KNU UK joined London rally today calling for the International Community to reject regime’s sham election and implement dialogue

by Karen National Union on Saturday, 06 November 2010 at 19:37

By Naw Pa Saw Htee - KNU UK

We, the Karen National Union UK, today join hands with the rest of the democratic movement, calling for the International Community to firmly reject the result of the regime’s sham election.

We strongly condemn SPDC’s fake election as it is designed only to legitimise the continuation of the military rule, under civilian guise.

Again, we would like to make it clear that this election will not bring any changes towards democratization in Burma. It is done only to avoid the international pressure.

At the same time, human rights violation against ethnic civilians continue because of the regime’s attacks against them.

Within the past 9 months in parts of Karen state where the KNU is able to document abuses, civilians are constantly targeted by the Burma Army. They suffer from ongoing human rights violations that include forced labour, forced relocation, extortion, destruction of homes and villages, killing men, women and children, and raping women.

More than 3,500 villages have been destroyed in Eastern Burma in the past 15 years, an average of four every week.

We have repeatedly warned that this regime’s election will not solve the human rights and humanitarian crises in Burma. Repression and instability will continue instead.

Once again, the regime lies to the world by using this election as a showcase but in reality it continues to break the international law.

To help solve Burma’s problem, we’ve been repeatedly calling on the SPDC to follow the demands of the UN to engage in tripartite dialogue with us. But the regime refuses to talk and continues to attack our civilians instead.

We call on the UN to redouble its effort to secure tripartite dialogue which includes Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, genuine ethnic representatives and the regime.

It is time the international community takes ethnic issues seriously and include us in all political process towards a true federal Burma.

While we welcome strong support from the UK government to push for a UN Security Council discussion on Burma; we also call on the International Community to use this opportunity to apply stronger pressure on the dictatorship to stop the attacks against civilians, and release all political prisoners, who are considered criminals by the regime, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.