Myanmar elections
Myanmar holds its first election in 20 years on Sunday,a vote in which parties backed by the military are assured victory. Still, the election has stirred hopes of change in the isolated nation. Reuters journalists will be blogging live the vote.
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Spotlight on Aung Suu Kyi www.reuters.com -
Reuters now has a dedicated page on Myanmar with the latest stories, images and videos:- www.reuters.com -
A photo slideshow of Myanmar refugees and migrant workers near Thai-Myanmar border: www.reuters.com
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A comprehensive website on Myanmar with links to the 2008 Constitution and latest news and analysis on the election:- networkmyanmar.org
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U.K. Ambassador to Myanmar Andrew Hyn blogs about the election for the Guardian. Read them here: www.guardian.co.uk
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This website was said to have been set up by ethnic media and reporters inside Myanmar. It has links to the pre-election report by BNI, election map and individual sections on ethnic states and areas: www.burmaelection2010.com
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Workers prepare a polling station for the upcoming elections in Yangon November 5, 2010. Myanmar votes for the first time in 20 years on Sunday in a scripted election where military-backed parties are assured victory, but the poll is also stirring faint hopes of change in one of the world's most isolated states. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
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An election campaigner displays stickers promoting upcoming elections in downtown Yangon November 5, 2010. Myanmar votes for the first time in 20 years on Sunday in a scripted election where military-backed parties are assured victory, but the poll is also stirring faint hopes of change in one of the world's most isolated states.
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Reuters.com has a new Myanmar election page - www.reuters.com -
Tin Soe, 25, a member of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners work on his laptop next to a portrait of Myanmar's detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi at his office at the Thai-Myanmar border November 6, 2010. Myanmar votes for the first time in 20 years on Sunday.
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Reuters graphic on #Myanmar elections link.reuters.comby jasonszep via twitter 11/6/2010 11:05:23 AM -
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A video piece from ABC on Myanmar's elections and youth dissent:- www.abc.net.au
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7:00 PM: This article by the BBC looks at how the outcome of the election could have an impact on the ethnic nationalities. www.bbc.co.uk
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7:14 PM: The Economist says a political transition may be starting at last in Myanmar, despite cause for cynicism. www.economist.com
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7:27 PM: An analytical piece on what could happen after November 7. The author, an analyst with the Brookings Institution, says "the ‘sticks’ of sanctions will continue to offset the ‘carrots’ of engagement. The long-suffering population of Myanmar is probably expecting more of the same conflicting external pressures, and that is likely to be what they get." www.eastasiaforum.org
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7:48 PM: The posts will become a bit more sporadic from now on but we will be up and running again in earnest first thing tomorrow morning. The polling opens at 6.00 am Myanmar time (6.30 am Bangkok time) and we will be following very closely reports from international as well as local media.
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9:07 PM: A Wall Street Journal article on Nov 5 said voters and analysts are watching the polls to see whether "opposition groups will emerge with at least a sizable stake in the country's new government." While the junta-backed USDP is widely believed to gain power, "voters and opposition leaders have surprised the regime and outside analysts before," the article said, pointing to the results of the last election in 1990 where the pro-government party was defeated. online.wsj.com
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10:11 PM: This opinion piece in today's Bangkok Post says Myanmar is reaching a crossroads, and despite the election being everything the detractors say it is, "change had to come in some form because there is no longer any room in today's fast-paced, global economy for a hermit nation stuck in the last century, especially one so rich in energy reserves, natural resources and sheer development potential." m.bangkokpost.com
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Reuters has early story www.reuters.com
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8:13 AM: Thailand's The Nation newspaper calls the polls "a rigged ballot" designed to assure army will still rule, and says regional bloc ASEAN will accept the results: www.nationmultimedia.com
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8:20 AM: A Reuters factbox on the main parties contesting the elections in Myanmar - www.reuters.com
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8:26 AM: A reporter from the Center of Investigative Reporting who travelled to Thai border town of Mae Sot a few days before the polls says "the mood is one of preparation for major armed engagement." www.centerforinvestigativereporting.org
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A good primer on the election by politcal analyst Richard Horsey can be found on the link below. He makes the point that one of the two major army-backed parties, the NUP, could hold the balance of power in the legislature. Key excerpts:
"If the NUP does end up holding the balance of power in the legislatures, this may mean that lawmaking is dominated by a conservative, authoritarian-leaning nationalism; but it would certainly not be merely a facsimile of the present regime in civilian clothing....while the NUP is certainly not a natural ally of the National Democratic Force and other democratic parties, there are reasons to believe that it is much more independent of the regime and the military than is commonly assumed. In particular, on social and economic issues its policies could diverge significantly from those of the military/USDP. And if the party does end up holding the balance of power, it should come as no surprise if it were to demand significant concessions – in terms of policy and influence –in return for its support to the military/USDP bloc."
