Friday, 4 June 2010

National League for Democracy Banned by Burma's Dictatorship

Under new election laws introduced by Burma’s dictatorship the National League for Democracy (NLD) officially ceased to exist from midnight on 6 May 2010.
The NLD was required to register as a political party to maintain its legal status, but the dictatorship deliberately introduced conditions in the election laws that would make it impossible for the NLD to register. These included expelling more than four hundred members who are in detention because of their peaceful activities for the NLD, and supporting a new constitution which is undemocratic, does not protect human rights, and is designed to maintain dictatorship under a civilian guise. As the NLD could not accept these conditions, it declined to register, meaning the dictatorship has now banned the organisation from legal existence.
The National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won 82 percent of seats in Parliament in elections in 1990. The dictatorship refused to accept the results of the election. This time, for elections due later this year, they are taking no chances, ensuring the constitution and every aspect of the elections are rigged to ensure they remain in power.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has been criticised for his failure to take any serious action to prevent the NLD becoming a banned organisation.

from: Burma Campaign