Report embargoed until 04.00 GMT 16 February 2010. Later this year, Myanmar will hold its first national and local elections in 20 years against a backdrop of political repression and unresolved armed conflicts. The country’s record on human rights is extremely poor. Myanmar’s 50 million people continue to suffer from poverty and public health challenges, wrought largely by the government’s long-standing economic mismanagement. As this report conveys, there are real reasons to fear that the 2010 elections will intensify the already severe repression of political critics, in particular those from the country’s large and diverse population of ethnic minorities.
