[IMC-US] Contribution from Burma (Myanmar), on impending elections

[Kim]

Dear US Indy Media

I would like to contribute analysis piece on the upcoming Burma
elections. I work in central and eastern Burma and the border with
Thailand with victims of war and political groups from Burma,
including both dissidents in exile, and candidates in the coming
election. I often provide information on conflict and politics in
Burma to western governments and the UN.

Pitch:
November approaches fast and Burma’s elections look certain to go
ahead, resting all further speculation on what will actually happen, a
matter of surprisingly little discussion in the media. While it is
certain that military rule will continue, more attention should be
paid at this critical stage to the diversity of the current political
landscape and a number of uncertainties.

While the radical opposition continues to focus on calls to
governments with few political ties to the regime and encourage a
voter boycott, thousands of social and business leaders remain tired
of waiting for a utopian democracy, and aim to squeeze what they can
from the process.

While the appointment of the executive branch can be clearly
predicted, many key shifts are due to take place in Burmas political
landscape, the prospects of which are garnering little attention from
the world. Those working for change in Burma have already become
deeply divided and this election threatens to widen the gap, causing
an escalation in armed conflict and political instability.
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I run this blog, www.burmamattersnow.org which is sponsored by relief
NGO Worldwide Impact Now. I have written in the past under the alias
'JJ Kim' too for a number of local publications and websites.

Let me know if you'd like me to send the piece over in full, even just
to have a look. If not quite what you were looking for, let me know if
a slightly different angle would be more appropriate.

Thanks

Kim

Kim Jolliffe
+66 854 784 971
SPCM88 at gmail.com