(Mizzima) – Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on
Thursday she is “very anxious” that the campaign process and the voting in the
April 1 by-election be free and fair.
“We are just discovering there are many, many irregularities on the
voters list, and we have applied to the Election Commission to do something
about this,” she said, speaking at a press conference with Canadian Foreign
Minister John Baird outside her home in Rangoon.
The Canadian FM, who is making a one-day visit to Burma to evaluate the
democratic reform process, said he would be proud to lift the Canadian
sanctions against Burma, but “obviously we all want to watch very closely the
next three and half weeks of the campaign.” He said he would watch to see how
the complaints about the election rolls turn out.
The Canadian government would observe the election to determine if it
is fair and transparent, and whether the international community respects the
results, he said.
Suu Kyi said she hopes things go smoothly, and that the results can be certified
as fair, which could open the door to aid from international governments and
humanitarian groups.
“We would welcome aid that is used for our people, which is the first
requirement,” she said. All aid should be transparent and have accountability,
she said.
“Unless there is transparency and unless there is accountability, I do
not think you can take it for granted that the help that you give is going to
benefit our people,” she said.
Baird said Canada in the future would look at providing support to
civil society groups. “We would love to begin a development aid system and to
begin lifting the sanctions,” he said, but only when Canada sees how the
election is judged.
Suu Kyi said it was important for the Burmese government to take the
first step to help the people.
The Canadian foreign minister noted that Canada is already providing
assistance to Burma through international agencies like the U.N.
‘We are providing substantial support for refugees and displaced
persons on and around the border,” he said, and partially within the country.
“We would like play a bigger role in development programs, a bigger role in
trade and commerce, and we are very keen to do that,” he said.
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