Activists in Taiwan are calling on the government to reject the results of upcoming elections. They made the call in line with the UN, EU and lawmakers from the US, Japan and New Zealand who say that an election held by the military junta cannot be democratic.
00:00Myanmar is said to have its first elections since the military junta took power in a coup
00:05in 2021.
00:06In December and January, people will vote on who sits in parliament.
00:11But here in Taipei, some pro-democracy activists are calling the elections a sham.
00:20These activists are saying that the elections are only being used to give legitimacy to
00:24the junta which ousted the democratically elected government.
00:27And they're calling on Taiwan's government to reject the results.
00:30This is what we have in the United States, we have in the United States to ask.
00:36In the United States, 99% of the people of the 2020 election are not allowed to vote.
00:4498% of the people of the United States are not fair, not fair.
00:5198% of the people of the United States are not allowed to vote in the United States.
00:59Myanmar and Taiwan face similar pressures from the authoritarian expansion.
01:04Your support for Myanmar migrant workers, your public voice, and your democratic leadership matter greatly for us.
01:14We asked Taiwan to reject the military sham elections and its legality.
01:18In a statement to Taiwan Plus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it respected Myanmar's sovereignty
01:23and that internal issues should be resolved by the Myanmar people.
01:27It urged for a peaceful resolution of issues and said it supported international efforts to restore human rights and democracy.
01:34Meanwhile, the EU has decided not to send observers.
01:38And even the UN Secretary General warned the elections could cause more instability.
01:43Human Rights Watch noted the absence of major opposition parties on the ballot.
01:47And lawmakers from the US, Japan, New Zealand and other countries have all called on their respective governments to reject the results.
01:54With just a few weeks to go before the first round of votes on December 28th, whether the elections can even be held in conflict-heavy areas remains to be seen.
02:04And with armed ethnic groups warning election workers of potential repercussions, it seems that Myanmar's divides will not be so easily resolved.
02:13Alex Chen and Tiffany Wong in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.
Be the first to comment