Press Release: Human Rights Violations in Burma’s 2010 Elections

By Network for Human Rights Documentation - Burma • April 8, 2011

The Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma (ND-Burma) launches its post-election report, “Human Rights Violations in Burma’s 2010 Elections” online. The findings of this report demonstrate the elections-related human rights violations committed by the regime and its proxies during and just after the Election Day.

Despite the restrictive conditions, human rights groups, political organizations, media and ethnic groups from both inside and outside of Burma (including ND- Burma) managed to collect information on violations related to the 2010 elections. As a human rights network, ND-Burma monitored the elections primarily in terms of human rights violations.

“Simultaneous with the elections, ND-Burma has still received information regarding human rights violations committed by the military regime and its cronies. There is clearly no intention or no sign from MP elects to protect people of Burma and to prevent human rights violations since they are puppets of the military regime,” Cheery Zahau, Management Board member of ND-Burma, said.

“Even though there are some opinions saying that the election is the first positive step for the democratization in Burma, the collected documents clearly show that the military regime will exist in disguise as a civilian regime, will reign the country with repressive measures and people of Burma will continue struggle for freedom and democracy in the darkest time of fear,” Nai Aue Mon, Management Board member of ND-Burma, said.

During the election process, numerous cases of intimidation, threats, coercion, voting fraud, vote stealing, vote rigging, and counting scandals occurred. Furthermore, strict prohibitions against elections observers, neglect of disagreements and complaints, abuse of state revenue, failure to uphold internationally-recognized elections standards, purposefully making inaccurate voter lists, unlawful canvassing, and impediments to free media’s access to elections-related information occurred nationwide. This report, along with those published by other human rights monitoring groups and media organizations, amplify the voices from the people of Burma to expose unfairness, to reveal the truth, and to defy unjust rules.

This report includes cases from all over the country and covers a range of human rights violations and other elections-related irregularities.

Human Rights Violations Regarding the 2010 Elections

ND-Burma collected data on a number of human rights violations related to the elections. The following cases are examples of different violations ND-Burma has documented from different areas inside Burma.

ND-Burma Sample Table of Election-Related Human Rights Violations in 2010 Election Period

Category of the human rights violations	Frequency
Denial of the right to freedom of movement	1
Denial of the right to freedom of expression, assembly, and association	5
Fraud in advance votes	17
Forced collection of money	1
Forced labor	1
Forced relocation (driven away by offensive)	1
Other forms of coercion	21
Prevented from making an informed decision	3
Denial of the right to vote	10
Threats	20
Total	80

In May 2011, ND-Burma will release the second periodic report from January to March 2011 regarding SPDC and its fellows’ ongoing committing of crimes against humanity in Burma and the necessity of establishing a United Nations Commission of Inquiry (CoI) in Burma to end such atrocities and to prevent future violations.

The Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma (ND-Burma) includes 12 member organizations, collectively using the truth of what communities in Burma have endured to challenge the regime’s impunity for human rights violations through advocacy and to prepare for a peaceful democratic transition.

For further information, please contact – Ms. Cheery Zahau: +66 84 921 3423, [email protected] Nai Aue Mon: +66 86 167 9741, [email protected]

Press Release: Human Rights Violations in Burma’s 2010 Elections

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