Burmese monks denounce referendum

_{By Sai Awn Tai}

Venerable U Dhammacara, a representative of the IBMO (Australia) said the Burma military’s referendum on 10 May 2008 is an undemocratic and unconstitutional plebiscite.

The draft constitution has drawn without freedom and fairness. The NLD, Aung San Suu Kyi’s party and other ethnic nationalities parties which won the 1990 general election has been excluded in participating drafting the constitution, and the opposition groups are also not allowed to participate, he said.

Today April 26, the IBMO with the support of Burma Campaign Sydney organizes a protest rally against the Burma’s unconstitutional referendum.

Over 200 people march in Sydney’s Central District Business. They support the IBMO’s condemnation on the referendum. The representatives from various religions, APHEDA, Amnesty international and Tibetan group joined the protest rally.

Dr Kyaw Myint Malia, the spokesperson of Burma Campaign Sydney condemned the military regime for misleading people that they are devout Buddhists by spreading the news on daily local paper that they donate a lot of money to the monks.

Last year’s September crackdown revealed that the military don’t believe in religion, the purpose of donating money to the monks is simply to prolong their power.
 
“The reason we stand here together today is because we can not tolerate social injustice toward any religious group of people in Burma. It can not imagine for the fate of other minor religions such as Muslim and Christian while Burmese Buddhist monks were often mercilessly attacked by the military regime”, he said.

The seven step road map of ‘National Constitution’ and its upcoming referendum is another tactic of keeping the prolong power for the military regime.

“They now want their power to be preserved in their so called “National Constitution”. The international community has declared that the Referendum and the constitution does not represent the will of the people. There is a climate of pervasive fear in Burma terrorized by the military junta. You cannot have a referendum without the opposition political groups and the ethnic people allowed to move freely and campaign for their vote. Not with the repressive Draconian Laws against any discussion of the ‘Draft Constitution’” said Dr Kyaw Myint Malia.

Burma Campaign Sydney also sent a letter to Mr Stephen Smith, the Australian Foreign Minister, urging the Australian government to approach the SPDC’s representatives in Australia that the upcoming referendum at the Burmese Embassy in Canberra to be conducted by the services of the Australia Electoral Commission.

The Burmese citizens in Australia will be eligible to vote on Tuesday 29 April between 10am and 4pm.