AM
Burma heads to the pollsZoe Daniel reported this story on Saturday, November 6, 2010 08:06:00
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SHANE MCLEOD: Tomorrow in Burma people will vote in the first elections there in 20 years.
Democracy figure Aung San Suu Kyi has called on people to boycott the poll which has been branded a farce.
But the parties that are standing in the election are passionately advocating that people should cast their ballots because it may be the only chance to achieve change.
South-east Asia correspondent Zoe Daniel has been in Burma, she filed this report.
ZOE DANIEL: The National Unity Party was formed with the support of Burma's military junta just before the 1990 election. It's celebrating its anniversary, just before the second poll in 20 years.
The party is one a number of government proxies contesting the election that's set up to guarantee the government wins.
But the NUP's leadership claims opposition parties can compete fairly.
Joint general secretary Khin Mg Gyi.
KHIN MG GYI: We consider them all as our worthy competitors so we will treat them as if they have equal chances of competition, if you win you win you know. If they are better of course they will be.
It's deserved for them to win you know so this is our attitude.
ZOE DANIEL: But 25 per cent of seats are pre-allocated to the military and government backed parties are the only ones with the resources to contest all seats.
Free speech is not tolerated, media like us must work and travel covertly and thousands of political activists are in jail.
The daughter of Burma's first prime minister U Nu says authorities have been monitoring the campaigning of her new Democratic Party. But Than Than Nu says an imperfect election is better than nothing.
(Than Than Nu speaking)
The audio is muffled because the interview had to be done in secret but she says "We don't want to confront with the authorities and we don't want to see many people dying on the streets. We think this is the only way, this is the last chance for us to restore democracy in Burma."
Achieving progress in Burma will be a slow process even if the election is a reason to hope. It's the poorest country in South-East Asia and in the countryside that's obvious. People are just getting by.
"I don't have enough income for my family's survival," this man says, "and I have to try as much as I can."
There's little optimism about improvement anywhere other than among the powerful.
"I think there will be a change only among themselves," he says, "but as for the poor people like us there will be no change."
Burma will go the polls tomorrow. It's expected that democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi will be released from house arrest next week - too late to have an impact on the election.
In Rangoon this is Zoe Daniel reporting for Saturday AM. (AM,Australia)
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SHANE MCLEOD: Tomorrow in Burma people will vote in the first elections there in 20 years.
Democracy figure Aung San Suu Kyi has called on people to boycott the poll which has been branded a farce.
But the parties that are standing in the election are passionately advocating that people should cast their ballots because it may be the only chance to achieve change.
South-east Asia correspondent Zoe Daniel has been in Burma, she filed this report.
ZOE DANIEL: The National Unity Party was formed with the support of Burma's military junta just before the 1990 election. It's celebrating its anniversary, just before the second poll in 20 years.
The party is one a number of government proxies contesting the election that's set up to guarantee the government wins.
But the NUP's leadership claims opposition parties can compete fairly.
Joint general secretary Khin Mg Gyi.
KHIN MG GYI: We consider them all as our worthy competitors so we will treat them as if they have equal chances of competition, if you win you win you know. If they are better of course they will be.
It's deserved for them to win you know so this is our attitude.
ZOE DANIEL: But 25 per cent of seats are pre-allocated to the military and government backed parties are the only ones with the resources to contest all seats.
Free speech is not tolerated, media like us must work and travel covertly and thousands of political activists are in jail.
The daughter of Burma's first prime minister U Nu says authorities have been monitoring the campaigning of her new Democratic Party. But Than Than Nu says an imperfect election is better than nothing.
(Than Than Nu speaking)
The audio is muffled because the interview had to be done in secret but she says "We don't want to confront with the authorities and we don't want to see many people dying on the streets. We think this is the only way, this is the last chance for us to restore democracy in Burma."
Achieving progress in Burma will be a slow process even if the election is a reason to hope. It's the poorest country in South-East Asia and in the countryside that's obvious. People are just getting by.
"I don't have enough income for my family's survival," this man says, "and I have to try as much as I can."
There's little optimism about improvement anywhere other than among the powerful.
"I think there will be a change only among themselves," he says, "but as for the poor people like us there will be no change."
Burma will go the polls tomorrow. It's expected that democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi will be released from house arrest next week - too late to have an impact on the election.
In Rangoon this is Zoe Daniel reporting for Saturday AM. (AM,Australia)
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