2007年VOA标准英语-US Rejects Burmese Constitution Process as 'Tot

The United States Tuesday dismissed as a "total sham 1" the outline for a new Burmese constitution produced by a national convention assembled by the country's military government. The State Department says the results of the "illegitimate" convention do not represent the will of the Burmese people. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

Burma's acting Prime Minister Lt. General Thein Sein delivers an opening address at the National Convention in Nyaunghnapin, 18 Jul 2007



The United States has long been critical of the constitution-writing exercise in Burma, because it excluded principal opposition 3 groups and ethnic 4 minorities.

It is now dismissing the results of the process - a set of guidelines for a new constitution, as a sham document without any political legitimacy 5.

The Burmese military leadership announced Tuesday that after 14 years of on-and-off work, the convention had produced a set of charter guidelines that will eventually lead to national elections.

Despite the junta 6's depiction 7 of the guidelines as part of a democratic "road map," domestic and international critics immediately condemned 8 the package, saying its provisions would insure that the military remains 9 the dominant 10 force in the country.

Tom Casey



At a news briefing, State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said for the process to have had any legitimacy, it would have had to have included opposition factions 11, notably 12 Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.

"I think our simplest response to it is we view it as a total sham," said Casey. "The delegates to this convention were hand-picked by the regime. They haven't been allowed to engage in any open debate, and of course they also excluded the National League for Democracy, which is Burma's largest political party."

"It's also somewhat ironic 13 that the conclusions of this supposed open political process coincide with a crackdown on citizens for peacefully protesting, and trying to exercise their freedom of expression," he continued.

Aung San Suu Kyi's party won national elections in a landslide 14 in 1990 but was barred by the military from taking power. The 1991 Nobel Peace laureate has been under various forms of detention 15 most of the time since then, including house arrest since May of 2003.

News accounts say the guidelines would give the military continued control of key ministries 16 and unelected blocks of seats in legislative 17 bodies, while limiting the rights of political parties with provisions tailored to exclude Aung San Suu Kyi and her party.

Spokesman Casey said it is hard to see how the work of the constitutional convention is salvageable 18.

A written statement here reaffirmed the U.S. call for "genuine, inclusive dialogue" between the junta and opposition factions, leading to a civilian 19, democratic government that respects human rights.

Min Ko Naing (l) and other members of the 88 Generation Students group march through Rangoon to protest over fuel price hikes, 19 Aug 2007



The U.S. statement also called on the junta, which has responded harshly in recent days to public protests over fuel price increases, to halt the arrest and harassment 20 of non-violent activists 21, release all political prisoners, end attacks on civilians 22 in ethnic minority areas and lift curbs 23 on humanitarian 24 aid groups.

Casey said he expects the Burmese human rights issue to be revisited by the U.N. Security Council in the coming weeks. A U.S.-sponsored resolution condemning 25 Burma won majority support in the council last January but was vetoed by vetoes by Russia.