The United States on Wednesday will resubmit a draft statement in the Security Council that will insist on a “credible” constitutional referendum in Myanmar next month, its ambassador said. Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters that he planned to resubmit the non-binding text—which initially encountered opposition from China—because “there are disturbing signs that the process [in Myanmar] is not a credible process. … It is very important that given the upcoming referendum and elections, the council sends a strong message, a clear message that the process needs to be credible.” “The people of Burma deserve support from the council, from the international community,” Khalilzad said. U.S. officials refer to Myanmar by its previous name, Burma. Myanmar's military rulers have said they will hold a referendum on May 10 to prepare for multi-party elections in 2010. Opposition leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) and other pro-democracy groups are calling for a “No” vote, but they have little ability to campaign effectively because the government has outlawed speeches and printed material about the referendum. The vote will be the first balloting in military-run Myanmar since 1990, when Suu Kyi led the NLD to a huge victory that was never recognized by the military. She remains under house arrest.
