Myanmar Rights Repression Rising Ahead of Election, Report Says

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Myanmar Rights Repression Rising Ahead of Election, Report Says

by Chris Blake

Repression of rights in Myanmar has increased ahead of elections due next month, with the number of prisoners of conscience climbing to 91 from two over the past two years, Amnesty International said in a report.

In the report “Going Back to the Old Ways” released Thursday -- one month before voters head to the polls -- the group outlines the cases of numerous student leaders, labor activists, community organizers, media workers and politicians imprisoned by Myanmar’s quasi-civilian government since the end of 2013.

“Myanmar’s authorities have clearly been playing a long game ahead of the elections, with repression picking up pace at least nine months before the campaigning period started in September,” Laura Haigh, Amnesty International’s Myanmar researcher, said in a statement.

“Their goal has been straightforward – take ‘undesirable’ voices off the streets way ahead of the elections and make sure they’re not heard.”

During Myanmar’s half-century of direct military rule -- which ended after 2010 polls that were boycotted by the opposition and not seen as free or fair -- it was common for people with dissenting voices to be imprisoned, including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Full story: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-08/myanmar-rights-repression-rising-ahead-of-election-report-says

[1sickpuppy]

The country is going to be free 1 day & asian for them, sorry i do not believe in the tooth fairy anymore, sad but true