from any political process ahead. Furthermore, the Election Commission has a discretional power to determine whether the election should be held in the districts affected by natural catastrophe or security concerns?. This implicates that there would be no polling in certain areas, including those controlled by armed ethnic organizations that have signed ceasefire agreements but failed to join the Border Guard Force under the control of the SPDC army.
 
Please read the rest of the statement here.