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Burma soldier: 'I would never vote in this election'

An opposition supporter who was jailed for 15 years and now lives in the US gives his view on the Burmese election.

Producer Julie LeBrocquy and co-director Annie Sundberg on smuggling footage out of Burma to telling the story of Myo Myint, a former soldier turned peace activist Link to this video

Myo Myint Cho, 48, served in the Burmese army. Discharged after losing a leg and an arm in a minefield, he became a supporter of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and started giving speeches outside military bases. He was jailed for 15 years, suffering mistreatment and torture. He has lived in the US since 2008 and is the subject of a new British documentary, Burma Soldier, directed by Nic Dunlop.

If I were in Burma, I would never vote in this election. I never trust to the government's promises. When the junta held an election in 1990, it promised the Burmese people and the international community that it would transfer power to the elected body and return to barracks.

The military broke their promise, arrested elected candidates and threw them into prison. Now they are trying to hold another sham election to give legitimacy to the 2008 constitution, which reaffirms absolute control of the junta. So if people vote in this election, it means further legitimising of the military government.

There are different ways to weaken the junta. Some believe in armed struggle, some believe in non-violence. I believe in mass movement combined with international pressure. If we can stage mass movement – you can call it people power movement – it should be led by Aung San Suu Kyi and the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), which won the last election in 1990 with 60% of the vote. The junta must come to the table to negotiate with democratic forces. I believe that this is the best way to weaken the regime. There is a role for economic sanctions but they are not the one and only way to change Burma's political situation. The US should continue its diplomatic pressure and should try to persuade to China, India, and other Southeast Asian countries to impose economic sanctions against the regime.

There are so many soldiers in Burma who feel like me. However, they have no opportunity to express how they feel and they dare not. On the surface, Burma's military seem to be strong, but many of the lower ranks do not like their officers as the higher-ups act only out of self-interest. Last month I heard about dissatisfied soldiers who tried to stage a demonstration. The generals routinely neglect the daily problems and needs of their soldiers, who are deserting more and more. The number of deserters is getting bigger and bigger. However, you will never be able to get an accurate number because every regiment commander always omits the number of deserters.

Very few people in Burma have access to the internet or satellite, although some people in big cities do have internet access. But many Burmese have DVD players at home, so if they have DVD or video compact discs they will be able to watch the film.

I hope it will make soldiers serving the regime think about their actions and their treatment of civilians. After watching it, they can ask themselves whether their behaviour towards civilians is good or bad, just or unjust. I hope it will help them turn towards the people and to join the people's movements.