The goons in Mandalay must have been getting fidgety over the last few months- no massive anti-government protests to brutally suppress, no life-shattering tsunami relief for them to bungle, no fun at all. I can only imagine their joy when they saw a chance to do something they do very well: fuck with Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize and national election winner. What’s her crime this time?
“On May 3, according to the Burmese state press,
an American man illegally swam across a lake to
Suu Kyi's waterfront villa and snuck into her
compound for two nights.
Though Suu Kyi's lawyer has said she was
upset to discover an unexpected visitor in her
home, the democracy activist could still face
five years in jail if she is convicted.”
Her crime was being the owner of a house which was broken into? Also, what is the point of jailing someone you’ve already kept under house arrest for the better part of two decades?
There’s also some great news about the upcoming elections:
“Polls may well be held in 2010, but they will
not take place on a level playing field. Top
posts will be reserved for members of the military,
and arcane rules have been designed to keep Suu Kyi
and other NLD stalwarts from running for office.
Burma-watchers also fear that ballot boxes will be
stuffed to ensure that the military doesn't lose as
it did so spectacularly in 1990.”
Apparently it came as quite a surprise to the military in 1990 that everyone hated them. 20 years later they figure another round of elections would be fun, but their main concern is just avoiding a ‘spectacular’ loss? I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for the Myanmar junta.
We've waiting for new reports since your last post "Burma, it's an industry term".
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