[{"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__282939__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"282939","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/282939","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__282939__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__282939__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__282939__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-ca24-c859-68e3-343edf837fd1\u0022\u003E(Rangoon)\u00a0\u00a0- As the November 8 national elections approach, signs of the impending contest are growing in Burma\u2019s former capital, Rangoon. Posters from the competing parties displaying the names, images, and biographies of candidates are appearing, along with booths distributing party campaign materials and voter-education information, all of which is crucial to explain the country\u2019s complex voting procedures. Surprisingly for some informal observers expecting a heavy security force presence in a country dominated by the military for decades, army and police forces are almost invisible, at least to the naked eye. \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\/26428\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/img_0637.jpg?itok=rybBPu7Y 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/img_0637.jpg?itok=XET-o6mV 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\/img_0637.jpg?itok=XET-o6mV\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022638\u0022 alt=\u0022An IT shop in downtown 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\u003EAn IT shop in downtown Rangoon.\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2015 Human Rights Watch\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\u003ELess surprisingly for observers who have experience elsewhere with first-time or almost first-time elections in long-time authoritarian situations, a casual encounter with members of the voting public suggest many are excited and eager to talk about politics. This includes a fascinated desire to discuss with foreigners comparisons of the situation in their country with that in others that they believe have faced comparable turning points. Many are unafraid to declare their political loyalties, including support for the best-known opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), even in public places where anybody might overhear them. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022docs-internal-guid-d03ac85d-ca24-c859-68e3-343edf837fd1\u0022\u003EHowever, one such encounter in one of the now countless internet shops in the capital pointed to underlying fears. On the one hand, the owner and his children loudly proclaimed to a shop full of milling customers that the entire family would vote for the NLD and of their devotion to its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. The mother of the family explained that their hope was that this would make Burma a \u201cmodern country.\u201d But things turned darker when this prompted them to ask me about experiences in other countries, including Egypt, Thailand, and Cambodia, where military coups and security force violence have overturned election results or squelched post-election demonstrations and protests against election fraud and irregularities, leading in all three instances to serious human rights violations. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022docs-internal-guid-d03ac85d-ca24-c859-68e3-343edf837fd1\u0022\u003EThey were particularly interested by events in Cambodia, a fellow Southeast Asian country where a seemingly perennial authoritarianism was unsuccessfully challenged in the national elections of 2013 by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). As it happened, among the files on the computer I had brought into the shop were photographs and videos of that election campaign and its violent aftermath. The family and customers gathered around, again displaying opposition sentiments when viewing images of huge CNRP campaign marches and CNRP leader Sam Rainsy waving to the crowds. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022docs-internal-guid-d03ac85d-ca24-c859-68e3-343edf837fd1\u0022\u003EThis turned to horror when they were shown images of post-election security force violence, including incidents in which troops opened fire on protesters, with deadly results. \u201cJust like 1988,\u201d shouted one viewer, referring to the violence faced that year during the army\u2019s crackdown against pro-democracy demonstrators in the streets of Rangoon. \u201cThis could happen again here,\u201d said another. \u003C\/span\u003E\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}]