Myanmar's prime minister issues election warning

Courtesy AFP News : 29 September 2010

YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar's prime minister warned citizens to protect the country's image during November elections and to prevent anyone from derailing the first polls in 20 years, state media reported Wednesday.

The Nov. 7 vote is a keystone of what the military-ruled country says is a transition to civilian rule after five decades under the army, although many see it as a means of prolonging its dominance.

"The success of the election is a matter of national dignity and concerns every citizen. Thus, it is necessary to prevent those who are trying to disrupt the election," Prime Minister Thein Sein was quoted saying in comments carried by Myanma Ahlin and the two other state-run newspapers.

State media often accuse "terrorists" or anti-government groups of plotting to disrupt the vote. It was first such warning from a senior official.

Thein Sein did not elaborate on any alleged threat, though the junta's biggest perceived threat is detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Her National League for Democracy opposition party is boycotting elections and Suu Kyi has said through a spokesman that dissatisfied voters have the right not to vote — stopping short of calling for a voter boycott.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner and governments around the world say that restrictive rules governing the elections show it will be unfair and undemocratic.

Suu Kyi's party won the country's last election in 1990 but the junta refused to let the party take power. Suu Kyi has been in jail or under house arrest for 15 of the past 21 years.

Thein Sein also urged voters to choose "patriotic persons and those who will prevent the Union (of Myanmar) from disintegration" when casting ballots. He made the comments at the opening ceremony of a hospital in the Irrawaddy Delta, the area hardest hit by Cyclone Nargis in May 2008, which left 140,000 people dead or missing.

Thein Sein is the leader of the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party which was formed in April after he and 26 other Cabinet officials resigned their military posts to make them eligible to take part in politics.

The USDP is widely expected to win the most votes in the election because its ties with the junta give the party access to easy funding and a nationwide presence.

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UN chief backs call for 'inclusive' Burma election

Courtesy BBC News: 28 September 2010

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Burma's upcoming elections will not be credible without the release of political prisoners, including democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said.

Mr Ban was speaking after a ministerial meeting in New York of the so-called "Group of Friends" of Burma.

He said the group had called for a "more inclusive" poll on 7 November.

Ms Suu Kyi's party won Burma's last election in 1990 but was never allowed to take power by the ruling junta.

The November poll is part of the junta's long-announced "roadmap to democracy", but critics have dismissed it as a sham designed to keep the military in power.

'Stability and development'

Mr Ban said after Monday's meeting behind the closed doors that the ministers had reiterated the need for the election process to be "more inclusive, participatory and transparent".

"Members called for steps to be taken for the release of political detainees, including Aung San Suu Kyi.

"This is essential for the election to be seen as credible and contribute to Myanmar's stability and development," the UN chief said.

Burma - whose representatives did not attend the meeting - has not publicly responded to Mr Ban's comments.

Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) was forcibly disbanded in May, under the new election laws.

Ms Suu Kyi has spent most of the last two decades in some form of detention and is currently under house arrest in Rangoon.

The "Group of Friends" of Burma includes Australia, the UK, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Norway, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the US, Vietnam and the EU.

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China’s offer of cooperation must be welcomed

Last night (7th of September) on CNN-IBN news channel, there was an offer of cooperation from China to India for the regional peace and stability in Asia. The offer of cooperation from China to India is a positive step forward from India’s largest neighbor. India and China are two great civilizations of the world and they should must cooperate with each other for the well being and economic prosperity of more than millions of people living in poverty in both the countries. Moreover, India’s guiding philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the whole world is one single family) doesn’t allow her to hate “any nations” of the world including its entire neighbor. China should be also sensitive on raising issue of Arunachal Pradesh & other areas, which might dampen the natural confluence of the people’s of both the nations. The need of the hour for India is to increase track-III diplomatic engagement with other nations of the world to preserve and promote world peace. The recent effort by India to establish new ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) chairs in different countries to increase awareness about India is a positive step in this direction. China and India having some differences on some important border issues could still learn many things from each other for the development of both the nations through cooperation.