Shan alliance start election boycott drive in Thai city

Monday, 18 October 2010 22:46 Jai Wan Mai

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Several Shan community organisations launched a no-vote video campaign against the November 7 Election in Chiang Mai last Friday.

The campaign’s focus is on raising awareness about the polls and pointing out the serious flaws in the 2008 constitution and rights violations inside Shan State. Harley, a Shan artist, also participated in the campaign by doing cartoons that mock the junta’s vote.

The Shan Human Rights Foundation, Shan Women’s Action Network (Swan), Shan Sapawa Environmental Organisation and Shan Youth Power Media collaborated in the protest, which has been included uploaded onto the video-sharing website, YouTube.

In their presentation, the groups said the November 7 election was a sham and would fail to bring about any real change for the people.

One of the Shan campaigners told Mizzima: “People want to see a free and fair election which could bring about positive change for their lives but the upcoming election is just a show.”

In May, the Restoration Council of Shan State, the political wing of the Shan State Army (SSA), released a statement that it would not support nor recognise the 2010 election and its results.

In contrast, Sai Ai Pao, chairman of the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party, which plans to take part in the election, told the Irrawaddy Magazine in July that the election was a good opportunity for the people. He said this even though 25 per cent of seats in the states and divisions, and national parliaments are automatically reserved for the military.

Twelve townships in Shan State, including areas controlled by the ethnic armed ceasefire groups, the United Wa State Army and the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) or Mongla group, would have not have polling centres because of security concerns, the Burmese junta’s electoral watchdog, the Union Election Commission, said.