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(fā)展成為對(duì)其獨(dú)裁政府持最嚴(yán)厲批評(píng)態(tài)度的人士警告過(guò)的那種可憎騙局。與1990年其結(jié)果遭到無(wú)情拒絕的選舉不同，此次選舉沒(méi)有可靠的反對(duì)黨。曾領(lǐng)導(dǎo)全國(guó)民主聯(lián)盟(NLD)贏得1990年選舉的昂山素季(Aung San Suu Kyi)，在過(guò)去21年里有15年時(shí)間遭到監(jiān)禁，目前仍在獄中。她被禁止參加競(jìng)選。由于不滿足于僅為軍方保留四分之一的議會(huì)席位，數(shù)十名軍官上周辭職，以便能夠競(jìng)選“平民”席位。美國(guó)助理國(guó)務(wù)卿菲利普?克勞利(Philip Crowley)對(duì)這出鬧劇進(jìn)行了精辟的描述：“披著民主外衣的獨(dú)裁者仍是獨(dú)裁者。”