Week 33: 2010 Election Watch (19-25 October)

By Altsean-Burma • October 27, 2010

Developments

SPDC authorities in Rangoon arrested at least two Buddhist monks who were handing out pamphlets protesting the election near the Shwedagon pagoda.
People put up anti-election leaflets and posters in Myitkyina, Kachin State, and in Kyainnseikyi Township, Karen State.
Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) candidates and SPDC Army personnel coerced Village headmen in Kyaukkyi Township, Pegu Division, to vote for the USDP and mobilize voters.
The USDP told teachers in Thaton and Bilin Townships in Mon State that they would receive a salary increase if they campaigned for the party.
The Burmese embassy in New Delhi said that absentee ballots and a voters’ register had already been sent back to Burma, and that the embassy was no longer accepting absentee ballots. In Japan, the Burmese embassy only notified select Burmese citizens about absentee voting.

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Reactions

Indonesian FM Marty Natalegawa said that “the whole of ASEAN thinks Myanmar has not provided a positive response” to their calls for election monitoring.
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burma Tomás Ojea Quintana said that Burma’s election “process remains deeply flawed,” and “has not been inclusive.”
USDP Chairman and SPDC PM Thein Sein told supporters there was “no need to worry” about opposition parties and that the easiest way to deal with them “would be to accuse them of conniving with illegal armed groups.”
Mon Affairs Union Secretary Layeh Rot called the election “one sided” and “not free and fair.”

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This post is in: 2010 Elections