In an exclusive interview in the lead-up to elections widely seen as crucial turning point for Myanmar, influential monk Shwe Nya War Sayardaw said he doubts the elections will be free and fair.
“I very much doubt the genuineness behind what has been promised,” the religious leader told Borderless in an interview during his August visit to Washington.
“I don’t necessarily think (the elections) will be free and fair, and there will be a lot of cases of voter fraud, as has happened in the past…The dead vote, and voter intimidation will occur no doubt, especially in more rural parts of the country,” said the religious leader, who was one of a handful of civic leaders to meet with former U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her 2011 Myanmar visit.
The elections come more than four years after the formerly isolated nation opened up to outside investment and promised a rash of economic, social and political reforms, including elections. But many critics now say the government has come up short on its promises, as the country has seen little major economic or social progress. Shwe Nya War Sayardaw said the government has failed to bring about economic progress, and instead has stirred up religious strife in a bid to deflect the public eye away from what he called the government’s failures.
Moreover, an internal coup last month saw an internal shakeup, as chairman of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), Shwe Mann was booted from his post while around 200 security force members surrounded the party’s headquarters. The coup grabbed headlines worldwide and many experts said the move showed the military is still firmly in charge. Indeed, it happened after Shwe Mann become too cozy with opposition party leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and some suspected that the two would build a coalition, although Borderless has been unable to confirm this.
Shwe Nya War Sayardaw said that despite the elections, the military is still firmly in charge of the country, and believes that former Myanmar military strongman Than Shwe still maintains much behind-the-scenes influence on the military and political system, despite officially stepping down as head of state in March 2011. Borderless takes no stance on that issue.
Shwe Nya War Sayardaw called on the U.S. to observe Myanmar’s elections, a sentiment shared by opposition National Leugue for Democracy head and Pulitzer Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who said countries worldwide must observe the November poll and make sure that the outcome is legitimate.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s party is widely expected to win the elections, but experts said it remains to be seen whether the military will let go of power. Shwe Nya War Sayardaw said that as long as former head of state Than Shwe pulls the strings, the military will remain in charge. Borderless takes no stance on that issue.
While there was an election in 2010, was boycotted by the NLD and international observers blasted the elections for what they called widespread irregularities. The last elections in which the party participated were held in 1990, when it won by a landslide, but the military junta ignored the results and remained in power.
This is the second of a several part interview that will be released in the lead-up to Myanmar’s November elections. The first part of the interview can be viewed here.
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