There’s a New Parliament, but the SPDC is Still in Charge

Despite the inauguration of parliament on 31 January 2011, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) remains firmly in control of Burma’s political landscape. In the lead up to the official transfer of power, which will reportedly occur on 15 March 2011, current and former SPDC members continue to shape Burma’s political future to ensure the military’s dominant position in all levels of the future government.[…]

SPDC Continues Authoritarian Rule with Military Draft Law as Citizens Push for Genuine Democracy

Although Burma’s new parliament is set to hold its first session on 31 January 2011, the current military regime continues to control the country with no intention of loosening its grip on power. The revelation that the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) enacted an unpublicized military draft law days before parliamentary elections provides further evidence of the generals’ aims: to perpetuate military rule and to deny the people of Burma their basic rights and freedoms. With the military unwilling to make any positive changes for the country, democracy and ethnic organizations continue to take the cause into their own hands, developing the foundation for democracy and national reconciliation despite the risk of a military crackdown.

ASEAN, UN, asked to support refugees fleeing armed conflict in Burma: This shows the bankruptcy of junta’s 2010 polls, activists say

“There is no doubt in our mind that this decades-old armed conflict in Burma can only be resolved by forcing the junta to democratize. The Burmese junta historically is even fuelling the conflict between armed groups. This continued armed conflict simply exposes the bankruptcy of junta’s 2010 elections.”

Thus said Egoy Bans, spokesperson of the Free Burma Coalition-Philippines in reaction to the armed conflict that sparked recently near the Thai-Burma borders as a result of an increasing tension between the Burma’s military regime, The State Peace and Development Council and ethnic armed groups […]

Civilians in Danger as Election-Related Armed Conflict Continues in Eastern Burma

Since Burma’s fraudulent elections on 7 November, Thailand has seen the largest influx of civilians from Burma fleeing into the country in more than a decade. On 8 November alone, 25,000 civilians fled from fighting in the town of Myawaddy and another 10,000 crossed from Three Pagoda Pass. In the weeks following the initial outbreak of violence, the armed conflict, along with flows of fleeing civilians, has continued. The volatile situation illustrates the damage done by the SPDC’s authoritarian process to entrench military rule through their “Roadmap to Democracy” and their failure to facilitate genuine national reconciliation. Just as democratization in Burma requires global support, a collective, international effort is needed to ensure the protection of civilians under threat in Eastern Burma […]

Burma: Eyewitness Accounts of Abuses in Eastern Fighting

Thai Authorities Should Ensure Protection of Refugees Fleeing Conflict

The Burmese armed forces and ethnic insurgents should act to protect civilians as fighting in eastern Burma intensifies, Human Rights Watch said today. The Burmese army, or Tatmadaw, has conducted a major build up in the East following an attack and brief seizure of the border town of Myawaddy by ethnic Karen rebels on the date of the elections, November 7, 2010 […]

European Parliament Condemns ‘Atrocious’ Violations against Karen

The European Parliament passed a Resolution on Thursday 25 November 2010, following sham elections in Burma and the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. The Resolution noted that the elections were not free or fair, and the release of Aung San Suu Kyi by itself did not represent a positive step forward, without other fundamental changes.

The Resolution also highlighted how the “Burmese military continues to commit atrocious human rights violations against civilians in the ethnic Karen homelands on the Thai border, acts which include extrajudicial killings, forced labour and sexual violence …. continues widespread and systematic forced recruitment of child soldiers” […]

Burmese Regime Continues Brutal Campaign Against Ethnic Civilians

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is concerned by reports that despite the welcome release of Burma’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and a high-level visit by UN Burma envoy Vijay Nambiar, the regime continues to perpetrate grave violations of human rights against ethnic civilians, including military attacks and forced labour […]

Karen Villagers Still Fleeing Post-Election Attacks By Burmese Army

On the same day UN Burma envoy Vijay Nambiar visited Rangoon, the Burmese Army fired mortar bombs at a civilian village in Karen State, breaking international law.

Thousands of ethnic Karen have fled a new Burmese Army military offensive in Karen State, along the Thailand Burma border, in the past two weeks […]

SWAN Denounces Burma Army Build-up and Rape in Central Shan State

SWAN strongly denounces the Burma Army build-up around the Shan ceasefire area in Ke See township, central Shan State, which led to the rape of a young disabled woman on the eve of the November 7 election.

Since November 3, more than 1,000 new troops have been deployed from other parts of Shan State to areas adjacent to territory of the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N) First Brigade […]

Week 34: 2010 Election Watch (26 October – 1 November)

Developments

• NLD members distributed election boycott leaflets in Rangoon’s Insein and Mingaladon Townships. Riot police in Rangoon’s North Okkalapa Township surrounded “no-vote” campaigners as they attempted to distribute election boycott leaflets.
• Around 1,200 people from over 150 villages protested the elections in Ye and Thanbyuzayat Townships in Mon State and Kyainnseikyi Township in Karen State […]