| Home > South-East Asia >> Burma | |
Junta's election flawed, 'inadequate': US
Irrawaddy - July 12, 2010
Lalit K Jha, Washington – The Obama administration on Monday said the Burmese general election as scheduled is "flawed" and that the military government has not taken any step towards establishing democracy in the country.
"We think that this is a flawed electoral process," said State Department spokesman P. J. Crowley.
He said the US respects the decision of some of the members of the National League of Democracy to join the electoral process by forming a new political party, while others have boycotted the election process.
"We certainly do not have any expectation that what proceeds in Burma will be anything that remotely resembles a free, fair or legitimate result," Crowley said in response to a question.
At the same time, he said there is no change in the US policy of engagement with the military junta.
"We will continue to engage the Burmese government because it's in our interest to do so, and we will continue those discussions, if and when they occur in the future, to make clear that Burma has much more that it needs to do to engage in dialogue with its key groups within its population and to open up its political process to meaningful participation," Crowley said.
The Obama administration also will continue to press for the release by the popular Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi during every interaction with the military rulers, he said.
Asked if the talks have yielded any positive results on the democracy front, he said: "On the democracy front, no. Their steps have been inadequate."
"We have years, if not decades, of experience that tells us that isolation has not worked either. We are involved in direct discussions with Burmese officials. I can't predict when the next round will occur," he said in response to a question. "Engagement is what we think is the most effective means to an end."
"But so far, their response particularly on the democracy front has been disappointing. It's been a missed opportunity. But we will continue to engage them – not to reward them, but just simply to make sure that they have clarity that if they envision any different kind of relationship with the United States, that fundamental processes within their own country have to change," Crowley said.
He said no decision has been made on the appointment of a special US envoy for Burma.
Meanwhile, the US continues to remain concerned about Burma's relationship with North Korea, he said.
"It's something that we watch very, very carefully and consistently," Crowley said.
See also:
 |