In Myanmar, irregularities and intimidation cited ahead of voting

Today in Myanmar, the southeast Asian country also known as Burma, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi warned that this weekend’s election would not be free and fair and said problems, including intimidation, had been found.

“While we recognize that even in well established democracies there are irregularities and misdemeanors when elections take place, what has been happening in this country is really beyond what is unacceptable for democratic elections. Still we are determined to go forward because we think this is what our people want.”

Sound from Telegraph TV. Suu Kyi, who has spent most of the past two decades under house arrest, is running for one of the 45 seats open in the country’s parliament. But concerns persist about human rights, continuing detention of political prisoners, and a crackdown on the country’s ethnic groups. For more we’re joined by Aung Zaw, editor with Irawadday Magazine, He joins us from northern Thailand. He just returned from Burma ahead of Sunday’s vote.