Suu Kyi party says opponents of Myanmar constitution beaten

Yahoo News
YANGON (AFP) - Myanmar's pro-democracy party led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi said Saturday opponents of the junta's proposed constitution were being beaten and intimidated ahead of next month's vote.

The National League for Democracy (NLD) said six party members had been attacked by unknown people and 20 others detained and tortured in the runup to the May 10 ballot.

The ruling generals say approval of the charter will usher in multiparty elections in 2010, but pro-democracy activists say it simply entrenches the role of the military, which has ruled since 1962.

The NLD, which has publicly called on people to vote "No," said it had reported the incidents but the authorities had taken no action to investigate.

"The responsible authorities have never done any investigating, charging or taking any action to 'uphold law and order' over those crimes committed against NLD party members," it said.

Six party members had been attacked and beaten by unknown assailants since the junta announced in February it would hold a referendum on the proposed constitution, it said. One member needed 21 stitches in his head after an assault, which also affected his vision.

Another 20 party members who wore T-shirts printed with the word "No" were recently arrested in the western port town of Sittwe and tortured while being detained for investigation. The NLD said they were still being held.

The party said the attacks and arrests were intimidation tactics against opponents of the junta's proposed constitution.

"It's like a 'country in anarchy' by suppressing with all kinds of violence and relying on arms" against NLD members instead of seeking a political solution, it said.

Officials would not comment on the party's charges.

The party said Friday that the generals were doing everything in their power to force a "Yes" vote at the referendum next month.

The proposed constitution reserves one quarter of seats in both chambers of parliament for military members, while some key ministries, including home affairs, would also be controlled exclusively by the army.

The referendum will be the first balloting in Myanmar since 1990, when Aung San Suu Kyi led the NLD to a landslide victory that was never recognised by the junta.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent 12 of the past 18 years under house arrest or in prison, would be barred from running for president under the new constitution because she was married to a foreigner.

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