Burmese Election

Recently, two officials from the Burmese Embassy in Washington, D.C., Hla Myint Oo and Ohn Kywe, were in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco for a voter registration drive for those who still hold Burmese passports.

While they were in Los Angeles, they were encountered very civilly by Burmese expatriates from our federation about the free and fairness of the so-called elections to be conducted by the most brutal and repressive regime in the world.

We told them that we earnestly believe that elections set for May 27 are not likely to be free and fair because of the military regime’s harsh martial laws, restricted election rules, rigid control of the media (which they use as propaganda tool), credible reports of widespread repression, deadly intimidation, torture and unprecedented arrests of political activists in large numbers.

There are also no provisions for the United Nations or international observers and foreign media to monitor or even view the elections. Above all, there is no guarantee that the military regime will yield power if the armed forces are not satisfied with the results of the elections or their attempts to install in power their own stooges in the National Unity Party, a surrogate of the Burmese Socialist Program Party, fail.

As long as Ne Win and his puppet military officers who control the army believe that the power of the state lies in the barrels of their guns, there will no free and fair elections. They should learn from the recent changes taking place in most of the socialist countries in the world that the real power comes from the people.

U HLA SHWE

Secretary

Federation for Human Rights and Democracy in Burma

Long Beach