29 February 2008
U.S. Statement on Burmese Regime’s Referendum Law
Calls on Burma to pursue genuine political dialogue among leaders
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
February 28, 2008
Statement by Tom Casey, Deputy Spokesman
Burmese Regime’s Referendum Law Continues Climate of Intimidation
Burma’s military regime continues exacerbating the climate of fear and intimidation leading up to the May constitutional referendum. The Constitution Approval Law announced February 27 establishes a three-year penalty for disrupting the referendum. Another law, Decree 5/96, punishes criticism of the regime’s “roadmap to democracy” with up to twenty years in prison. The referendum law also denies monks, nuns, and political prisoners the right to vote. The regime continues arresting and prosecuting Burmese citizens for peacefully expressing their political beliefs.
A credible political transition in Burma must be inclusive and transparent. It must involve universal suffrage, secrecy and security of the ballot, and freedom of speech and association, among other internationally accepted standards. The credibility of the process also must be evaluated through comprehensive, long-term monitoring by independent domestic and international observers.
The path to national reconciliation in Burma lies in the release of all detainees and political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and the establishment of a genuine dialogue between the regime leadership and Burma’s democratic and ethnic minorities leading to a transition to democracy, as called for by the people of Burma and the UN Security Council in its October 2007 Presidential Statement.
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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
