The United States has condemned Burma for new arrests of political activists, which it says contributes to a "climate of fear and repression" ahead of a referendum on the constitution.State Department spokesman Sean McCormack says the military junta arrested five Muslim community leaders over the weekend for peaceful political activities, and also detained six young activists who had joined a peaceful rally against the draft constitution.
Mr McCormack says pro-democracy and human rights activists in the capital Rangoon were "assaulted and beaten with sticks" on two separate occasions in the past two weeks.
A Thailand-based watchdog group says the junta has arrested and imprisoned at least 52 activists since January -- most of them members of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party.
Burmese opposition party urges voters to reject constitution
The NLD has meantime urged voters to reject the army-backed constitution in next month's referendum.
In a statement, Aung San Suu Kyi's party called on the public to "clearly and bravely vote 'no'" on the ballot.
The NLD has accused Burma's ruling junta of handpicking the drafters of the constitution, saying it was written without consulting any opposing voices.
The final version of the constitution has not been released to the public, but leaked copies show the basic law would give the military continued dominance over the government even after elections slated for 2010.
Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace prize winner who is under house arrest, would be barred from running for president because she married a non-Burmese.
The military would also receive broad powers to declare a state of emergency, allowing the generals to take direct control of the government while granting them immunity from prosecution.
No comments:
Post a Comment