The group said the 1947 Panglong Agreement between Burma’s Father of Independence, Gen. Aung San, and the ethnic leaders intended to bring full equality rights, including self-determination to ethnic people. However, it was not acted upon, plunging the country into civil war.
“It’s not possible for (the election) to be free and fair in the hands of the military government,” Naw Hkam, General Secretary of the AKSYU said.
“Everything has been already well prepared and set up for the junta to win the election,” he said.
The Junta transformed its social organization, the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), into the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), to contest the election. That party is led by former senior military officers, including Prime Minister Thein Sein, who is the head of the party.
The USDP was given the advantage of not campaigning under the severe restrictions placed on opposition parties by the government-run Election Commission (EC).
The EC rejected the Kachin political parties and individual candidates which attempted to contest the election.
The Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP), led by former no. 2 Vice Chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Dr. Manam Tu Ja, was one of the Kachin parties denied approval to run. The party has been abolished.
The Unity and Democracy Party of Kachin State (UDPKS), led by former organizer of the USDA and business man, Hkyet Hting Nan, was quickly approved by the EC to run, and received financial support from the USDP.
The Kachin Student group also called for the release of all political prisoners, and also said they support the Kalay Declaration, calling for a second Panglong Conference.
“We would like to urge all people that there is no way but to boycott this election,” said Naw Hkam.
Source:http://kachinnews.com/news/1778-kachin-student-group-calls-for-election-boycott.html
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