[{"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__283045__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"283045","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/283045","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__283045__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__283045__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__283045__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\u003E(Rangoon) \u2013 Burma\u2019s first nationally televised political debate took place yesterday in Rangoon ahead of Sunday\u2019s parliamentary elections. The popular \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dvbdebate.net\/\u0022\u003EDVB Debate\u003C\/a\u003E show brought together six speakers to discuss a range of issues, including education policy, economic reform, and the nationwide peace process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\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\/26459\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/dvb_debate.jpg?itok=DqnMjy3j 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/dvb_debate.jpg?itok=O4ILG6lz 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\/dvb_debate.jpg?itok=O4ILG6lz\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022638\u0022 alt=\u0022Candidates sit at Burma\u2019s first nationally televised political debate in Rangoon on November 4, 2015.\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\u003ECandidates sit at Burma\u2019s first nationally televised political debate in Rangoon on November 4, 2015.\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\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tDebating were senior leaders of six major political parties: Mya Nyien, an Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House) MP and Central Executive Committee member from the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP); Win Myint, a senior member of the National League for Democracy (NLD); Han Shwe, a CEC member of the National Unity Party (NUP); Sai Nyunt Latt, the Secretary of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD); Khin Maung Shwe, the president of the National Democratic Force (NDF); and Dr. Aye Maung, leader of the Arakan National Party (ANP).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tThe debate began with the cornerstone question: \u201cWill the elections be free and fair?\u201d Almost all the party leaders declared the elections could not, with Khin Maung Shwe saying, \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s possible for the elections to be free and fair,\u201d to resounding audience applause.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tThe second part of the debate, including questions from the audience, touched on issues related to disenfranchisement of Muslims in Arakan State, directed at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.elevenmyanmar.com\/politics\/anp-boss-plays-ethnic-card\u0022\u003EAye Maung\u003C\/a\u003E who has been accused of stirring violence against ethnic Rohingya Muslims, issues related to the military and federalism, and what deals may have been made between opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the current speaker of the house, Thura Shwe Mann, who was recently purged by the USDP as its chairman. Other topics raised included education reform, mention of scores of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2015\/11\/03\/dispatches-heritage-dissent-burma\u0022\u003Estudents who are still on trial\u003C\/a\u003E for protesting the National Education Bill, disability rights, and the penalties for rape.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tSince its beginning in 2013, DVB Debate has tackled a range of issues in its weekly segments, many of them politically sensitive and hitherto impossible to imagine being discussed in public let alone televised nationally. DVB, otherwise known as the Democratic Voice of Burma, was a formerly exiled radio, internet, and TV media group that beamed its reportage into the country, but operated clandestinely inside to report, as vividly illustrated in the Oscar nominated documentary \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vimeo.com\/33160416\u0022\u003EBurma VJ\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tSuch a debate today may not substantially change Burma\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2015\/11\/04\/burma-election-fundamentally-flawed\u0022\u003Efundamentally flawed elections\u003C\/a\u003E, but it does provide a space for the airing of competing views over the very issues that will define the next parliament. There may be a lot of cynicism and distrust over Burma\u2019s polls, but that makes people want to talk about them even more.\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}]