Burma Democratic Concern has the firm determination to carry on doing until the democracy restore in Burma.

Friday 12 March 2010

Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) today warmly welcomes European Union (EU) resolution on Burma1 stating that elections in 2010 is to justify five decades of military rule and gives the military 25% of the seats in parliament whereas the elections will be based on the army-drafted Constitution which bars Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) from public office.

European Union (EU) resolution said that under the present conditions they cannot be considered free and democratic, in particular, the ban on Aung San Sui Kyi standing as a candidate and calling on the Government of Burma/Myanmar immediately to open a genuine dialogue with the NLD, all other opposition parties and ethnic groups.

Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) Director Myo Thein said, “We are very grateful that EU sees the realities of the suffering of Burmese people and crisis in Burma. Burma crisis is at its peak and it is not enough anymore that EU is calling for junta to mend its action by words alone. It is time to follow action after words which should be European Union (EU) calling for United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to declare junta’s sham 2008 constitution as NULL & VOID”.
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Canada Deeply Concerned by Burmese Election Laws

(No. 102 - March 11, 2010 - 6:30 p.m. ET) The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement expressing Canada's concern about the new electoral laws promulgated by the Burmese regime:

"Canada is deeply concerned by the new election laws unveiled by the Burmese regime this week. While Canada continues to study the new laws carefully as they are promulgated, what we have seen to date suggests that the Burmese regime is resolutely failing to deliver on its promise of free and fair elections this year.
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“Daw Suu wants to urge everyone, whether NLD members, non-members or ethnic people, to take concerted action against these unjust laws,” Nyan Win said. “She also said all the people should speak up for their own rights with understanding of the laws.”
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Detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi instructed members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) to discuss the party's Shwegondaing declaration and why the 2008 Constitution is unnacceptable, said her lawyer, Nyan Win, after a two-hour meeting with Suu Kyi on Thursday.

“She wants the party members to discuss why the 2008 Constitution is unacceptable because she wants everyone to understand the laws, and she wants everyone to have a thorough understanding of the Shwegondaing declaration,” said Nyan Win, who is also a senior NLD party official.
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SPDC State and Division Law
U Win Tin Birthday
http://niknayman-niknayman.co.cc/
March 11 2010 Yeyintnge Diary
11 March 2010 NCUB Statement on SPDC Election Law (1)
Burma 2010 Election: Will it be free and fair? Analyzing the 2010 Election Laws
Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) calls for UNSC Emergency Meeting: Time to take immediate action
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Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) calls for United Nations Security Council to convene emergency meeting since Burma crisis is in very critical situation. We must take action decisively and collectively in order to intervene Burma crisis so as to avoid total devastating.

Burmese junta is fully geared up to extinguish democracy, human rights and rule of law in Burma. Junta is touching its final brush to eliminate all the democratic voices by issuing its so-called the electoral law on 8 March 2010 which effectively turning their back on national reconciliation in Burma.
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Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) calls for UNSC Emergency Meeting: Time to take immediate action
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Rigging Myanmar's election

Belt, braces and army boots

The generals leave nothing to chance

Mar 11th 2010 | From The Economist print edition



THE junta ruling Myanmar has had 20 years to digest the lessons from the country’s most recent election. It was trounced by the National League for Democracy, even though the opposition’s charismatic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was already under house arrest. This year on an unnamed date (perhaps its astrologers cannot agree) the junta will hold another election. It will not lose this one.

Election laws published this week do not quite spell out the result. But a “political-parties registration law” bars Miss Suu Kyi and other political prisoners, of whom there are more than 2,000, from belonging to a party because of their criminal convictions. Cut off from politics by her house arrest, Miss Suu Kyi is anyway barred from office as the widow of a foreigner. Her party now has to expel her and other detainees. The law also bans civil servants from joining parties, along with monks, who led anti-government protests in 2007.
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Canada Deeply Concerned by Burmese Election Laws

(No. 102 – March 11, 2010 - 6:30 p.m. ET) The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement expressing Canada’s concern about the new electoral laws promulgated by the Burmese regime:

“Canada is deeply concerned by the new election laws unveiled by the Burmese regime this week. While Canada continues to study the new laws carefully as they are promulgated, what we have seen to date suggests that the Burmese regime is resolutely failing to deliver on its promise of free and fair elections this year.

“Notably, elements of the laws point to a deliberate effort by Burmese military leaders to prevent legitimate democratic actors from participating in the promised elections. Reports suggest that the new laws may bar Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners from the democratic process by virtue of their current prison sentences, which Canada believes are unwarranted and politically motivated.

“Canada urges the Burmese regime to move forward with electoral laws that support a genuine democratic process, based on principles of transparency, fairness and inclusion.

“Canada again calls upon the regime to free all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and to engage in a genuine dialogue with members of the democratic opposition and different ethnic groups in Burma.

“Canada has imposed the toughest sanctions of any country against the Burmese regime to protest its treatment of the Burmese people, and will continue to engage with all stakeholders working toward a democratic Burma.”

For further information, media representatives may contact:

Catherine Loubier
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
613-995-1851

Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874

Erin Koenig

Policy Officer | Burma, Thailand & Regional Human Rights

Agente politique | Birmanie, Thaïlande & droits humains régionaux

Southeast Asia & Oceania Relations Division | Direction des relations avec l'Asie du Sud-Est et l'Océanie

Tél: +1 (613) 995-8596 | Fax/Télécopieur: +1 (613) 944-1604
Burma's leaders have formally annulled the National League for Democracy's 1990 election win, under laws enacted for polls expected later this year.

Authorities said the win was invalid because the poll had taken place under a law repealed by the new legislation.

The new laws have attracted a storm of criticism from international observers.

They banned NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior pro-democracy figures from taking part in the polls. A date for them has not yet been announced.

A US official said the lawsmade a mockery of the democratic process, while a UN spokesman said they fell short of expectations for an inclusive election.

After the 1990 polls, the military did not allow the NLD to take power. These elections will be the first in two decades.

They will be held under a new constitution which critics say is aimed at perpetuating military rule.

'Repressive laws'

The new elections laws were formally approved by Burma's military leaders on Monday and are being published in state media gradually.
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2009 Human Rights Report: Burma

Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

March 11, 2010
Burma, with an estimated population of 54 million, is ruled by a highly authoritarian military regime dominated by the majority ethnic Burman group. The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), led by Senior General Than Shwe, was the country's de facto government. Military officers wielded the ultimate authority at each level of government. In 1990 prodemocracy parties won more than 80 percent of the seats in a general parliamentary election, but the regime continued to ignore the results. In May 2008 the regime held a referendum on its draft constitution and declared the constitution had been approved by 92.48 percent of voters, a figure no independent observers believed was valid. The constitution specifies that the SPDC will continue to rule until a new parliament is convened, scheduled to take place following national elections in 2010. The military government controlled the security forces without civilian oversight.
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