Myanmar Opposition in Japan to Boycott

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About 150 people demostrated prade held in Tokyo ,because
Members of the National League for Democracy said Monday that they would not register to vote after they met in Yangon, Myanmar’s main city. BANGKOK — After months of internal debate, members of the party of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the long-detained pro-democracy leader, defied Myanmar’s junta by announcing Monday that they would boycott the country’s first elections in two decades.  Photo News ( Thar Htet ... BCJP News )
The move raises questions about both the future of the Burmese opposition and the credibility of the vote. According to election laws the junta released earlier this month, the decision means that the party that has served as the mainstay of the country’s democratic movement for two decades, the National League for Democracy, will be automatically dissolved. Western governments, including the United States and Britain, had said that Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi’s participation and that of her party were prerequisites for legitimate elections. On Monday, U Win Tin, a founding member and strategist for the party, said that more than 100 delegates were unanimous in their decision. “We will ask the people around us not to vote in the election: Please boycott,” he said in a telephone interview. He said that the party would try to continue political activities after it is disbanded. “We will work for the people,” he said. The party had been split over whether to participate in the elections, forced to choose between participation that would undercut its principles and a boycott that would dissolve it. Last week, Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi said through a spokesman that she viewed the election process as “unjust” and that she felt that the party should not take part.

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Pentagon Confident It Could Intercept

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The Pentagon is "very confident" that it could defend the United States against the threat of an Iranian ballistic missile strike, the Defense Department's chief spokesman said Wednesday. A recent Defense Department report to Congress concludes that Iran could develop a missile capable of striking the United States by 2015. Iran already has the largest deployed ballistic missile force in the Middle East,
 comprising about 1,000 missiles capable of hitting targets up to 1,200 miles (1930 kilometers) away, the report warns. The United States has 25 long-range interceptor missiles based in Alaska and California, as part of a system designed to defend the nation against an attack from North Korea or Iran. Eight of 14 tests of the interceptors have been successful, while the remaining tests suffered software glitches and other technical problems. But U.S. officials say the system should still work in the event of an attack. "We are confident that the system we have in place right now, the (ground-based interceptors) that are based in Alaska and California, are sufficient to protect us from such a threat coming in from Iran and North Korea," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said. The United States is concerned increasingly about Iran's missile program, particularly because Washington believes that Tehran is moving toward building a nuclear weapon. Officials in particular fear that Iran could retaliate against any attack by the United States by targeting its missiles on American troops deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan. Michele Flournoy, a senior Pentagon policy adviser, told reporters in Singapore on Wednesday that a military strike against Iran is an option of "last resort" and "off the table in the near term" as Washington pursues economic sanctions. Morrell said Flournoy's comments should not be interpreted as a shift in strategy. "It clearly is not our preference to go to war with Iran, to engage militarily with Iran," he said. But "there is always the option at the president's disposal of taking military action." Leave a Comment Sort: Newest Sort: Oldest Subscribe to CommentsSort: Newest Sort: Oldest Email * not displayed Comment Required Comment FOX News encourages you to participate in this discussion; however, please be sure to review our Terms of Use and Privacy Statement or Leave a CommentYou must be logged in to comment. Please login or register below. Already a member of FOXNews.com? Log in now Username or Email Address Password Remember me on this computer Forgot your password? or login using a third-party account Reset Password To reset your password, please fill in your email below. A password reset link will be emailed to you. Email Address Not a member yet? Register Now On FOXNews.com It's FREE and only takes a minute! Get access to: Breaking news and access to video and infographics Exclusive FOXNews blogs and community features Channel info and more!

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Myanmar urges vigilance after deadly bombs

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(AFP) – Myanmar state media urged revellers at annual water festivities to be on guard Friday after bomb blasts killed eight people at a park in the military-ruled country's biggest city. People should "remain vigilant against potential atrocities" and inform the authorities if they see anything suspicious, the English-language New Light of Myanmar newspaper said. Officials had initially reported that nine people died Thursday in three explosions
near Kandawgyi Lake in the former capital Yangon, but later said they had miscounted the number of fatalities. State media said 170 people were wounded in the park, where thousands of people were gathered for water-throwing festivities to mark the Buddhist New Year. It was the worst bomb attack in Yangon since a series of blasts in May 2005 at two supermarkets and a convention centre killed 23 people. The junta blamed those explosions on exile groups. Thursday's blasts came as the country prepares for elections planned for this year that critics have dismissed as a sham due to the effective barring of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi because she is a serving prisoner. The United States condemned Thursday's attacks and said it was unsure about the motivation. "We condemn any kind of violence that victimises innocent civilians," said State Department spokesman Philip Crowley. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who were the victims of this bombing," he said. Washington maintains sanctions on the regime but initiated a cautious dialogue with the junta last year, concluding that the previous US policy of trying to isolate the regime had failed. Hundreds of revellers returned to the same park Friday on the final day of the Thingyan New Year festival, watched by dozens of police officers. State television said late Thursday that an investigation had begun to find the "destructionists" behind the explosions. Myanmar has been hit by several bomb blasts in recent years, which the junta has blamed on armed exile groups or ethnic rebels. The military has ruled Myanmar since 1962, partly justifying its grip on power by the need to fend off ethnic rebellions that have plagued remote border areas for decades. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in 1990 elections, but the junta never allowed it to take office. The Nobel peace laureate, who advocates non-violent resistance, has been under house arrest almost constantly since. Armed minorities in Karen and Shan states continue to fight the government along the country's eastern border, alleging they are subject to neglect and mistreatment. The regime recently stepped up its decades-long campaign against the rebels in an apparent attempt to crush them before the polls, expected before early November this year.

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Dodt hopes to carry India form into Myanmar Open

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(AFP) – Australian Andrew Dodt, who leads the Asian Tour Order of Merit after victory at the Avantha Masters, said Tuesday he hoped to carry his success in India into this week's Myanmar Open. Dodt has been in fine form this season, claiming two runner-up spots before his win in India in February and he said he was in a good position going into the 300,000-dollar tournament, which begins on Thursday. "I'm feeling fresh and ready to play again.
 It was good to have a break and recharge my batteries. I'm feeling hungry for more success and that's a good feeling to have," he said. "More people look at my results now but I'm not going to do anything differently. I keep doing the same routines and let the results talk. It worked in India so it should work in Myanmar." The Myanmar Open is returning to the Asian Tour schedule after a four-year lay-off, and while Dodt is making his first appearance at the event, Rahil Gangjee of India is looking forward to revisiting the tournament where he made his Asian Tour debut. "This was a good place to start my career as it spurred me on to win my first title. I have good memories here and hope to do better," said Gangjee. The Indian is hoping his current form, with two top-10 finishes, will help him end his six-year title drought. "I have been playing well in the last three months and I have good vibes. It used to play with my mind (not winning since 2004) but mentally I'm stronger now. Hopefully I can end my drought this week," he said. The Myanmar field includes Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Jason Knutzon of the United States, Japanese Hideto Tanihara and two-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar of India. In-form Knutzon, with two career Asian Tour victories to his name, is also hoping to continue his form in Myanmar. He has two top-10s this season and currently sits in seventh place on the Order of Merit. Veteran Mardan Mamat of Singapore is hoping to bounce back from a bad spell which included three missed cuts. He played in the 2004 and 2005 editions of the Myanmar Open, finishing in tied fourth and 13th place respectively

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