Burma’s elections are shaping up to be the detestable sham the dictatorship’s sternest critics have warned. Unlike those held – and then callously ignored – in 1990, no credible opposition is running. Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy won the 1990 poll, is a prisoner after spending 15 of the past 21 years under arrest. She is barred from participating. Not satisfied with the quarter of parliamentary seats reserved for the military, dozens of officers retired last week so they could contest “civilian” seats. Philip Crowley, a US assistant secretary of state, accurately said of this mockery: “A dictator in civilian clothing is still a dictator.”
緬甸的選舉正逐漸發展成爲對其獨裁政府持最嚴厲批評態度的人士警告過的那種可憎騙局。與1990年其結果遭到無情拒絕的選舉不同，此次選舉沒有可靠的反對黨。曾領導全國民主聯盟(NLD)贏得1990年選舉的翁山蘇姬(Aung San Suu Kyi)，在過去21年裏有15年時間遭到監禁，目前仍在獄中。她被禁止參加競選。由於不滿足於僅爲軍方保留四分之一的議會席位，數十名軍官上週辭職，以便能夠競選「平民」席位。美國助理國務卿菲力普•克勞利(Philip Crowley)對這出鬧劇進行了精闢的描述：「披著民主外衣的獨裁者仍是獨裁者。」
