Bottom Line: Rights Conditions Unlikely to Improve Post-Elections

The United Nations rights expert is due to visit Burma for the third time later this month since assuming his position in May 2008. Tomas Ojea Quintana, a lawyer from Argentina, is the fourth rights envoy to be appointed by the United Nations to investigate allegations of human rights violations in Burma. Only a handful of countries in the world that face the most serious allegations, have a human rights investigator appointed by the world body.

Burma’s 2010: the Opposition Dilemma

Analysis

12 October 2009

The date for junta-burmaorchestrated election is closer as Burma’s military dictator Senior General Than Shwe last week confirmed that plans are going ahead with holding a new election in 2010 in accordance with the new Burmese constitution that was passed in a referendum last year.

Making Burma Ungovernable

The prospect of Burma transforming into a democratic state from the totalitarian rule seems to be diminishing as the junta gear up their effort to implement their own seven-step road-map to the so-called ‘disciplined democracy’.

The UN and Burma: the UN Good Offices Mission May Need Alteration

The UN Chief Ban Ki-moon, while on his visit to Thailand in December 2007 using his good offices mission prestige and the weight of the world community he represents, warned Burma that the return to the status quo is not acceptable. His special envoy Ibrahim Gambari has been to the country three times to help it move forward from the status quo to a real democratic reform in Burma after September saffron revolution. So far it achieves nothing.

Shall We Give Daw Suu, A Chance?

Scanning through the media, both electronic and printed points to the idea that those who have Cetena and interest in Burma seems to be quite impatient. The major driving force behind, is their own vested interest rather than the welfare of the country and people. Viewing internationally,