Myanmar: UN Secretary-General voices concern at new electoral laws

News Courtesy: UN News Centre, First Published on 10th March 2010

10 March 2010 – New electoral laws unveiled by authorities in Myanmar do not meet international expectations of what is required for an inclusive political process in the Asian country, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today.

The United Nations is carefully studying the laws as they are being published by the Government in preparation for planned national elections later this year, Mr. Ban said in a statement issued by his spokesperson.

According to media reports, the new laws relate to the registration of political parties and prohibit anyone with a criminal conviction from being a member of an official party.

“The indications available so far suggest that they do not measure up to the international community’s expectations of what is needed for an inclusive political process,” Mr. Ban said.

“The Secretary-General reiterates his call for the Myanmar authorities to ensure such an inclusive political process leading to fair, transparent and credible elections in which all citizens of Myanmar, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, can freely participate.”

Ms. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), a prominent opposition leader, has been under house arrest for much of the past two decades. In August last year she was sentenced to an additional 18 months of detention after being convicted of violating State security laws.

Last month Mr. Ban expressed disappointment that Ms. Suu Kyi’s appeal against her house arrest was rejected and reiterated his call for her release.

Myanmar is slated to later this year conduct its first elections in over 20 years as part of a Government-designed timetable towards greater democratization.

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Notice to Readers of Burma Review

Dear Readers of Burma Review,

Burma Review wishes a very happy new year to its readers for 2010. Last ten month’s journey of Burma Review has been a most difficult one. I don’t have words. I hope some good news for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will come up in the year 2010. This is to also inform you all that I’m going off the web and don’t know when I would resume the web board of Burma Review? May almighty God save India’s open society structures. Thank you or Ce-zu tin-ba-deh once again for visiting Burma Review!

Rajshekhar alias Vijay 'Bidrohi'

Editor, Burma Review

India
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China sacks vocal government critic from its Think Tank

News Courtesy: phayul.com, published on 24 December 2009.

By : Kalsang Rinchen

Dharamsala, December 24 – Chinese government has sacked a noted political philosopher and constitutional scholar at the Philosophy Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), China’s largest think tank and a state-run institution, reportedly for writing articles critical of the Chinese government's policies, according to New York based right group, Human Rights in China (HRIC).

Though the official reason cited for Zhang's expulsion was “his absence without leave” in 2009 – referring to his research trips to Japan and the United States in July and August this year - Zhang says the real reason is that “his numerous articles advocating constitutional reform contravene the 'political discipline' of the Communist Party committee at CASS, which requires adherence to the central government’s position.”

“It completely violates the principles of free speech and academic freedom; it violates the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China’s provisions on civil rights; it violates the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the Chinese government has already solemnly signed; and it violates the basic norms of the modern civilized world. The time has come for these objectionable practices and vile methods of the Academy to be thoroughly abolished,” HRIC's English translation of Zhang's statement reads.

Zhang joined CASS in 1991 as an assistant research fellow, a post he held for the past 18 years. The dismissal notice says he now has three months to “transfer out” of CASS. In 1993 he published an article from Hongkong that was critical of the Chinese government’s crackdown on pro-democracy students in 1989.

Zhang has also authored ten books, including From May 4 to June 4: Criticism of Chinese Despotism in the 20th Century (Vol. I) and Feasibility Studies on China’s Constitutional Reform. Zhang was also among the first group of people to sign the Charter 08, a widely circulated petition calling for more civil rights in China and an end to the Communist Party's political dominance that was released in December last year.

A recent article by Zhang’s “What Type of ‘Soft Power’ Does China Need?” will appear in the forthcoming issue of China Rights Forum, HRIC's quarterly journal. “Zhang highlights the distinction between the 'genuine soft power' based on universal human values and what he considers to be 'bogus' soft power, which co-opts traditional culture in order to prettify China’s current one-party political structure,” says HRIC on its website.

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2009 ELECTIONS: DPP must forge ahead: panel

Courtesy: taiwandc.org, Published on Taipei Times (taipeitimes.com) on 7th December 2009

By: Ko Shu-ling

Saturday’s local elections highlighted the power of the people and consolidated the leadership of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen, but many challenges remain for the DPP, which should adopt a more aggressive approach in future nominations, panelists attending an election forum said in Taipei yesterday.

DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling said the elections showed that Taiwanese still have faith in democracy and that “the ballots can talk.”

“The public knows how to use ballots to make the best possible choices and have their voices heard,” she said at a forum organized by Taiwan Thinktank, to look at Saturday’s three-in-one local elections. “When people have the power to chose, the administration should give them the right to hold referendums.”

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) clinched 12 of the 17 counties and cities in the election, but garnered 47.88 percent of the total votes, a drop of 2 percent from the 2005 elections. Although the DPP secured only four areas, it received 45.32 percent of the total ballots, a 7.2 percent increase.

Kuan said the DPP’s showing was on a par with the party’s very best performance in history in 2001, but cautioned that it was not enough to turn the DPP into a majority party at the local level.

The elections nevertheless consolidated Tsai’s leadership, she said, adding that the path of “Xiao Ing” (Tsai’s nickname) had proved effective and made the likelihood of infighting at the DPP unlikely in the near future.

Kuan said the party should adopt a more aggressive approach to nominating candidates in future elections, adding that it should not fear its KMT rivals.

Soochow University political science professor Lo Chih-cheng said the public must not overestimate the DPP’s performance in the elections by seeing it as a sign that it could win the next legislative and presidential elections.

Lo said the elections pitted a united DPP against a divided KMT, a group fighting a lone campaigner — President Ma Ying-jeou — and a DPP fighting for its survival against a complacent KMT.

“The result is a pivotal point allowing the DPP to bounce back, while the KMT goes from prosperity into decline,” he said. “The DPP is like a patient out of intensive care making a fresh start.”

The KMT’s setback could compel Ma to consider slowing down the pace of his cross-strait policies, Lo said, adding, however, that Beijing would seek ways to prevent him from doing so.

“Beijing will redouble its efforts to help Ma get re-elected in 2012 so it can resolve the Taiwan issue as soon as possible,” Lo said. “Taiwan is racing against time.”

The seven legislative by-­elections will be important for the DPP, Lo said, as they will decide whether the DPP can keep the Ma administration in check.

Tseng Chien-yuan , an assistant professor of public administration at Chung Hua University, said the elections showed there was room for improvement in terms of the electoral system. This includes whether public TV channels should allow candidates to promote their campaign platforms, whether future elections should be funded by the government and whether campaign subsidies should be issued before the elections.

He also proposed a decrease in the number of party representatives in local election committees from 50 percent to 40 percent.


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