Pre-Elections Political Violence Begins

24 December 2009: Junta-orchestrated pre-elections political violence seems to have begun as the exiled Burma Lawyers’ Council (BLC) yesterday accused junta-backed social organization Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) of being responsible for organized mob violence directed at political dissidents.

According to the BLC media release, on 19 December 2009, a mob consisting of about 200 men led by Kyi Myin Diang Township USDA secretary U Myint Lwin violently attacked a group of political activists led by U Ye Htun at Atatchaung village.

Contending that the latest case warrants criminal prosecution under existing Burmese laws, the BLC says that it is a premeditated and politically motivated acts of violence perpetrated against dissidents.

The exiled lawyers group says that junta leader Than Shwe is ultimately responsible for deliberately turning a blind eye to the mob violence and for failure to prosecute those responsible for such acts.

The Burma Lawyers’ Council, outlawed by the military junta as an illegal organization, is currently rallying international supports to indict Burmese junta leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity for prosecution at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Chinland Guardian