[{"command":"settings","settings":{"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"core\/picturefill,entity_embed\/caption,views\/views.ajax,views\/views.module","theme":"hrw_design","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":[],"views":{"ajax_path":"\/views\/ajax","ajaxViews":{"views_dom_id:blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__282931__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"282931","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/282931","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__282931__en","pager_element":0}}},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"0ae5601d8790ff50fca3cf23b9ac9170285f2f75823ebdc8d9cc054bc03a679b"}},"merge":true},{"command":"add_css","data":"\u003Clink rel=\u0022stylesheet\u0022 media=\u0022all\u0022 href=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_reI-6YIYy-k9pvxm-gaCRrn5cSrTZRtyAMrp4YXDUJw.css\u0022 \/\u003E\n"},{"command":"add_js","selector":"body","data":[{"src":"\/sites\/default\/files\/js\/js_VkK39bvB4H6LLVemwPFz8QWcUMTFqZ3FFo_LBVv_4vs.js"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__282931__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__282931__en\u0022\u003E\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022blog-block__content__description rich-text pt-6 mb:pt-10 mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022docs-internal-guid-d03ac85d-ca02-5887-30cf-a57b60ca475a\u0022\u003E(Rangoon)\u00a0\u2013 As Burma\u2019s November elections near, many former military officers close to current President Thein Sein are competing for seats in Parliament. Many are contesting as candidates of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). Any successful candidates will be in \u003C\/span\u003Eaddition to the 25 percent of the seats given to the military by the Constitution (it also reserves three key ministerial posts for the military: Defense, Home Affairs, and Border Affairs). Two of Thein Sein\u2019s \u201csuper-ministers,\u201d Soe Thane and Aung Min, are contesting seats in Karenni State in Burma\u2019s east. This means in the new parliament the military will not only be represented openly by MPs in uniform, but will also be represented by others in suits. It\u2019s the ultimate poison pill for the idea of a return to civilian governance. \u00a0\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed\u0022 data-type=\u0022image\u0022\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-left embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--left\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\u0022figure figure--expand text-center\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__media relative inline-block mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022\/modal\/26426\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/burma-military-parliament.jpeg?itok=KqdvoynH 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/burma-military-parliament.jpeg?itok=9KpS27n- 850w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 524px) 100px, 500px\u0022 data-responsive-image-style=\u0022embedded_images\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/burma-military-parliament.jpeg?itok=9KpS27n-\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022522\u0022 alt=\u0022Representatives from the military members of parliament in Naypyitaw.\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 typeof=\u0022foaf:Image\u0022 \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__expand absolute block bottom-0 right-0 w-8 h-8 bg-white text-gray-700\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022sr-only\u0022\u003EClick to expand Image\u003C\/span\u003E\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-full inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewbox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=#sprite-expand\u0022\u003E\u003C\/use\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022figure__info text-left font-serif text-xs md:text-sm lg:text-base mx-auto text-gray-700 mt-1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__caption\u0022\u003ERepresentatives from the military members of parliament in Naypyitaw.\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2012 Reuters\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022docs-internal-guid-d03ac85d-ca02-5887-30cf-a57b60ca475a\u0022\u003EBehind the scenes, another ominous military move to ensure long-term control over Burma\u2019s government is happening, with little exposure. Since the so-called democratic transition began following the 2010 elections, there has been an alarming practice of transferring military personnel to the civil service and judiciary. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022docs-internal-guid-d03ac85d-ca02-5887-30cf-a57b60ca475a\u0022\u003EBurma\u2019s weak bureaucracy has been flush with military officers dating back to the 1960s, when soldiers lacking the skills to run a technical portfolio helped perpetuate decades of chronic underdevelopment and corrupt governance. Yet this is different. Beginning with the sham 2010 elections, which supposedly heralded a slow transition to the Tatmadaw-designed \u201cdiscipline flourishing democracy,\u201d the military has been transferring officers to key positions in the police and, especially, the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/l.facebook.com\/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fasiafoundation.org%2Fresources%2Fpdfs%2FGADEnglish.pdf\u0026amp;h=nAQEGqJrE\u0026amp;s=1\u0022\u003EGeneral Administration Department\u003C\/a\u003E (GAD) of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The GAD is infamous for having long been used for the surveillance and monitoring of Burmese citizens in cooperation with the police and military intelligence. Today, the department also plays a key role in supporting the Union Election Commission (UEC) in conducting the upcoming polls on November 8. The UEC is itself run by a former general, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/l.facebook.com\/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hrw.org%2Fnews%2F2015%2F08%2F31%2Fburma-parties-ordered-not-criticize-army\u0026amp;h=fAQEQd6zY\u0026amp;s=1\u0022\u003ETin Aye\u003C\/a\u003E, who has publicly states that he wants the ruling USDP to win the election.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022docs-internal-guid-d03ac85d-ca02-5887-30cf-a57b60ca475a\u0022\u003EOver the past several months, civil society protests have grown over the accelerated transfers of officers to the Ministry of Health, including an online \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/notes\/black-ribbon-movement-myanmar-2015\/the-black-ribbon-movement-myanmar-2015-say-no-to-militarization-of-myanmar-minis\/123738111303254\u0022\u003Eblack ribbon\u003C\/a\u003E campaign organized by health practitioners. A \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/l.facebook.com\/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elevenmyanmar.com%2Flocal%2Felectrical-engineers-mandalay-launch-blue-ribbon-protest\u0026amp;h=9AQG2ZcnE\u0026amp;s=1\u0022\u003Eblue ribbon\u003C\/a\u003E campaign was also coordinated by Electrical Power Corporation engineers in protest of the transfer of officers to their senior management structure. In September the military appointed 20 retiring officers to senior judicial positions, which the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/l.facebook.com\/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.icj.org%2Fmyanmar-end-practice-of-appointing-military-officers-to-judiciary%2F\u0026amp;h=0AQHcTo0F\u0026amp;s=1\u0022\u003EInternational Commission of Jurists\u003C\/a\u003E criticized as a further blow to judicial independence in Burma; Burmese lawyers protested with a yellow ribbon campaign. Burmese judges have long been subservient to the military. These appointments seemed aimed at blocking the creation of an independent judiciary, a hallmark of any democracy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022docs-internal-guid-d03ac85d-ca02-5887-30cf-a57b60ca475a\u0022\u003EIn June the armed forces were roundly criticized for \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2015\/06\/25\/us-myanmar-politics-idUSKBN0P50Q820150625\u0022\u003Evetoing proposed constitutional amendments\u003C\/a\u003E that would reduce their hold over parliament. With increased personnel transfers from the military to civilian posts, it\u2019s clear that the Burmese military is determined to consolidate its power and influence, continuing its sense of entitlement that endangers Burma\u2019s progress toward a rights-respecting democracy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null}]