Imphal, January 05 2010: Notwithstanding the declaration of the Myanmarese military junta to hold elections this year after a gap of two decades, pro-democracy activists taking asylum in Manipur have expressed strong reservations against the proposed elections.

Talking to media persons today, U Thura, a leader of the Burma Solidarity Organization (BSO), said, "We welcome the move to hold elections but we cannot accept the provisions incorporated in the new Constitution passed by the Junta in 2008 which reserves 25 percent seats for military officers in the Government".

Thura , who is in charge of BSOManipur group said the provision guarantees top posts like President, vice-President, military affairs and home to the army in the new Government.

Thura (45), a veterinary doctor is one among hundreds of pro-democracy activists belonging to Federation of Trade Union of Burma, National League for Democracy (NLD) and other student bodies who have been taking refuge in the State since the Junta massacred thousands of demonstrators in August 1988 .

Thura who have been to Thailand and China a few years back got married to a girl of his own country in Manipur .

But just like many other Myanmarese families, his father who worked as an officer in Yangon was given forced retirement by the Junta some years back because he (Thura) protested against the military rule.

In the same vein, Kothein (46), another BSO leader, observed that until and unless such extra-privileged provision is amended the proposed election will not be a free and fair one.

Noting that no time frame has been given by the military junta, Kothein asserted that all political parties should be allowed to undertake poll campaign by notifying the elections in advance.

An unbiased election commission should be set up to ensure that the proposed election is held a smoothly.

Kothein said that the junta have already been informed about their demands through different channels.

BSO also demanded a tripartite talk with the leaders of various agitating ethnic groups, Junta and NLD leaders to jointly chalk out the country's future, he said.

Another demand is release of the national workers being imprisoned for campaigning against the Junta for restoration of democracy in the country.

In the 1990 elections, NLD won a landslide victory and its leader and Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was about to become the Prime Minister but the Junta quashed the poll results and continued to hold power since then.

BSO and other pro democracy groups had in 2007 carried out a signature campaign calling upon China and UN Security Council to step in and pressure the junta to stop its crackdown killing hundreds of demonstrators mostly monks and students.

Nearly ten thousand Myanmarese escaped their country from the barrels of Junta since the 1988 crackdown triggered and they had to scatter across the world.

Since Manipur is bordering Burma giving an easy accessibility to this country, around 300 of activists moved into the State.

"Now around one hundred of us are putting up in Manipur and we are also given the refugee status by the government," Thura said adding that others have put up at Thailand, Norway and the US.

"Though we are scattered across the globe we link together in our campaign against the Junta," he said.

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