Over 100 Burmese citizens who have stayed over staged a demonstration at the Burmese embassy in Tokyo on Tuesday demanding their right to vote on the draft constitution. These citizens have been overstaying in Japan.
An estimated 3,000 Burmese citizens overstay and 5,000 hold valid visa in Japan.
Led by activists and politicians the protesters urged the Burmese embassy to allow them to vote as absentee voters on the referendum to be held from April 26 to 27. Dr. Min Nyo, one of the leaders of the protest, told Mizzima, "We should have voting right as this constitution concerns all of us. They allow Burmese citizens overstaying to pay taxes at the Burmese embassy even though they violate the Japanese law yet they don't allow us to vote for the constitution because we are involved in a free political movement in Japan. We want to prove this constitution cannot guarantee a homogeneous society in Burma in future. That is why we are protesting here today."
Several non governmental organizations including Amnesty International in Japan and a large section of the masses joined the protest. The protesters gathered outside the Burmese embassy around 3 p.m. and shouted slogans like, 'Down with the military dictatorship', 'Release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners', 'National Reconciliation' and 'SPDC's national referendum unlawful' for about an hour.
The scene at the embassy was not normal. Embassy staff stayed in the tent behind three closed gates. They didn't answer the doorbell or look outside. Some eligible voters who have not yet received invitation letters to participate in the referendum came to inquire about the letters and had to turn back. The embassy staff scared by the protesters would not answer them.
"I came here and inquired about it. But the embassy staff didn't respond to my query and told me impolitely to seek an appointment again tomorrow," said a student who is in Japan since 2007 and studying for her Master's degree. "I don't understand the constitution. It is unfair to vote for constitutional referendum without studying it. The authorities have not officially published the constitution here. So I have decided to vote against the referendum on the 26th of this month," she added.
"We are requesting the ambassador U Myint Tun to carry out an enquiry. But the embassy staff dare not answer our questions," a protestor said. In USA, Newyork activists call for rally against Burma's regime referendum and Fort Wayne activists,(88gse) and democratic families are already stroming "VOTE NO" campaign last two months ago. But it will be effect or not because the regime sets up tricky plan to win the referendum for the ruling militrary side in any way.
An estimated 3,000 Burmese citizens overstay and 5,000 hold valid visa in Japan.
Led by activists and politicians the protesters urged the Burmese embassy to allow them to vote as absentee voters on the referendum to be held from April 26 to 27. Dr. Min Nyo, one of the leaders of the protest, told Mizzima, "We should have voting right as this constitution concerns all of us. They allow Burmese citizens overstaying to pay taxes at the Burmese embassy even though they violate the Japanese law yet they don't allow us to vote for the constitution because we are involved in a free political movement in Japan. We want to prove this constitution cannot guarantee a homogeneous society in Burma in future. That is why we are protesting here today."
Several non governmental organizations including Amnesty International in Japan and a large section of the masses joined the protest. The protesters gathered outside the Burmese embassy around 3 p.m. and shouted slogans like, 'Down with the military dictatorship', 'Release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners', 'National Reconciliation' and 'SPDC's national referendum unlawful' for about an hour.
The scene at the embassy was not normal. Embassy staff stayed in the tent behind three closed gates. They didn't answer the doorbell or look outside. Some eligible voters who have not yet received invitation letters to participate in the referendum came to inquire about the letters and had to turn back. The embassy staff scared by the protesters would not answer them.
"I came here and inquired about it. But the embassy staff didn't respond to my query and told me impolitely to seek an appointment again tomorrow," said a student who is in Japan since 2007 and studying for her Master's degree. "I don't understand the constitution. It is unfair to vote for constitutional referendum without studying it. The authorities have not officially published the constitution here. So I have decided to vote against the referendum on the 26th of this month," she added.
"We are requesting the ambassador U Myint Tun to carry out an enquiry. But the embassy staff dare not answer our questions," a protestor said. In USA, Newyork activists call for rally against Burma's regime referendum and Fort Wayne activists,(88gse) and democratic families are already stroming "VOTE NO" campaign last two months ago. But it will be effect or not because the regime sets up tricky plan to win the referendum for the ruling militrary side in any way.
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