Myanmar's military rulers have barred pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from running in upcoming elections and may force her own political party to expel her under a new election law unveiled Wednesday.
The Political Parties Registration Law, published in official newspapers, excludes anyone convicted by a court of law from joining a political party and may push Suu Kyi out of her National League for Democracy.
Aung Thein, a lawyer who has defended activists in the country, called the law "absolutely undemocratic and unfair." And the head of an U.S.-based activist group described it as a slap in the face for the international community, which is calling for free and fair elections in the Southeast Asian nation.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who has spent 14 of the past 20 years in detention, was convicted last August of violating the terms of her house arrest by briefly sheltering an American who swam uninvited to her lakeside residence. She was sentenced to a new term of house arrest that is to end this November.
The sentence was seen as a way to keep Suu Kyi locked up during the election campaign. Last month, the Supreme Court dismissed her latest appeal for freedom.
The registration law says that existing political parties have 60 days from Monday, when the law was promulgated, to register with an Election Committee whose members are to be appointed by the junta. The government currently recognizes 10 parties.
Parties are also instructed to expel members who are "not in conformity with the qualification to be members of a party," a clause that could force Suu Kyi's expulsion. Parties that don't register automatically cease to exist, the law says.
The law also bars members of religious orders and civil servants from joining political parties.
The date of the elections has not been announced, and Suu Kyi's party has not said whether it will contest the balloting.
The regime enacted five election-related laws on Monday, two of which have now been made public. Three more are to be unveiled in coming days.
The government announced in 2008 that elections will take place sometime in 2010. The last elections in 1990 were won overwhelmingly by Suu Kyi's party, but the military refused to hand over power.
Her party says the new constitution of 2008 is unfair and gives the military controlling say in government.
Suu Kyi's lawyer and a senior party member, Nyan Win, said the new law also bars people who have lodged an appeal against a conviction, which he said "clearly refers" to Suu Kyi. He declined to comment further, saying party members need to discuss the legislation first.
"It is very unfair that a party member serving a prison term for his or her political convictions has to be expelled from the party. This clause amounts to interfering in party internal affairs," said Aung Thein, the lawyer. He said the provision would exclude many pro-democracy individuals who have been imprisoned for their beliefs.
Human rights groups say the junta has jailed about 2,100 political prisoners.
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