ARAKAN ROHINGYA NATIONAL ORGANISATION
ARAKAN, BURMA
PRESS RELEASE
(13 November 2010)
STATEMENT OF ‘ARNO’ ON THE ELECTIONS OF GENERALS IN BURMA
Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO) again condemns the sham elections of the Burmese military general held on November 7, 2010, which brings no changes to the people of Burma except recurrence of the military rule with a civilian face.
As the people of Burma prophesied, the November 7 elections were neither free nor fair. The elections were only to prolong and consolidate civilianized military rule as they were based on SPDC’s undemocratic constitution drawn in 2008 against the aspiration of the people for human rights, federal democracy and principles of equality. The people of Burma will continue to suffer persecution.
There have been countrywide reports of voting irregularities and cheating and harassment during the elections. Intimidation, violence and arrests have also been reported particularly in some ethnic areas. About 250 supporters of a Rohingya Party — National Democratic Party for Development (NDPD) — which actually won a landslide victory in the townships of Maungdaw and Buthidaung, were arrested and tortured by the police, soldiers and NaSaKa border security force during and after the elections. But the deceptive official announcement states that the candidates of the regime backed Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP) have won all seats of the two houses in the Rohingya area. The Rohingya voters are now in fear of revenge by the regime.
As a matter of fact, the people of Burma do not need another election after the one held in 1990. SPDC did not allow NLD led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other credible political parties to take part in the elections, while more than 2000 political prisoners have not been released. The USDP has now shamelessly claimed to have won over 80 per cent of the nationwide vote. The elections, with deeply flowed electoral process, are top to bottom illegal and the administration that will be in place is also illegitimate.
We reiterate that these elections or the autocratic regime coming in a few days do not signify any democratic reforms nor it has intention to solve the political problem in the country. For a negotiated settlement of the crisis, the next regime must immediately be engaged in tripartite dialogue for an all-inclusive political and democratic process, all political prisoners must be released without delay, and effective international pressure must be put to bear on it to which facts we invite the attention of the United Nations with the international community, ASEAN and concerned governments.
For further information, please contact:
Nurul Islam: + 44 07947854652
AFK Jilani: + 880 1674811079
Email: info@rohingya.org