POLITICS, ECONOMICS & SANCTIONSPOLITICSOther Political Parties & Opposition Groups 317
The NDF ended up with 16 elected members taking seats in the national
and state legislatures, compared to 883 seats for the military-backed
USDP. Among the 16 ethnic parties who also won seats were the Shan
Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP; 57 seats), Rakhaing Nationali-
ties Development Party (RNDP; 35 seats), All Mon Region Democracy
Party (AMRDP; 16 seats), Chin Progress Party (CPP; 12 seats) and the Pao
National Party (CPP; 10 seats). There are also parties representing the
Kayan, Kayin, Taaung (Palaung) and Wa.
In addition to the parties listed above, there are a further 18 ethnic
parties who either didn’t win seats or chose not to contest the election,
plus about 20 other unregistered opposition groups, some of whom –
such as the Kachin Independence Army – are fi ghting the government.
All of this shows how complicated the ethnic political struggle in Myan-
mar has become. Tackling this situation to achieve national reconcilia-
tion (see p 309 ) is considered by many, including Aung San Suu Kyi, one
of the most pressing political problems that Myanmar faces, since it’s a
pre-requisite for improving the everyday lives of the country’s citizens.
A ray of hope is that representatives of many of the ethnic parties
have welcomed the chance – the fi rst they’ve had in over 20 years – to
participate in national and local government. In the ethnic states some
of the ethnic parties captured signifi cant percentages of the vote (p 291 ).
Political Prisoners & Human Rights
Aung San Suu Kyi may have been released in November 2010, but as she
and many others keep pointing out, over 2000 other political prison-
ers remain under detention in Myanmar. According to the Assistance
Association for Political Prisoners (www.aappb.org), which keeps a run-
ning tally of the detainees, the ‘arbitrary arrest and detention of politi-
cal activists and ordinary people for their perceived opposition to the
regime continues unabated’. Human Rights Watch (www.hrw.org) has
documented how these prisoners are routinely mistreated, tortured and
‘deprived of health resources, food and contact [with family and friends]’.
Bad as this is, it pales in comparison with the litany of human-rights
abuses that are taking place in the government’s war with various armed
ethnic groups in the border regions. In the Shan State, according to the
UK Burma Campaign and others, there is ‘widespread use of rape as a
weapon of war against ethnic minorities, the forced displacement of over
ACTIVIST WEBSITESMany groups have websites that outline Myanmar’s prodemocracy movement and pro-
vide details about ongoing human-rights abuses.
Amnesty International (www.amnesty.org) Provides regular updates on the status of
1994 political prisoners being held behind bars.
Burma Campaign UK (www.burmacampaign.org.uk) One of the more outspoken cam-
paign groups, which is in favour of targeted sanctions.
Burma Global Action Network (BGAN; http://www.burma-network.com) In the wake of the
2007 monk-led anti-government protests, BGAN was founded through the creation of
the Facebook group ‘Support the Monks’ Protest in Burma’.
Burma Voices (www.burmavoices.com) A database of stories and photos of people who
have fi rst-hand knowledge of the situation in Myanmar.
Free Burma Coalition (www.freeburmacoalition.org) Run by Myanmar-exile fi gure Zarni.
Includes links to Myanmar-related news.
Network Myanmar (www.networkmyanmar.org) Committed to people-to-people contact
and dialogue on issues surrounding Myanmar.Nowhere to Be
Home, edited by
Maggie Lemere
and Zoë West,
presents 22
oral histories of
Myanmar citizens
gathered from
those living in
the country and
those in exile. The
stories are often
heartbreaking,
and the book
includes very
useful appendices
on current affairs,
history and
politics.