[{"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__282932__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"282932","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/282932","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__282932__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__282932__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__282932__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-ca03-d72a-f27b-bdba95a4a1fe\u0022\u003E(Rangoon)\u00a0- \u2018Amay Su! Amay Su! (Mother Suu),\u2019 they chanted. Tens of thousands had gathered to support Aung San Suu Kyi\u2019s election campaign in Rangoon\u2014and perhaps catch a glimpse of her. It was festive, and remarkably orderly. Children and old ladies danced to the party song, young men waved flags, and volunteers cleared the way for traffic, passed around bottles of water and party stickers. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-right embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--right\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\/26427\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/nldrally.jpeg?itok=WTpp79hd 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/nldrally.jpeg?itok=Uypgqw4B 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\/nldrally.jpeg?itok=Uypgqw4B\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022567\u0022 alt=\u0022Supporters wave NLD flags after Aung San Suu Kyi gave a speech at her campaign rally in Rangoon.\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\u003ESupporters wave NLD flags after Aung San Suu Kyi gave a speech at her campaign rally in Rangoon, Burma on November 1, 2015.\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2015 Reuters\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022docs-internal-guid-d03ac85d-ca03-d72a-f27b-bdba95a4a1fe\u0022\u003EIt was a political rally like those countries that regularly manage to conduct free and fair elections. But it is remarkable because this was happening Burma. A young man told me that he was 22, and had never seen anything like this. \u00a0\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022docs-internal-guid-d03ac85d-ca03-d72a-f27b-bdba95a4a1fe\u0022\u003EThe ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), too, has its songs and flags.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022docs-internal-guid-d03ac85d-ca03-d72a-f27b-bdba95a4a1fe\u0022\u003EThis is remarkable. The military has ruled since 1962. After demonstrations in 1988, the military allowed elections in 1990, which the NLD won in a landslide. But the generals annulled the results and resumed their dictatorial rule. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022docs-internal-guid-d03ac85d-ca03-d72a-f27b-bdba95a4a1fe\u0022\u003ENow the generals running for office wear civilian clothes. But in many other ways, little has changed. The sad truth is that the military knows they don\u2019t have to try too hard. Despite calls for reform, the constitution still ensures that 25 percent of parliament will be reserved for the army. And for all the chanting support, Aung San Suu Kyi cannot become president because the 2008 constitution bars her from the highest office because her children hold foreign citizenship. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022docs-internal-guid-d03ac85d-ca03-d72a-f27b-bdba95a4a1fe\u0022\u003EThere are more sinister signs of a controlled election as well. The skewed citizenship laws effectively disenfranchise hundreds of thousands. Religious extremist groups routinely incite hate against Muslim minorities. On October 29, Yanghee Lee, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, expressed concern about the \u201cinstitutionalized discrimination against the Rohingya community.\u201d Several ethnic groups remain embattled, and fighting between the Burmese army and Shan rebels has displaced more than 6,000 civilians in recent weeks, with voting cancelled in the two townships affected.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022docs-internal-guid-d03ac85d-ca03-d72a-f27b-bdba95a4a1fe\u0022\u003EYet the images of supporters in green (USDP) and red (NLD) are a welcome sign in Burma. The 22-year-old young man told me he was excited that he was going to vote. \u201cI still haven\u2019t decided. I am going to listen carefully to choose who is best.\u201d His vote may not matter because the leadership will still be foisted on him, but it does count because many Burmese will insist on retaining their right to choose their leaders and demand changes as a result. And once the genie of free speech escapes from its bottle, it will be difficult to put it back in. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/div\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}]