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Report: Violations Mar Lead-Up to Myanmar's National Election

Lisa Schlein

   GENEVA - A U.N. official documenting the human rights situation in
   Myanmar warned that the country's national election on November 8 will
   be neither free nor fair, and will not accurately reflect the will of
   the people.

   The report, presented at the U.N. Human Rights Council, set off
   protests from Myanmar and its supporters.

   Myanmar would not grant a U.N. special rapporteur entry into the
   country, but he was able to conduct his investigation remotely. Thomas
   Andrews said testimony from human rights defenders, members of
   Myanmar's civil society, and graphic material indicate that even before
   a single vote is cast, the election will not be credible.

   "The results of an election cannot accurately reflect the will of the
   people, when the right to vote is denied because of a person's race,
   ethnicity or religion," he said. "And, I have seen no evidence that the
   government is willing or prepared to facilitate the right to vote for
   hundreds of thousands of voting age Rohingya located in Rakhine State
   or in refugee camps in Bangladesh."

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