Full report can be found here: irrawaddy.org -
For Reuters full coverage of the Myanmar elections, click and bookmark www.reuters.com
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8:49 AM: This New York Times article from yesterday talked about the confusion before the polls in smaller towns and villages:- www.nytimes.com
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8:55 AM: Christian Science Monitor talks about how Aung San Suu Kyi's release could shape Burma's political future:- www.csmonitor.com
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9:14 AM: The International Crisis Group has some excellent background reports on the elections.
This one, China’s Myanmar Strategy: Elections, Ethnic Politics and Economics, is very good.
www.crisisgroup.org
Among the key excerpts:
Beyond border stability, Beijing feels its interests in Myanmar are being challenged by a changing bilateral balance of power due to the Obama administration’s engagement policy and China’s increasing energy stakes in the country. Beijing is seeking to consolidate political and economic ties by stepping up visits from top leaders, investment, loans and trade. But China faces limits to its influence, including growing popular opposition to the exploitation of Myan¬¬mar’s natural resources by Chinese firms, and divergent interests and policy implementation between Beijing and local governments in Yunnan.
China sees neither the roadmap nor the national elections as a challenge to its interests. Rather, Beijing hopes they will serve its strategic and economic interests by producing a government perceived both domestically and internationally as more legitimate. -
Updated Reuters story from Yangon, adds comments from Clinton www.reuters.com
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Officials and citizens are seen at the polling station in central Yangon as Myanmar holds its elections November 7, 2010. Polls opened under tight security in Myanmar's first election in 20 years Sunday, a scripted vote that assures army-backed parties an easy win but brings a hint of parliamentary politics to the isolated, oppressive state. The polling station is one of several where diplomats and local journalists are allowed to view voting. REUTERS
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The election is widely seen as a sham, but a number of analysts are starting to look at how it will change the political framework, even if the military's proxies dominate... this is from Jacob Ramsay, senior analyst for Southeast Asia and Pacific at Control Risks, in an interview with Reuters: "Instead of focusing on the illegitimacy of the election, it is time to start thinking about how the landscape could change, particularly if business gets involved and Burmans are allowed to make money for themselves without getting throttled all the time."
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For a look at how some frontier-minded businesses and investors view this election, read our report "For some, Myanmar is ultimate frontier market" in.reuters.com
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Officials and citizens are seen at the polling station in central Yangon as Myanmar holds its elections November 7, 2010. Polls opened under tight security in Myanmar's first election in 20 years Sunday, a scripted vote that assures army-backed parties an easy win but brings a hint of parliamentary politics to the isolated, oppressive state. The polling station is one of several where diplomats and local journalists are allowed to view voting. REUTERS
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Burma exile news source Mizzima says the junta-backed USDP has caused a furore in northwestern Sagaing by using the reverse side of biodata forms for campaigning. www.mizzima.com
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For a glimpse into Myanmar's changing economy, check out Leopard Capital CEO Doug Clayton's recent blogpost after a trip to its commercial heart... leopardcapital.blogspot.com
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Voters arrive to cast their ballots at a polling station in central Yangon as Myanmar holds its general elections November 7, 2010. The polling station is one of several where diplomats and local journalists are allowed to view voting. Polls opened under tight security in Myanmar's first election in 20 years Sunday, a scripted vote that assures army-backed parties an easy win but brings a hint of parliamentary politics to the isolated, oppressive state. REUTERS/Aung Hla Tun
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Migrant workers from Myanmar hold portraits of Myanmar's detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a protest against the election in their country, at the Thai border town of Mae Sot November 7, 2010. Polls opened under tight security in Myanmar's first election in 20 years on Sunday, a scripted vote that assures army-backed parties an easy win but brings a hint of parliamentary politics to the isolated, oppressive state. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom
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