Myanmar vote rigged, shouldn't be recognized, exiles say

Fri, 05 Nov 2010

Dhaka - Myanmar exiles living in Bangladesh on Friday asked the international community not to recognize the results of Myanmar's general election this weekend because they said it was run by the ruling military junta there and would only benefit the junta.

"This upcoming election is only the creation of the military junta to benefit a small number of high-ranking military officers and to lengthen their bad rule," said Mra Raza Linn, the president of the Rakhaing Women's Union, during a protest on the streets of Dhaka.

The group of more than 20 women gathered in front of the Supreme Court building, chanting slogans against the military rulers in Myanmar and seeking assistance from other countries in their fight for self-determination.

"We earnestly request our neighboring countries - Bangladesh, India and China - to help us get real democracy and get the right of self-determination for the ethnic minorities in the country," a statement issued after the demonstration said.

The demonstrators carried placards and banners, one of which said, "The 2010 election is for the military junta, not for the Burmese people."

More than 200,000 citizens of Myanmar, which is also called Burma, live in exile in squalid slums in neighboring Bangladesh's south-eastern Cox's Bazar district. A handful has received refugee status.

Myanmar is to hold its first general election in 20 years Sunday, but critics of its regime argued that it has been stage-managed by the junta that has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1988.

It lost the 1990 election to the pro-democracy National League for Democracy (NLD), but the junta never let the party take power.

For Sunday's election, authorities introduced regulations effectively disqualifying the NLD from running.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/352072,be-recognized-exiles-say.html.