April 28, 2008
Update / Burma's Sham Referendum
Many apologies for the prolonged absence in posting. Security concerns. Let me update you since last entry. At the end of last year, I finished my time editing papers for human rights and environmental activists from all around the Mekong region, and in January, I began working for the only organization that facilitates human rights education trainings for pro-democracy and Burmese groups. My work there focuses on development human rights documentation manuals for some of the major violations that occur in Burma today. They will be used by a consortium of grassroots human rights organizations that work on Burma.
Much of my recent work has been preparing monitoring materials for Burma's upcoming referendum. In essence, a referendum is being held to see whether or not the Burmese population approves the new constitution, which was drafted by the military. Neither the political opposition nor ethnic minorities were involved in the drafting process. Many of Burma's citizens are being threatened and pressured by government sponsored militias and thugs to vote "yes" on May 10. Individuals and groups who have been educating and pushing voters to vote "no" have been harassed and threatened.
In the days leading up to the referendum, many groups expect that the SPDC (moniker of the ruling junta) will further suppress people's freedoms of expression, association, and assembly--much like how it did in the 1988, 1990, and 2007 protests. It has been estimated that the number of Burma's political prisoners surged to 1,864 after the Saffron Revolution. And many fear that arbitrary arrests, torture, and killings will increase leading up to the vote.
If the results show a "yes" for the constitution, it further legitimizes and consolidates the SPDC's grip on power and further postpones a transitional to democracy, peace, and national reconciliation. In addition, some fear that the SPDC will rig the elections. If that is the case, it may very well spark new protests, which will likely be brutally repressed by the ruling regime. If results show an overwhelming vote of "no", the likelihood that the military will cede power to a civilian government is a highly unlikely response. Mass arrests and suppression of political dissidents will probably be the response. It's a lose-lose situation....
Last week, I also began part-timing with an indigenous organization that works jointly on social and environmental issues inside Burma and along the border area. Some of their programs include environmental conservation and education, food security, and traditional medicine.
Posted by social justice at 06:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
