U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Issued the Following Statement on Elections in Burma

By US Senator Ben Cardin • November 10, 2015

“I congratulate the people of Burma for coming together on November 8 to participate peacefully in the country’s second nationwide parliamentary election since 2008. The election is an important milestone on the path towards democracy and political reform in Burma, but there is still a long way to go. There are significant systematic and structural barriers to the realization of a fully democratic and civilian-led government, including in these elections the disenfranchisement of groups, notably an estimated 750,000 Rohingyas from Rakhine state who voted in previous elections. For millions of people around the country, many of whom were voting for the first time, this election is an important step on Burma’s long and courageous struggle for democratic reforms. The United States remains committed to the people of Burma as they continue on this journey towards democracy.”