Referendum:
Seeking Legitimacy for Military Rule in Burma
Statement
of Canadian Friends of Burma
February
10, 2008
Ottawa
- The Burmese military regime announced yesterday that they would hold a
referendum within two months on a constitution that they drafted since
1993. This latest development seems to be a conciliatory gesture to
counter increasing international pressures. However, the Canadian Friends
of Burma (CFOB) could not see it as a positive step but a trigger of wider
political turmoil in the country.
"There
is nothing to be excited about this announcement and people would be even
shocked if they put a little effort to look at the whole process,"
said Tin Maung Htoo, executive director of Canadian Friends of Burma.
"This is the process with which to legitimate the military rule in
Burma," he exclaimed. "
According
to the draft constitution, a quarter of parliamentary seats and key
cabinet portfolios including Defence and Home Affairs will be directly
appointed by the Commander-in-Chief. Those unelected military appointees
sitting together with elected members will also choose their own
presidential candidate who will become either president or vice-president
of the country. The most powerful 'Security Council' or Supreme Body
will be also dominated by the military.
"This
is totally against democratic principles. This is awful example of
'disciplined democracy' that the Burmese military wants to flourish in
Burma. International community should be vigilant, as the military is
pretty much determined to win or rob this legitimacy. People could be
forced or coerced to support this authoritarian constitution. What Burmese
want is democracy that guarantees their rights and freedoms, and the kind
of government they want and they can choose," added Tin Maung Htoo.
A
number of ceased-fire groups including New Mon State Party (NMSP) and
Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) do not support the constitution
drafting process and the main political party that won a landslide in 1990
elections - National League for Democracy (NLD) - boycotted this process
since 1996. However, the military regime continued to draft the
constitution, with a directive that 'the military must play a leading role
in the national politics of the future state.'
This
Saturday announcement for a referendum in May, 2008 is nothing but a
desperate attempt to seek legitimacy for the military rule that is to be
guaranteed by the constitution. Therefore, the Canadian Friends of
Burma (CFOB) urges the International community, the Government of Canada
and all Canadians to speak out against this shame and undemocratic process
in Burma.
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